Warning: SPOILERS for 1923 Season 2’s Finale – “A Dream and a Memory

Kevin Costner’s John Dutton made a revelation in Yellowstone that shows a pivotal difference between Alex (Julia Schlaepfer) and Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) after 1923’s finale.

In the last episode of Taylor Sheridan’s Prohibition-era Dutton saga, the family’s war against Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) and Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) climaxed.

Spencer arrived just in time to help Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) fight Whitfield’s men at the train station in Livingston, then left his wife and uncle to travel to Bozeman. Spencer subsequently joined Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren), fighting off the rest of the opposing army at the Yellowstone Ranch.

Elizabeth Strafford’s (Michelle Randolph) husband didn’t live to fight the family’s war, with Jack Dutton (Darren Mann) dying in 1923‘s penultimate episode before he could draw his gun on Clyde (Brian Konowal). 1923 season 2’s ending was certainly marked with highs and lows.

Still, Spencer Dutton’s ending in 1923 instilled the hope the family needed to endure another generation of strife when he assumed control of the Yellowstone Ranch. In 1923’s closing scene, Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) describes how her brother lived for 45 more years, surprising many that Spencer endured decades longer than most Dutton family tree members.

Alex Dutton’s 1923 Death & Ending Explained

Alex Dies Of Necrosis In 1923

Sadly, by the time Spencer returned to Alexandra of Sussex, she was dying in a hospital bed in Bozeman, her body succumbing to the life-threatening injuries she endured while freezing in Paul’s (Augustus Prew) and Hillary’s (Janet Montgomery) car.

When Alex gave birth to their baby, John, in the finale, Spencer’s wife opted not to amputate her legs and part of her arm, which would have saved her life. Alex initially refuses amputation so that she can deliver and nurse John Dutton. However, Alex continues to refuse life-saving treatment even after delivering John Dutton, to her detriment.

Her death completed the list of horrible things that happened to Alex Dutton in 1923, but her tragic fate could have been avoided. After Alex had braved many obstacles along her journey to reunite with Spencer, it was heartbreaking, if not a bit unbelievable, that the determined mother opted not to save her own life.

While it was partly a sacrifice for her son, buying the mother and son time, one has to think that someone could have tended to Alex’s baby while she underwent surgery, which would have given Alex the rest of her life to care for her newborn.

Kevin Costner’s John Dutton Revealed Spencer Loses A Leg In Yellowstone

Spencer Dutton Avoids Necrosis According To John Dutton

Spencer avoids the same fate as Alex, according to Yellowstone. In Yellowstone season 4, episode 2, “Phantom Pain,” Kevin Costner’s John Dutton reveals an ominous fact about his grandfather. Jimmy (Jefferson White) has endured life-threatening injuries riding bulls in the rodeo, and he injures himself again when he tries to get back on a horse.

Jimmy is baffled that he can’t feel his fingers, and yet they hurt. John relates, saying his grandfather lost a leg, and the worst pain his ancestor ever felt was in his toes after his limb was gone.

While he likely lost his leg for different reasons, Spencer had to choose whether to amputate his limb, and we know he chose survival.

It was unclear whether John Dutton II’s father, John Dutton III’s grandfather, was Jack or Spencer Dutton, but 1923 season 2 seemed to answer the question. Alexandra named her baby John, after Spencer’s brother, leading many to presume the baby is John Dutton II. If he is, then John Dutton III’s clue is about Spencer.

Therefore, if he lost a leg, we can deduce that Spencer opted into the life-saving procedure that his wife refused. While he likely lost his leg for different reasons, Spencer had to choose whether to amputate his limb, and we know he chose survival.

How Alex Dutton’s 1923 Ending May Have Inspired Spencer Dutton’s Choice

Alex’s Fate Impacted Spencer Until His Death

If it’s true that Spencer Dutton was John Dutton III’s grandfather, and he therefore lost his leg sometime before he died in 1969, then Alex’s fate may have impacted Spencer’s decision later in life. Seeing his wife’s early death, opting not to have her limbs removed, could have inspired Spencer to make a different call.

While Cara Dutton was around to keep the family together at the end of 1923, it’s unknown how many years Spencer’s aunt survived after the family’s war. Spencer likely witnessed his family suffer without a matriarch through the years, worsening Alex’s death years later.