Despite 1923 Season 2 garnering a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, the prequel seemingly ended after two installments, and there’s a simple explanation for why the show concluded in spite of its success. 1923 was Taylor Sheridan’s second Yellowstone spinoff about the Dutton family. It followed up 1883, a prequel about the earliest-known members of John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) clan as they journeyed a variant of the Oregon Trail, ultimately establishing the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.

1923 checks in with the Dutton family four decades later, introducing Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren to the Yellowstone franchise as Jacob and Cara Dutton. The valiant patriarch and matriarch would see the family through a regional depression and a brutal fight for the Yellowstone Ranch, which was undoubtedly one of the most significant events in the family’s history. The Prohibition Era characters enthralled Yellowstone audiences over two seasons but may never be seen again after the series concluded their stories in the finale of 1923 Season 2.

The Ending of 1923 Explained

At the end of 1923 Season 2, the Duttons reach the end of a brutal battle for the ranch. At the heart of the conflict was the Duttons sparring with Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) and Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn), a wealthy businessman and a jaded sheep farmer who went after the family’s land. Ultimately, Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) arrives with not a moment to spare, successfully defending the family’s land fortune, but not without making severe personal sacrifices.

Spencer’s wife, Alexandra Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer), was also on her way to the Dutton Ranch, having survived a brutal solo journey through America after the couple was separated at the end of 1923 Season 1. After voyaging all the way to Montana, Alex was stranded on the side of the road. While she fatefully ran into Spencer, it was too late to save her life without amputating her limbs, and she died after refusing the procedure. Alex, however, did give birth to her and Spencer’s child, a son whom she named John.

While it was a tragedy for Alexandra, there was also hope on the horizon for the 1920s Duttons. After losing his wife, Spencer Dutton avenged her death by murdering Donald Whitfield. The vengeful act brought Spencer a sense of resolution, and he assumed operations of the Yellowstone Ranch as Jacob and Cara stepped up to help raise his infant son. In the closing scene, viewers learn that Spencer Dutton will live for another 40 years, positioning him as a crucial branch of the Dutton family tree.

The end of 1923 Season 2 also brought a sense of resolution to Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), after the Crow student’s harrowing escape from a Native American assimilation school. Teonna was able to walk free of the charges brought against her by Father Renaud (Sebastian Roché) and US Marshal Kent (Jamie McShane) after US Marshal Mamie Fossett (Jennifer Carpenter) vouched for her. While it was a bittersweet resolution, costing Teonna everything she loved, Rainwater lived, and her story can also continue beyond 1923.

Taylor Sheridan Always Envisioned 1923 As a Two-Part Story

The truth is that Taylor Sheridan had always envisioned 1923 as a single story told in two parts. Therefore, the finale of 1923 is an expected ending. In an interview with Deadline after 1923 Season 1, Sheridan described the episodes that would follow it as “the second half of the season.” The creator explained that, while 1923 was initially slated for one season of ten episodes, he requested more episodes to complete the story, expanding the last two episodes of Season 1 into another block of eight episodes, which is Season 2, to finish the narrative.