The Darkest Chapter!!! ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel ‘1944’ Explores Dutton Family Legacy During WWII [Spoilers]

Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone saga is about to plunge into its bleakest era yet with 1944, the next prequel poised to unravel the Dutton family’s trials during World War II.

Following the gut-wrenching 1923 Season 2 finale on April 6, 2025, Paramount+ is saddling up for a wartime tale that promises sacrifice, loss, and the unrelenting grit that defines the Dutton legacy.

With production slated for later this year and a 2026 premiere on the horizon, here’s how 1944 might shape up as the darkest chapter yet—spoilers ahead for 1923 and what’s to come!

Setting the Stage: A Ranch Under Siege

1944 leaps 21 years from 1923, landing us in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley amidst WWII’s peak. The 1923 finale left Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) shattered, cradling his newborn son John II after Alexandra’s (Julia Schlaepfer) frostbite-induced de@th.

Cara (Helen Mirren) took the premature baby under her wing, while Spencer—haunted by yet another loss to the cold—faced an uncertain future.

Fast forward to 1944: Spencer’s 54, a weathered WWI vet running the Yellowstone Ranch, and John II’s 21, ripe for the draft. WWII’s shadow looms large—rationing squeezes the ranch, able-bodied hands are scarce, and the Duttons’ isolation clashes with a world at war. Sheridan’s knack for weaving history into his tales (think WWI in 1923) suggests D-Day or the war’s end could frame this grim chapter.

Spoiler #1: John II Goes to War—and Doesn’t Come Back Whole

John Dutton II, born in 1923’s finale, is the linchpin tying Spencer to Yellowstone’s John III (Kevin Costner). At 21, he’s the perfect age to be drafted into WWII’s meat grinder—maybe storming Normandy or fighting in the Pacific. 1944 could thrust him into combat, echoing Spencer’s WWI trauma, but with a darker twist. Spoiler speculation:

John II returns alive but broken—physically scarred or shell-shocked—shaping him into the stoic, distant father we glimpse in Yellowstone flashbacks (played by Dabney Coleman). His sacrifice secures the ranch’s future but costs his soul, a price Sheridan loves to exact.

Alternatively, he might dodge the draft to defend the ranch from profiteers, only to lose something (or someone) else dear. Either way, expect a gut punch.

Spoiler #2: Spencer’s Second Son Sparks a Feud

1923 dropped a bombshell: Spencer fathers another child with a widow he never marries, who later vanishes with the kid. By 1944, this son—let’s call him James, aged 15-18—could resurface, igniting a family rift. Spoiler alert:

imagine James, raised off-ranch, showing up with his mother’s grudge, claiming a stake in the Yellowstone as war strains resources.

Spencer, still mourning Alex, might reject him, only for John II to bond with his half-brother. This sets up a Yellowstone-style sibling clash—legitimate vs. illegitimate—that could echo into The Madison or explain Jaime’s “birthright” line in the flagship series. It’s peak Sheridan: family ties severed by pride, healed by blood.

Spoiler #3: The Ranch Faces Its Darkest Hour

WWII’s home front wasn’t all victory gardens—rural America bled men and money. 1944 might depict the Yellowstone teetering on collapse: cattle requisitioned for the war effort, workers gone, and a black-market baron (think Timothy Dalton’s Whitfield, but worse) eyeing the land. Spoiler twist:

Spencer, too old to fight, wages a guerrilla war at home, burning bridges (and maybe barns) to save the ranch. A tragic death—perhaps a loyal hand like a 1940s Lloyd—could seal this as the “darkest chapter,” with Spencer’s dream of Alex (that ballroom dance from 1923) as his only solace. The ranch survives, but at a cost that scars the Duttons for generations.

Why It’s the Darkest Yet

If 1883 was about forging a legacy and 1923 about clinging to it, 1944 is about watching it fray. Sheridan’s allergy to happy endings means no Dutton escapes unscathed—war abroad and at home will strip them bare. John II’s birth in 1923 was hope; 1944 could turn it to ash, paving the way for John III’s birth in 1959.

With Sklenar hinting at reprising Spencer (“I’d be interested,” he told Variety), expect a weathered lion roaring against fate. No cast beyond him is confirmed, but a big name (Brad Pitt as a war profiteer?) could join the fray.
Final Warning
1944 isn’t here yet—filming’s pending, and details are scarce—but 1923’s brutal setup screams this’ll be Sheridan’s bleakest ride. Spoilers are speculative, but the Duttons don’t get fairy tales. Ready for the darkness?