Sumith Prasad
The second season of Paramount+’s Western drama show ‘1923’ ends with a startling revelation concerning Spencer Dutton, the World War I soldier who arrives at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch to protect his family and their land from Donald Whitfield. The fierce young man fights the battle against the businessman while his wife, Alex Dutton, gives birth to their child in a hospital in Bozeman. Even though the doctors say that the boy won’t survive beyond an hour mark, he gets to share his life with the child for years. However, surprisingly, John is not Spencer’s only son. The final moments of the sophomore installment reveal that the former soldier has a second child! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Spencer Dutton Has an Unnamed Son With a Widow
Spencer Dutton’s life turns around when Alex dies not long after giving birth to their firstborn, John. The death startles the young man severely, and his love for her stops him from remarrying or pursuing another romantic relationship that is as concrete as his companionship with the Englishwoman. It does not mean that he hasn’t been with a woman since becoming a widower. He finds comfort in an unnamed widow with whom he has a second son. However, ‘1923’ does not provide any details regarding the identity of this younger child, enhancing the mystery behind his existence.
As far as Spencer is concerned, his life with the widow is nothing but an arrangement to kill the unsettling loneliness that has been part of his existence as a single man. Even though he loves Alex enough to commit to her romantically even after her death, the veteran must have craved warmth and intimacy to satisfy his needs after the Englishwoman’s demise. Since the person he ends up with is also someone who lost a loved one to death, they may have been able to understand each other’s sorrow and provide comfort to one another without any strings attached.
Although Spencer has a son with the unnamed widow, he does not marry her. The veteran does not want to be the husband of a woman other than Alex, irrespective of the existence of a second child. He may not have been able to tolerate the thought of replacing the Englishwoman’s position as his wife by tying the knot with another individual, which can also be the reason why we don’t know more about this mysterious second son. This younger kid must have grown up with his mother, away from the Dutton Ranch and his father, likely until his death.
Spencer Dutton’s Second Son is Not in Yellowstone
The climax of the second season finale of ‘1923’ clears any ambiguities regarding the parents of John Dutton II, the father of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III. Since Alex names her and Spencer’s son John, it is evident that they are the grandparents of the famed protagonist of the mothership series. However, ‘Yellowstone’ only features John II (Dabney Coleman). The Western drama does not mention him having a brother. Considering the circumstances around the latter’s birth, the character’s omission in ‘Yellowstone’ is not really surprising. Since Spencer does not marry the mother of this child, the latter may have nothing to do with the Duttons for him to appear in the original series.
Because of Spencer’s decision not to marry the widow, his second son is an illegitimate child. The law of the land at the time does not accept such a child as the heir of the Dutton kingdom, which means that he may not have grown up on the ranch along with John II. In addition, the veteran must not have wanted such a child to grow up with Alex’s son as equals. Considering these factors, it is safe to assume that the second child is also not included in Spencer’s will to have any stake in the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
Of course, it is possible that Spencer’s second son dies long before the events of ‘Yellowstone’ begin. Since the Duttons value blood relationships over anything and everything, John II may have even found his half-brother to live as two siblings. Still, the second son remains hidden beneath the unexplored history of the Duttons. Since there are multiple spin-offs of ‘Yellowstone’ in the works, we can be hopeful that they will address Spencer’s younger child in one way or another.
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