Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) blames Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) for Alex Dutton’s (Julia Schlaepfer) tragic death in 1923’s finale. Still, the greedy mining tycoon is just one of the many culprits responsible for her fate. At the end of 1923 season 2, Alexandra dies of complications from hypothermia, opting out of having her arm and legs amputated as her frozen limbs succumb to necrosis. The event topped the long list of horrible things that happened to Alex Dutton in 1923, leading Spencer to kill Whitfield in his dining room, exacting vengeance for his loss and the war on his family.
Alex’s death was a multifaceted event, and many factors contributed to Spencer’s partner being unable to join him at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Their journey began when the pair met in Nairobi, Kenya, as Alexandra of Sussex was on a holiday to celebrate her engagement to the Earl of Sussex, and Spencer was between hunting excursions. Alex ran away with Spencer, and the pair fell in love. They wed and decided to spend their lives together. However, Alex and Spencer’s love story was ill-fated in the end. Still, Whitfield isn’t entirely to blame.
Donald Whitfield
Donald Whitfield Funded The War Against Jacob Dutton’s Family
In the final scene of the Dutton family’s Prohibition-era war in 1923 season 2, Spencer kills Donald Whitfield, shooting him in the head for killing his wife. Spencer’s display of vengeance turns into a dramatic affair, with Jacob’s nephew yelling at Whitfield in a booming voice to say Alex’s name as the mining tycoon sits at his dining table. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Brandon Skelnar addressed Spencer’s scene with Whitfield, explaining why he blames the villain for losing his life partner:
There was a bit of dialogue that I had in that [confrontation] scene, but we cut it out. Spencer was incredibly emotional during that bit of dialogue, and we had already had this emotional moment with Alex. So it just felt like the balance would’ve been off, and they felt it was more effective to go right to the point with Whitfield. They felt that people would feel that and understand why without having to spell it out.
But initially, there was a bit of dialogue where Spencer essentially said the same thing: “You came after my family, and that forced me home.” He went through the chain of events as far as why he feels that Whitfield is responsible. So I think the fans of the show can understand why it’s Whitfield, without us fully explaining it, as you have. None of this would have happened had Whitfield not come after the Dutton family. Alex would not have followed Spencer home, and she would not have gotten stranded in the snow. His family also wouldn’t be in the position they’re in, and Spencer wouldn’t be on this war path where he’s now standing there with a gun at Whitfield’s head. So it is his fault.
Sklenar explained that, while a bit of dialogue was cut, Spencer blamed Whitfield for Alexandra’s death because Donald came after his family, which prompted his journey home. However, Spencer blaming Whitfield for Alex’s death still makes no sense, despite Sklenar’s explanation, because Whitfield wasn’t the one who came after Spencer’s family. Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) is the one who started the war against the Duttons, firing at them on their way home from Bozeman in 1923 season 1, episode 3, and killing John Dutton (James Badge Dale).
Still, the explanation that I accept for Spencer blaming Donald Whitfield for Alex’s death is that he doesn’t know any differently. Spencer is grieving after Alex Dutton’s death in the finale, and when he asks his aunt, Cara (Helen Mirren), who is to blame for the war against their family, which inadvertently caused Alex’s fate, his aunt points him to Donald Whitfield. Spencer has had virtually no communication with his family, and there’s no time to explain that Banner is the one who attacked the Dutton family first, prompting Spencer’s journey home.
Banner Creighton
Banner Creighton Starts The War Against Jacob Dutton’s Family
With Spencer Dutton blaming the man who started the war, prompting his journey home, for Alex’s death, Spencer should actually blame Banner Creighton for his wife’s death. Banner is the one who attacked the Dutton family in 1923 season 1, episode 3, prompting Cara Dutton to write to Spencer and plead for him to come home. Creighton is the one who shoots John Dutton in the eye with a Tommy gun, killing Spencer’s brother. Banner doesn’t involve Whitfield until after his first attack, in 1923 episode 4, asking for his help.
Banner was the Duttons’ original adversary in 1923. He blames Jacob Dutton for the tribulations he faces with raising sheep, accusing the rancher of being greedy about the Dutton Ranch’s resources. However, Banner is the one causing issues, allowing his sheep to graze on others’ land and shooting at Jack Dutton (Darren Mann) when he is the one trespassing. Therefore, if Spencer is looking to blame the person who started the war against his family for Alex’s death, he should have blamed Banner.
Spencer Dutton
Spencer Dutton’s Actions Caused His Separation From Alex
1923’s central hero could be looking for someone to blame because, in reality, Spencer Dutton is partially responsible for Alex’s death. After they join forces and fall in love in 1923 season 1, Spencer and Alex retreat to a hut on the shore of Zanzibar, Tanganyika. It is there, as they enjoy long days in the sun and nights in bed, that Alex encourages Spencer to read the backlog of letters from his aunt, uncovering Cara’s plea for Spencer to return to Montana. The moment prompts Alex and Spencer to make a journey from Africa to America.
Their journey to Montana at the end of 1923 season 1 is full of obstacles, but Alex and Spencer overcome everything that’s hurled at them until they board a British liner heading for London. It is there that Alex and Spencer encounter the remainder of Alex’s wedding party, returning home from their excursion. Upon seeing his would-be wife with Spencer, Alex’s former fiancé, Arthur (Rafe Soule), the Earl of Sussex, challenges Spencer to a duel, and it ends when Dutton throws the English noble overboard.
Therefore, it was Spencer’s actions, in part, that caused the Earl of Sussex to separate the couple, which he was able to do since they were aboard a British asset. Had Spencer opted to defend himself in any way other than throwing Arthur overboard, hurling him to his death, Spencer and Arthur would have settled their duel and moved on with their night. However, since Spencer killed Arthur, it left his father with plenty of fuel to separate the couple, sending Spencer away, where he was unable to see that Alex would make it to Montana without harm.
Alex Dutton
Alex Dutton Made Several Short-Sighted Calls In 1923
As much as anyone, Alex could be blamed for her death, but it’s not because Alex made a premature journey to America without any documents and barely any money. As Alex alludes to in the 1923 season 2 premiere, the Earl of Sussex had already banned her family from London, and she worried about what they would do to her when the news broke that she was pregnant. It wasn’t uncommon for women in Alexandra of Sussex’s position to be sent away for having a child, and it wasn’t out of the question that she couldn’t keep her baby.
While Alex had been forced to persevere, and that could have confused her, continuing in the car wasn’t a necessary choice.
Alex can’t be blamed for the horrors that happened to her along the way. Even if her guard was down, Alex’s not being able to travel safely wasn’t her fault. However, after she has gained agency on her journey and Alex is traveling with her new friends from Chicago, Alex doesn’t heed the call from the local woman to take the train the rest of her way, because the roads will be unforgiving. While Alex had been forced to persevere, and that could have confused her, continuing in the car wasn’t a necessary choice.
After that, Alex is ultimately most responsible for her fate because she chooses not to have the procedure to amputate her dying limbs, which would have saved her life. While she opts out of the medical procedure to deliver and nurse John Dutton initially, she continues to refuse medical treatment even after her baby is born. While Alex said her reasoning for opting out of amputation was that she couldn’t be a proper mother with “stubs for feet and clubs for hands,” Spencer and baby John surely would have preferred to have their matriarch around.
Cara Dutton
Cara Dutton Prompted Alex And Spencer’s Journey Home
While it does feel a bit ridiculous to blame Cara, the letter that the matriarch wrote to Spencer, pleading for him to come home, was the catalyst for his journey. While Cara’s letter was a response to Banner Creighton’s attack on her family, asking Spencer to come home and fight the family’s war was a choice she and Jacob made. After watching the Dutton family’s war against Donald Whitfield and Banner Creighton play out, some have said that the Dutton family could have won with a few more men, saving Spencer the trip home.
Cara and Jacob’s waiting for Spencer takes six months and disrupts his first respite in years.
She acknowledges his demons and that her nephew has stayed away for a reason, but Cara urges Spencer to come home anyway. It makes sense, since she and Jacob are 80 years old and have no one to pass the ranch to. Jacob and Cara took over from James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill), Spencer’s parents, so part of Spencer’s coming home was just a necessary part of the ranch’s succession. It therefore made sense for Spencer to fight for it. Still, Cara and Jacob’s waiting for Spencer takes six months and disrupts his first respite in years.
For the same reason as Banner or Whitfield, Cara is a culprit in Alex’s death because she prompts Spencer’s journey home. Rather than allowing Spencer to process what he experienced in the war in peace, tidbits from her letters prove that Cara would not let Spencer rest while she was living without him. While the rest of them lived their lives on the ranch, Cara informed Spencer of their joys, but she also shared her deepest worries and concerns with him. Spencer was happier in Africa in 1923 season 1, and Cara indirectly compromised that.
Jacob Dutton
Jacob Dutton Puts His Family In Danger Fighting For The Yellowstone
Jacob Dutton is the least to blame, but he does play a role in Spencer coming home and what happened to Alex when they both made it. First and foremost, like James Dutton before him and John Dutton III (Kevin Costner) after him, Jacob Dutton puts his family’s lives in danger by protecting the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Rather than relinquish stewardship of the land, Jacob chooses to stay and fight, understandably, and that means that everyone in the family, including Cara and Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph), must put their lives on the line, as well as, indirectly, Alex.
Jacob is responsible for enforcing Alex’s request not to have the amputation procedure that would have saved her.
In 1923 season 2’s finale, Jacob is also related to Alex’s medical decisions. While the mother’s say should have been all the doctor needed to hear, it wasn’t until Jacob Dutton urged the physicians to respect her wishes that the medical professionals followed Alex’s requests. Therefore, Jacob is responsible for enforcing Alex’s request not to amputate her arm and legs, which would have saved her. This was, of course, a compassionate gesture, but it played a role in Alex’s death all the same. It was noble that Jacob respected Alex’s wishes, and he did urge her to survive.
Paul & Hillary
Paul & Hillary Don’t Stop When The Going Gets Rough
Paul (Augustus Prew) and Hillary (Janet Montgomery) played a significant role in Alex’s death. More than anything, Alex’s friends were a kind-hearted couple who just wanted to help her. Still, their journey was partially self-serving, with the well-off Brits wanting a taste of Alex Dutton’s exciting journey. Therefore, having committed to the adventure, Paul and Hillary don’t cut their road trip short when they are warned at the gas station in Buffalo, Wyoming, not to continue their journey by car. Hillary gets the warning inside, and Paul surely gets it from the attendant who pumps gas.
Ultimately, Paul and Hillary are blinded by 1923’s modern conveniences and don’t take the danger of the journey seriously. Even if they hadn’t been warned by the locals, there was a point where their journey was too dangerous to continue, and yet Paul and Hillary grasped hands and continued anyway. Perhaps at that point, the couple thought it was best to brave the storm and hope for the best, but hope didn’t get them very far. Despite their best intentions, Paul and Hillary are responsible for Alex’s death, and they all ultimately shared the same fate.