The final episode of 1923‘s second season, episode 7, is a terrible mix of heartbreak and bravery that changes the Dutton family’s history forever. Brandon Sklenar plays Spencer Dutton. When he finally gets back to Montana, the cost of his journey hits him harder than ever. There are heartbreaking reunions, deadly fights and the start of new wars in this episode, which reminds us of how cruel the West can be.
SPENCER AND ALEXANDRA’S REUNION
The emotional heart of the finale lies with Spencer and Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer). After surviving oceans, separation, and danger, their long-awaited reunion is met with tragedy. The episode opens with Alex lost and alone in Montana’s freezing wilderness. Six months pregnant and running out of time, she manages to send smoke signals into the sky.
A miracle arrives in the form of a passing train—one carrying none other than Spencer Dutton. Spotting Alex through the flames, Spencer leaps from the train, rushing to her side. Their tearful reunion is underscored by Alex’s revelation: she’s six months pregnant with his child. His rescue is fierce, full of the same determination we’ve seen in every Dutton before him.
Carrying her three miles through the snow to Big Timber, Spencer is guided by love and fear. Aboard a train to Bozeman, Dr. Andrew (guest appearance) diagnoses Alex with severe hypothermia. Her temperature is dangerously low at 94.2°F, and her frostbitten limbs suggest the worst. In the hospital, tragedy deepens. Even so, safety remains elusive. With frostbite spreading and a baby on the way, Alex and Spencer face a new battle — survival.
WHITFIELD ATTACKS THE DUTTON RANCH
Back at the Dutton Ranch, the threat of Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) grows while Spencer deals with this loss. Whitfield’s men—led by Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn)—roll in with vehicles and rifles, ready to seize the land. Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren), the family’s matriarch, stands strong on the porch, refusing to be driven inside.
THE DUTTONS FIGHT BACK
In a brave moment, Elizabeth kills one of the attackers. Spencer and Jacob arrive with the police just in time to help finish the fight. Foreman Zane (Brian Geraghty) readies the ranch hands—Jasper, Randy, and Dennis—for a firefight. Armed with Jacob’s prized elk rifle and shotguns, they prepare for the worst.
Zane uses a tactical defense: he waits for the enemy to get close, then fires directly into the drivers’ cabins to knock them out. Things get worse quickly, but the plan works. Until Spencer—bruised and exhausted shows up just in time. He helps turn the tide, and Cara’s face lights up in relief. “Dang it, Spencer. I didn’t even get to fire a shot,” she says, ever the fierce Dutton woman.
ALEX DIES AFTER GIVING BIRTH TO JOHN DUTTON JR.
In the heartbreaking 1923 season finale, Spencer Dutton fights his way through Whitfield’s men while Alex and Jacob Dutton finally make it to the hospital in Bozeman.
Alex is in premature labor. Despite her frail condition and extensive frostbite, she delivers a baby boy, miraculously healthy. This child is named John Dutton Jr., the future father of Yellowstone’s John Dutton (Kevin Costner), confirming Alex and Spencer as his grandparents.
The doctors push for urgent procedures, but Alex pleads for time. She holds her son, whispering words of love. In a heartbreaking moment, she tells Spencer to be patient with him—“He’ll be wild like me.”
But the joy is painfully short-lived. With her body ravaged from the journey, Alex refuses surgery to amputate her necrotic limbs. She chooses instead to hold her newborn son and spend her final moments in peace. Alex dies holding her baby on March 29, 1924, whispering final words filled with warmth and hope. When Spencer arrives, it’s too late. He sleeps by her side, only to awaken to the crushing reality: Alex is gone.
Meanwhile, Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) is still in Bozeman, battling old injuries and dealing with Alex’s medical crisis alongside Spencer. He dismisses the doctors’ concerns with a typical Dutton stubbornness: “I’m 80 years old. Sew it up.” Before returning to the ranch, Jacob had already deputized Spencer, giving him official authority to protect the family.
SPENCER AND JACOB DUTTON KILL WHITFIELD
In a pivotal moment during the 1923 finale, Spencer Dutton takes a stand to protect his family’s legacy. Joined by his uncle Jacob Dutton, the two men set out with a singular purpose — to bring an end to the threat that has loomed over their land and their family. Their target: Donald Whitfield, the ruthless and manipulative mining tycoon who has orchestrated schemes to take over the Yellowstone ranch and terrorized the Duttons at every turn.
Without fanfare or hesitation, Spencer and Jacob arrive at Whitfield’s estate. As Whitfield enjoys a leisurely breakfast, the front door is suddenly kicked open. Spencer wastes no time. There are no words exchanged. Spencer raises his gun and, in one sharp movement, shoots Whitfield in the head. The villain falls lifelessly, breakfast uneaten, his reign of intimidation ended in an instant. It’s a stark, final moment that closes a long chapter of manipulation and violence.
JACKS’S FATE
But the family’s troubles don’t end with victory. Jack (Darren Mann) is still missing after riding out to find Spencer. His horse returns unsaddled, raising fear for his safety. Cara sends out Dennis and Jasper to search the road to Livingston. Her strength begins to show cracks—Jack is her last hope.
TEONNA RAINWATER FACES JUSTICE
Elsewhere, Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) is on the run again. After a string of dead bodies trails her path, she’s caught by Marshal Myer (Joseph Mawle). Though she’s initially set to be released, things take a drastic turn when Teonna opens fire.
Teonna is brought to trial but is acquitted due to lack of evidence. Captured and unrepentant, she speaks of the horrors she’s endured, making her upcoming trial more about justice than mere guilt. She leaves to forge a new path, finally free but deeply scarred.
BANNER CREIGHTON’S RECKONING
Banner Creighton’s arc takes a surprising turn. Hiding out with his wife Ellie and son Tucker, he seems broken. He tells Ellie, “I’m not a good man. But I’m not evil.” He contrasts himself with Whitfield, saying the Duttons take without caring, but Whitfield takes to make others suffer. Banner may be a villain, but he’s no sadist. He plans to flee to Portland, wanting peace, not power. However, Jacob intercepts him at the train station, warning him that he’s still under indictment.
ELIZABETH’S FINAL CHOICE
In the 1923 Season 2 finale, Elizabeth Dutton (Michelle Randolph) faces a heartbreaking tragedy when her husband, Jack Dutton, is found dead in the woods. Already pregnant, Elizabeth is crushed by the loss and decides she can no longer remain at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. She chooses to return to Boston, seeking safety, stability, and better medical care for her unborn child. Her decision marks a major turning point—as she parts ways with the Duttons to build a new life on her own terms. This exit also explains why neither Elizabeth nor her child appear in Yellowstone, suggesting she raised her baby away from the family legacy. However, the story may continue in a future spin-off.
YEARS LATER: A TIME JUMP
In a poignant time jump, we see that years later, Jacob chooses to stay behind with his grandson John, accepting that his era of wandering is over. Together, he and look toward what remains of their legacy. We learn Spencer never remarried, though he fathered another son with a widow. The episode concludes with an elderly Spencer reuniting with Alex in the afterlife. Her final words— “Took you long enough,” are a heartwarming and emotional end to their love story. He is haunted by Alex’s memory for 45 years until he joins her in death in 1969.
The finale doesn’t wrap everything neatly. Instead, it leaves open wounds and unanswered questions—hallmarks of Sheridan’s storytelling. What does Spencer’s loss mean for the Dutton future? Could baby Jon be tied to the modern-day John Dutton (Kevin Costner) in Yellowstone?
The legacy of 1923 is steeped in sacrifice, love, and violence—lessons etched into the Dutton name.
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