Spencer Dutton’s journey home has been dragged out in 1923 season 2, and he made two choices in episode 4 that I just don’t understand. Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone franchise is continuously expanding, and 1923 offers an important bridge between the frontiersman era of 1883 and the contemporary original series. Examining different facets of prohibition-era America has made for some of my favorite scenes in the show, like Alex’s horrifying trip through Ellis Island, but it’s also resulted in a lot of screen time invested in narratives I’m not very engaged in, like Spencer’s bootlegging side quest.
Spencer Dutton was easily my favorite character in 1923 season 1, with his and Alex’s chemistry shining and their journey in Africa offering consistently compelling stakes. Splitting them up for 1923’s season 2 story, however, has been less appealing. Spencer’s odyssey to Montana, in particular, has seen him primarily traveling around Texas, with him entangled between the mafia, the police, and a group of hobos. Leading up to 1923’s season 2, episode 4 ending, he made some of the most questionable choices we’ve seen him make so far.
Spencer Crashed His Car Instead Of Using It To Get Away In 1923 Season 2 Episode 4
Why Didn’t Spencer Just Drive This Car To Safety?
Spencer is handcuffed to the car by his police adversary but almost immediately manages to escape. I’m not familiar with the mileage on 1920s automobiles, but the car he escapes in seems like the perfect vehicle to gain some distance from the law. Instead of driving away and leaving the town or even moving to a more discrete area to come up with a strategy, he turns the corner and crashes the car before getting out to run away on foot, barely making it into the train car he’s going for.
There are two reasons he might have done this, but neither add up. One, driving away in a police vehicle could have potentially led the police to him, but with this era’s technological limitations, it still would have bought him more time. Second, he could have just crashed it so that the police officer couldn’t use it, but then, driving away would have created the same problem for law enforcement. It was a puzzling move, but at least he made it onto the train.
Spencer Left The Train Instead Of Dumping The Hobos’ Bodies
Why Wouldn’t He Push The Bodies Off The Train?
The next choice Spencer made was on the train. He found himself outnumbered by three hobos who told him he’d have to make them an offering if he wished to stay alive, and they ended up attacking him in his sleep. Spencer shot the two grown male hobos and threw the girl against the train car wall. Now left with three bodies, Spencer decided to jump off of the train, leaving the mess behind. The alternative option would have been to drop the bodies off the train and ride the car to safety.
It’s also possible that Spencer might not have been thinking, as he’d just woken up and was sleep-deprived.
Spencer might have been thinking that leaving the bodies on the railway would help the police follow his trail and that by getting off, he could go in an alternate direction, but his main goal should be getting as far away from Galveston as possible. The police don’t know his name, and they’re not going to catch up to him in cars. It’s also possible that Spencer might not have been thinking, as he’d just woken up and was sleep-deprived.
1923 Is Obviously Stalling Spencer’s Arrival In Montana – But Why?
Taylor Sheridan Wants To Save The Reunion For The Very End
The only reason I can think that Spencer Dutton would make these decisions is that Taylor Sheridan wants to delay the Dutton family’s reunion in Montana. Spencer has yet to share the screen with any of his family members, and the entire show has essentially been the story of his return home. If season 2 had opened with Spencer arriving on the Dutton family’s doorstep, the whole season would be about the upcoming war against Whitfield and Creighton, but that’s not the core of this series.
1923 isn’t just about the Duttons defending their ranch; it’s about what it meant to be a Dutton in the 1920s. Spencer can’t just teleport; he has to experience all of this to make his return feel earned. While I wish episode 4’s obstacles had felt a tad less farfetched, I believe the final episodes of 1923 season 2 will justify the slow burn. To see him and Alex reunite, as well as the rest of the family, and have them rise up together to defend the ranch will be an exciting climax.