Yellowstone
BIG UPDATE: ‘1923’ Stars Speak Out on That Shocking Finale Twist and If They’d Return For Next ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel ‘1944’
‘1923’ Stars Speak Out on That Shocking Finale Twist and If They’d Return For Next ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel ‘1944’
The 1923 Season 2 finale hit like a freight train, wrapping up two years of Dutton drama with a gut-wrenching twist that’s left fans buzzing—and bawling. After a grueling journey across continents, Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) and Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer) finally reunited, only for tragedy to strike. Alex, battered by frostbite, sacrifices herself after giving birth to John II, dying in Spencer’s arms as he’s left to face an uncertain future. It’s a devastating close to their epic love story, and the stars are just as shaken as we are.
Speaking out about that jaw-dropping twist, Julia Schlaepfer didn’t hold back on the emotional toll. “I sobbed for ages after reading it,” she admitted. “We’ve lived with these characters for three years—when Alex dies, a piece of me goes with her. It’s heartbreaking, but what an honor to bring her to life.” Brandon Sklenar echoed the sentiment, calling the finale “one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read.” He added, “It’s brutal, sure, but it’s Spencer’s truth. That reunion, then losing her—it’s the kind of pain that shapes him forever.” Fans might agree it’s peak Taylor Sheridan: tragedy dialed to eleven, with no happy endings in sight.
But was it too much? The finale crammed every storyline into a two-hour sprint—Spencer mowing down Whitfield and his goons, Banner’s redemption and death, Teonna’s escape west, Elizabeth’s exit to Boston—leaving some questioning if it was rushed or just right. Sklenar defended the pace: “It’s chaotic because life is. Spencer’s not there to overthink; he acts, he fights, he loses. That’s the Dutton way.” Schlaepfer, though, hinted at mixed feelings: “Alex went through hell—robbed, beaten, freezing to death—just to end like that? I wanted her to fight longer, but maybe that’s what makes it so real.”
So, what’s next after 1923 officially rides off into the sunset? Paramount’s confirmed there’s no Season 3, but 1944 is saddling up as the next Yellowstone prequel, set to explore the Duttons during World War II. The finale dropped major hints: Spencer lives to 1969, raising John II alone, and fathers another son with a widow he never marries. Could we see him again? Sklenar’s all in: “I know 1944’s coming, and maybe we’ll see Spencer then—he’d be in his fifties. I’d love to keep carrying him; he’s changed me as a person.” Schlaepfer, meanwhile, pitched a haunting twist: “What if Alex comes back as a ghost? She could linger with Spencer in the most beautiful way. Our story shaped 1944—it’d be a shame not to keep her in it somehow.”
The duo’s chemistry was the heart of 1923, and their real-life camaraderie shines through. Recalling the reunion scene—filmed on a soundstage with fake snow and train cars—Sklenar laughed, “I ran through those sets so many times, jumping off platforms, while Julia’s sprinting to meet me. We were exhausted, but it was magic.” Schlaepfer agreed: “It was our first scene together this season—and our last. That quiet stare at the end? That was us saying goodbye too.”
With 1944 in production for an early 2026 release, speculation’s rife. Will Spencer, now a weathered rancher, lead the charge? Could John II, 21 by then, step up amid wartime chaos? And what about Elizabeth’s unborn child—might they tie into The Madison down the line? Sklenar’s game to return, and Schlaepfer’s dreaming of a spectral cameo. One thing’s clear: Sheridan’s not done breaking our hearts—or keeping us hooked. What’s your take on that finale twist? Would you want these stars back for 1944?
