The Yellowstone prequel, 1923, has left fans in tears with its heart-wrenching series finale, revealing the ultimate fates of Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) and Alex (Julia Schlaepfer). The two-part finale began with Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) confessing his regrets to his wife Ellie (Sarah Randall Hunt), expressing his disagreement with Donald Whitfield's (Timothy Dalton) questionable ethics. Concurrently, Alex devised a survival plan involving starting a fire in the car for warmth. Meanwhile, Donald continued his emotional and physical mistreatment of sex worker Mabel (Virginia Gardner).
The train station shootout saw Clyde (Brian Konowal), who was betraying Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford), accompany him to the train station to await Spencer's arrival. Banner also arrived at the station, intending to travel to Portland with his family. Jacob confronted him, cautioning him about the constant threat of people attempting to seize his land. As Spencer and Alex neared Livingston station, Spencer spotted his uncle on the platform and instantly sensed trouble. In a dramatic platform shootout, Banner shot Clyde, indicating his shifted loyalties. However, he was subsequently killed in a sorrowful twist of fate, living just long enough for Jacob to witness his noble act.
Meanwhile, trouble brewed at the Dutton ranch as Donald's henchmen besieged the residence, triggering a fierce gunfight that found Zane Davis (Brian Geraghty) and his crew significantly outgunned. In the nick of time, Spencer arrived at the ranch and, after staging an unbelievable one-man assault on the lingering adversaries, he secured his family's sanctuary. Tragically, Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) discovered Jack (Darren Mann) was missing, and later, his lifeless form was located. Elizabeth departed from the ranch, concluding there was nothing left for her.
In a separate storyline, Mamie Fossett (Jennifer Carpenter) and her posse tracked down Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) but recognized she was not a malevolent force. They took her into custody but harbored sympathy for her plight. Facing court, Teonna was remarkably set free. However, lost without a home to return to, she felt adrift. Provided with a horse, she was directed to seek out a "new home" in the west, journeying towards California.
In a twist of fate, Alex realized she was close to a train track, and in an extraordinary stroke of fortune, Spencer happened to be aboard a passing train. She used alcohol to fuel a larger fire as a distress signal to stop the train, and Spencer spotted Alex from the carriage. He leaped from the moving train and sprinted back to her, their ensuing embrace leaving audiences overwhelmed with emotion. They caught another train, but it was undeniable that Alex was battling hypothermia. She had been mere moments away from death when Spencer rescued her. Nevertheless, her mood improved significantly when she finally got the chance to meet Jacob, who had his old gunshot wounds reopen during the commotion at the train station.
Spencer pledged to rendezvous with Alex at Bozeman’s hospital, while Jacob accompanied Alex on her way there. Yet, viewers might have sensed a dire outcome for Alex, with Elsa Dutton's (Isabel May) monologue providing a hint: "She saw him, tasted him one last time and that was enough." Tragically, at the hospital, Alex suffered immensely when her body rejected the baby at six months. Miraculously, though, the infant boy managed to let out a cry. Alex chose the name John for her son, in honor of Spencer's brother. Aware of her impending demise after such a hazardous trek, Alex came to terms with her fate, understanding that she could not properly care for her child with both hands and feet amputated.
Spencer arrived at the hospital in time to see Alex and their newborn son together once more, but heartbreakingly, Alex did not survive the night. Spencer went through life without remarrying yet fathered another son with a widow, his love for Alex undying. He passed away as an old man beside her gravesite.
Following Alex's passing, Spencer and Jacob sought vengeance against Donald. They executed him with a shot to the head as he sat down for breakfast and also accidentally killed Lindy (Madison Elise Rogers). Mabel was consequently left to flee. The finale left viewers grappling with the emotional weight of the characters' fates and the sacrifices made throughout the tumultuous journey.
Actress Julia Schlaepfer, who portrayed Alex, had an inkling about her character's fate before the finale. "Before we started filming season 1, when Taylor [Sheridan] took us to dinner, I literally sat next to him and I was like, 'I'm dying, aren't I?'" she recounted. Sheridan's ambiguous response left her uncertain, but she had a feeling about her character's end. "Nothing can prepare you for reading it for the first time, or seeing it, or, especially, performing it. That hit different," she reflected.
Schlaepfer emphasized the significance of Alex's sacrifice, noting, "I think she knows what the reality of her situation is. And I think also she makes a choice, you know? She makes a choice for her family and for her baby. And she's going to spend the remaining minutes, seconds, hours of her life that she has making sure her baby stays alive, even if that means she doesn't." Her poignant portrayal resonated with fans, leaving a lasting impact as the series concluded.
In the end, 1923 not only delivered thrilling action and drama but also explored themes of love, sacrifice, and the harsh realities of life in the early 20th century. As viewers bid farewell to these beloved characters, the legacy of the Dutton family continues, paving the way for future stories in the world of Yellowstone.
