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The second season of 1923 has ended, and with it, the series has come to a definitive close. But the finale didn’t offer resolution in the traditional sense. Instead, it concluded with a series of tragic and violent events that still linger in my mind. As someone who has followed Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe from the beginning, the ending of 1923 didn’t give me closure. It felt more like the end of one era and the start of something unknown.
In the final episode, we watched Spencer and Alexandra finally reunite after being apart for almost the entire season. Spencer jumped off a moving train just to reach Alex, who was suffering from frostbite and close to collapse. She told him she was six months pregnant. They got back on the train together and made it to Livingston, but Alex’s condition kept getting worse. She gave birth prematurely to their son, who is later revealed to be John Dutton Jr. Then she died in the hospital, refusing surgery that would have taken her limbs.
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Back in Montana, Spencer helped Jacob and the others defend the Dutton ranch from a full-on siege. After the gunfight, Spencer and Jacob went to Donald Whitfield’s home and killed him. The season ended with Spencer taking over the ranch and leaving his son with Jacob and Cara. Since the series was only meant to run for two seasons, there won’t be a third. Now I’m left to figure out what’s next for the Duttons in the Yellowstone timeline.
How 1923 ended and what it left behind
The final moments of 1923 season 2 were packed with loss and unanswered questions. Alexandra and Spencer were finally together again, only for her to die shortly after giving birth. She refused surgery for her frostbitten limbs and chose to spend her last hours holding their newborn. As I watched Spencer cradle her in his arms as she passed, it hit hard.
At the same time, Jacob and Cara were doing everything they could to protect the ranch from Whitfield’s men. Jacob ended up in the hospital again with reopened wounds from an earlier shootout. Teonna Rainwater’s story wrapped up quickly. After all she had endured, a judge dismissed her case, and she set off west for a new start. Meanwhile, Jack Dutton was killed on his way to the station, and Cara told Elizabeth to leave and build a new life.
The finale didn’t tie everything up. It showed births, deaths, and conflict, but didn’t offer the kind of ending that brings peace. It felt more like a shift in focus, preparing the ground for future stories.
Why Yellowstone’s future now feels uncertain
The end of 1923 got me thinking not just about Spencer and Alex, but about the entire direction the Yellowstone universe is heading in. Things are beginning to feel overextended. With the main Yellowstone series concluding and 1944 already announced, it seems like the franchise is setting up a long list of storylines without tying many of them off.
A lot of fans online seem to share my confusion. I’ve come across posts expressing disappointment about Alexandra’s arc. She went through so much. She escaped her family, travelled on her own, gave birth, and finally saw Spencer again. Then she died, just like that. It felt too sudden.
Some argue that this is Sheridan’s trademark: building up emotional investment only to gut the story with unexpected tragedy. While that may work for some, to me, it feels like several character arcs have been left suspended in mid-air.
There’s also growing speculation around 1944. People are wondering if the story will follow an older Spencer Dutton running the ranch alone. Others think it might focus on the next generation, including his son John Dutton Jr., or Jack and Elizabeth’s baby. If the timeline follows through, that would make John Jr. the father of Kevin Costner’s character in Yellowstone, which adds a deeper layer of connection.
But with no official cast or plot details out yet, all we have are hints and guesses. That uncertainty is exciting, but also a little frustrating. I’m invested in the Dutton legacy, and with so many open threads, I can’t help but feel like I’m waiting for closure that may never come.
What I think could happen next in the Dutton universe
If 1944 is the next step, I think we’ll see a new generation of Duttons. The time jump gives the creators room to start fresh. Maybe Jack and Elizabeth’s baby or Spencer’s son will be at the center of it.
Spencer might still be around, though maybe in a smaller role. Elsa’s narration said he would never truly be happy again after Alexandra’s death. He might father another child, but that moment in the finale where he hands his son to Cara felt like a turning point. Jacob even said Alexandra was “mustang wild,” and it was clear to me how much she meant to them all.
Whether these stories continue or not, 1923 felt more like a transition than an ending. The people we’ve come to know might return, or the next show might start over. Either way, what happened in 1923 will shape whatever comes next.
What else is coming from the Yellowstone world
1944 is officially in development and is expected to be the next prequel in the Yellowstone franchise, following 1883 and 1923. It will be set during World War II, a time period that could allow the story to explore how the Dutton family navigated global conflict while protecting their land. This also opens the door for older versions of characters like Spencer’s son, John Dutton Jr., or Jack and Elizabeth’s child, both of whom were just born in 1923.
Since 1944 is set decades later, it might reveal how those children were raised, who eventually took over the ranch, and how the legacy of the family was shaped by world events. It could also explore how war and industrialization affected life in Montana and the Dutton family's way of doing things.
There are also discussions about a sequel to Yellowstone itself. Although specific casting or storylines haven’t been officially confirmed, it’s likely that some characters from the original series could return, depending on how the current show ends.
The final episode of 1923 didn’t close the book. It turned the page. Instead of offering a clean conclusion, it gave us new beginnings. For me, that’s what makes the future of this universe so uncertain. I’m left with open threads, lasting images, and a deep curiosity about where the story will go next.
