Another chapter of the Yellowstone franchise seems to be finished with the second season finale of 1923, already streaming on Paramount+. With a double feature, it seems to conclude the story of this particular set of Duttons. However, despite the sense of finality, a third season of 1923 is still possible as neither writers nor producers have addressed the future of the show. With Spencer Dutton leading the Yellowstone ranch and raising his son with the help of Cara and Jacob, a new chapter in the Duttons’ journey might be about to start.
In 1923’s finale, Elsa Dutton (voiced by Isabel May from 1883) narrates the following events after the untimely deaths of two of 1923’s most beloved characters, Jack Dutton and Alexandra Dutton. After Spencer (named John, making him John II) miraculously survived a premature birth, it seems that this baby might become John Dutton III’s father. However, there are some loose ends still to tie up, as Jack’s unofficial widow, Elisabeth, might still be carrying a Dutton child, which opens the door to many scenarios. The third season of 1923 has the opportunity to follow Spencer as a single dad and Elisabeth’s journey to make up for 1923’s rushed season finale.
Taylor Sheridan Always Said 1923 Would Be a Two-Seasons Limited Series
So Far, It Seems All of Yellowstone’s Spin-Offs Will Be Short
When 1923 premiered in 2022, creator Taylor Sheridan explained in an interview with Deadline that he planned to finish the series in two seasons. While writing the first season of the story, he realized he needed more episodes to fully wrap it up, and Paramount executives were delighted to give him more screen time. This suggests that Sheridan had a concrete plan and that he would finish 1923 after its second season.
Funny enough, the second season finale still felt rushed, even after a double-feature. The series follows all the characters throughout their journey to either make it to Montana or hold the Yellowstone fort for Spencer to save it. The finale, then, reunites all the characters to soon kill most of them (Spencer and Jack don’t even see each other) and has Spencer solve every issue in the show in the most deux-ex-machina kind of way. The super-powered World War I hero kills Whitfield’s army in two seconds, assassinates the powerful banker in his own home (without any consequences), and ends a two-season plotline in 5 minutes. Not only that, but the relationships between the characters are completely forgotten, and Elisabeth runs away to Boston pregnant without any further ado.
With such an unsatisfying ending that leaves the future of all the characters in a lazy voice-over, 1923 can only salvage the ordeal with another season. However, if Sheridan was so determined to wrap up the series as soon as possible, even going as far as ending the show on such a quick note, it’s possible that the creator is no longer interested in these characters. It might be that Sheridan wanted to jump as soon as possible to the 1944 spin-off for creative reasons and continue to develop some of these characters 20 years later.
1923 Should Have a Third Season to Fully Honor Its Story
1923’s Second Season Didn’t Give Full Closure to the Story
While 1883 only had one season, the show properly ended the character development of all the characters it presented. The series proposed a clear premise, and as the characters tried to fulfill it, destiny took over. While Elsa dies, the character is carefully fleshed out throughout the season, so much so that her death is heartbreaking.
However, 1923 failed to deliver the same kind of closure, even though it had two seasons to develop a good story. The first season is amazing, introducing all the characters and establishing the premise of the show. Spencer is in Africa dealing with his war trauma, Alex joins Spencer’s adventures to escape from her royal family, Jacob and Cara hold the fort as much as they can (but they are quickly getting older), and Elisabeth and Jack are trying to make it in a very complicated world. All the characters are engaging, and the audience wants to know more about them. Viewers, especially, want to see Spencer reunited with his family and lead a full-fleshed-out war against Whitfield.
However, the second season’s slow pace promises the audience a great conflict and an amazing Dutton reunion that is never truly realized. The plot barely moves as Spencer travels the country, Alex goes on an impossible quest, and the local Duttons try to survive the winter, with the characters moving very little. In fact, the season seems more like a documentary on all the ways people died or suffered in 1923. The only storyline that seems to move is that of Teonna Rainwater, which has a proper ending. When everyone finally reaches their destination, the show ends, and any remaining questions are narrated by Elsa Dutton’s ghost. Not that this insight into the decade isn’t welcomed, but it needs to occur within the frame of a well-developed plot. After all, this is a TV series, and its purpose is to narrate a compelling story.
1923 needs to justify these decisions in a third season that gives the audience some sort of closure. A third season focusing on Spencer dealing with these ordeals would explain the rushed second season finale. Maybe the show needed to move fast because the true story focuses on Spencer and the way he raised his son, thanks to all the catastrophes. Since the series already had a sort of closure, a third season should probably come after a time jump, showcasing the consequences of the 1920s and the way this shaped John III’s father to create the monster Yellowstone’s John ended up becoming.
For example, it makes no sense that Spencer Dutton would get away with killing the powerful Whitfield without any consequence. Whitfield is showcased with plenty of important investors who would probably follow this case. Even the police can’t simply look the other way. With the family in shambles, not even Spencer should be able to simply move on to a peaceful life after such an intense war.
The third season of 1923 should also see Elisabeth’s story as she moves to another city as a pregnant single woman in the ’20s, which can be short of impossible given the roles women had at the time. Michelle Randolph, who played Elisabeth in 1923, has already confirmed in an interview that Elisabeth is still pregnant. The actress also commented on the fact that Jack’s death was pretty fast, and the audience couldn’t agree more. There’s absolutely no closure for this character, and her future is extremely uncertain. It’s pretty disappointing to have followed Elisabeth through terrible circumstances and then simply sent the character away without seeing her mourning, her struggles, or even her child.
Other characters did have closure, such as Teonna Rainwater, as she finally escapes from her pursuers and seems to have her future wide open as she moves to California. Her family and followers all die after a horrifying battle between the Old World and the Native Americans that reminds the audience of the bloody and ruthless ways of white people at the time, particularly religious ones. However, people would love to see her journey after the catastrophe, especially if Rainwater might be pregnant after her short relationship with Pete Plenty Clouds.
1923 Will Likely Not Have a Third Season
With the 1944 Spin-Off on Its Way, a 1923 Follow-Up Is Doubtful
Considering the voice-over narrating Spencer’s rest of his life at the end of the second season of 1923 and the fact that Taylor Sheridan always said 1923 would only have two seasons, a third season seems unlikely. There is still no official word from Paramount, but it’s probably just about time for the network to try to convince Sheridan and give the unfortunate news to the audience. The show had outstanding success, breaking records for Paramount+, so it makes sense the network would like to continue 1923 for a third season, especially since there is plenty of space to continue the series.
However, it’s likely Sheridan would like to focus on another one of his Yellowstone spin-offs, 1944, which will see the story of the Duttons 20 years later, including John II. Since 1923 has already revealed that Spencer would live until 1969, the stakes of a third season would be slower. Everyone would already know Spencer would not die anytime soon, for example. Given Sheridan’s track record in 1883 and his full schedule with many Yellowstone spin-offs coming around, it doesn’t seem likely he will commit to another season of 1923, but everything is possible.
It’s more likely that Sheridan will use 1944 to include flashbacks to the 1920s and try to give the audience some closure, much like he did with 1883 in Yellowstone. Hopefully, this won’t become the way Sheridan continues with all the spin-offs, as it leaves a bad aftertaste for the audience. Viewers deserve fully fleshed-out stories that end organically, much like Yellowstone. Unfortunately, this can’t always happen in just two seasons.