Yellowstone spin-off 1923 just hinted at the answer to a major John Dutton mystery
Yellowstone’s Dutton family tree has never been simple, but one massive question might have finally got an answer.
The main Yellowstone series recently ended, and Kevin Costner's grumbling and gravelly John Dutton III died (in an incredibly controversial fashion, thanks to off-screen drama) along the way.
But that doesn’t mean his influence isn’t still looming large throughout the broader TV franchise, and with the release of 1923 season 2 episode 1, a major mystery relating to the character might just have been answered.
Continuing on from the first season, which debuted in 2022, 1923 season 2 sees the return of Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren’s Jacob and Cara Dutton as they try to prevent the Dutton ranch from falling into the hands of the calculating and cruel Donald Whitfield.
Ending his time in Africa to lend his assistance is their nephew, Spencer Dutton, who is racing from continent to continent to return to the valleys of Montana as quickly as possible.
Similarly, Montana-bound is his wife Alexandra, who was separated from her husband at sea, finding herself temporarily stranded with her family back in England.
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The couple’s separate journeys, albeit with the same destination, look set to play a crucial role throughout at least the opening episodes of 1923 season 2, not least because Alexandra revealed in the opening episode of the new season that she’s pregnant, providing extra impetus for her to be reunited with Spencer.
The reveal will no doubt add some extra emotional heft to Alexandra’s journey, compounded by the fact that Spencer is in the dark about the revelation. But, beyond that, it also could confirm the lineage of Costner’s deceased Dutton patriarch – the biggest lingering mystery about the character.
Since 1923’s debut, fans have attempted to piece the ambiguous Dutton family tree together by figuring out how exactly the Duttons seen in the 1923 prequel connect to the dysfunctional family of the main series.
What we do know for certain is that Costner’s John Dutton III is the son of John Dutton II (seen in the main Yellowstone series during a flashback), but we don’t know who John Dutton II himself is the son of – a key piece of the puzzle.
However, based on what we do know for certain about the family tree, Costner’s character is most likely either the grandson of Jack and Elizabeth, who lost a pregnancy as the first season ended, or Spencer and Alexandra – now confirmed to be pregnant.
And that makes Spencer and Alexandra the current leading candidates to be the grandparents of Coster’s now-famous John Dutton.
Admittedly, it’s nothing definitive: Jack and Elizabeth could yet have a child who ends up being John Dutton II. But, for now, it’s the most conclusive evidence the prequel series has presented. That is, for now.
Writer Taylor Sheridan is well-known for unveiling inevitable twists, and there might yet be another one coming down the tracks.
1923 season 2 launched on Sunday 23rd February 2025 on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video.
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