After not getting confirmation about the Dutton family tree in 1923, I’ve been thinking a lot about why. This has led to a whole bunch of theorizing on my end, and I’ve come to the conclusion that this lack of verification comes down to the role Michelle Randolph’s Elizabeth could play in the upcoming Yellowstone show, 1944.
Now, before we get into this theory, let’s get the facts straight first. In the penultimate episode of 1923’s second season, Jack Dutton died, making Elizabeth a widow. She, as far as we know, is also pregnant. So, when she left the Dutton ranch in the Season 2 finale, she was single and with child. Therefore, the door is open when it comes to the role she and her kid will play in the Dutton lineage and the ongoing mystery about which couple from this show are the grandparents of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton.
I Think Elizabeth Could Name Her Kid John And Return To The Yellowstone With Him
So, I – like the naive viewer I was – had assumed that Alex naming her baby John right before her death was confirmation that she and Spencer were the grandparents of Yellowstone’s John Dutton. However, three of the four 1923 cast members involved in this mystery basically told me, “Not so fast.”
Michelle Randolph specifically told me “confidently” that this birth didn’t confirm anything. In an interview with CinemaBlend, she said:
Is the door is still open? I don’t know. And so, like, you can’t confirm then, like, it could go either way. I feel like everyone has their own theory, but I can confidently say that it’s not confirmed.
This statement led me to think two things:
- Elizabeth could also name her baby John, after Jack’s dad.
- Elizabeth could return to the Yellowstone with her kid in 1944.
While it feels a bit silly for two babies who are born around the same time in the same family to be named John, it’s not illogical. Spencer and Elizabeth have deep connections to John (he was Spencer’s brother and Elizabeth’s father-in-law), so it’d make sense for them to both want to use his name.
Also, Elizabeth didn’t have her baby in Montana (as far as we know); she left before that could happen. Therefore, it’s plausible that she never thought she’d come back and then decided to name her son John, seeing as the likelihood of her kid meeting Spencer and Alex’s kid would be low.
Now, with this door about lineage still wide open, I think Elizabeth could return to the ranch with her child, meaning there could be two Johns. Maybe she is passionate about them learning where their father came from. Maybe she wants them to be connected to the Duttons. Maybe she wants them to fight for their right to the ranch.
All or none of that could happen. However, I do think it’s possible that Randolph’s character could return in 1944 with her kid named John to play a pivotal role in the Yellowstone’s future.
What If Elizabeth Is Spencer’s Widow Mentioned At The End Of 1923’s Season 2 Finale?
So, we have the wrinkle that Elizabeth could return to the ranch with her John. However, I think it could get more complex than that. At the end of 1923 (which you can stream with a Paramount+ subscription), Elsa’s voiceover tells us exactly how Spencer lived out the rest of his life after Alex died.
Specifically, she mentioned that he never remarried, but he had another child with a fellow widow, explaining:
Spencer never remarried. Took the comfort of a widow, made another boy, refused to marry her. Then, one day, the widow was gone.
Now, again, Elizabeth having a baby with Spencer feels unlikely.
However, think about it for a second. Elizabeth is really the only person who could possibly understand what Spencer went through, and they both faced insurmountable loss at the end of Season 2. It’s possible they simply decided to be together out of comfort and convenience, not love. Maybe they make a choice to raise their kids together, but it ultimately doesn’t work out.
That would also put another Dutton in the next generation who has a claim to the land, and it adds an interesting level of complexity to the family tree. And that, my friends, is what leads me to the wildest part of this theory about Elizabeth.
If Elizabeth Returns, And One Or Both Of These Things Happen, I Could See A Dutton Civil War Happening
I’m of the opinion that it’d be epic if 1944 focused on a conflict within the family instead of the Duttons dealing with an outside adversary. While I realize that Jamie made this kind of civil war-like conflict present in Yellowstone, there was always also an outside source working even harder to take the family down. In this new show, I want it to be fully Dutton vs. Dutton, and I think Elizabeth is the key to making this happen.
I think it’s totally possible she’ll come back with her son (who would likely be in his 20s in 1944), and they’ll want the land that Jack died protecting. If her child is indeed named John, I think this kind of conflict would become even more likely, seeing as one of them will have to become the sole patriarch who eventually passes down the land to Kevin Costner’s John.
Also, if there are three kids in the mix, all of whom have a claim to the land, it’d be fascinating to see how they pick who gets it. If my theory about the widow being Elizabeth is right, that adds even more reason for tension, because she will disappear at some point.
On top of all that, there was a line said by Jacob right before Spencer killed Whitfield in the Season 2 finale that seemed to imply that tourism or outside business would not be an issue for the Duttons for at least a generation. He said:
I plan on making such an example of you that it will be 50 years before one of your kind dares to enter this valley again.
So, if that’s true, what kind of enemy could they possibly face? Someone within the family seems like a great answer.
Overall, I think Elizabeth coming back and either her or her kid/kids trying to stake claim on the land against Spencer and Alex’s son would be a great concept for a TV show. It’d also be a fascinating continuation of 1923 that bridges the gap between that generation of Duttons and Yellowstone’s.