Alex Already Naming Her Baby With Spencer In ‘1923’ Season 2 Solves a Major Yellowstone Mystery!

Alexandra’s Revelation in 1923 Season 2 Hints Spencer’s Child Isn’t John Dutton II

The second season of 1923—the Yellowstone prequel—has already begun peeling back the layers of the Dutton family legacy. One particularly poignant moment in episode 2 subtly yet definitively alters the expectations around the Dutton family tree and the mystery surrounding the origins of John Dutton II. As Alexandra embarks on her journey back to America to reunite with Spencer, a heartfelt letter she narrates reveals a critical piece of the puzzle about their unborn child.

“The child that shall bear your name.”

These words may seem poetic at first, but they carry significant implications. Alexandra’s declaration that her child will carry Spencer’s name implies the baby will not be John Dutton II, as many fans speculated. In the world of Yellowstone, where every name, bloodline, and generation carries weight, this is more than a sentimental gesture—it is a major clue about the future of the Dutton dynasty.

Why Alexandra’s Baby Won’t Be John Dutton II

The phrasing “bear your name” points directly to the likelihood that their child will be named Spencer, regardless of gender. Notably, the name Spencer is unisex, making it suitable for either a son or daughter. This suggests that Alexandra and Spencer’s firstborn is unlikely to be the missing generational link—John Dutton II.

While Alexandra’s words don’t eliminate the possibility that Spencer is in the Dutton line leading to Yellowstone’s John Dutton III (played by Kevin Costner), they significantly complicate the theory that Spencer is John II’s father. If Spencer’s child is named Spencer—Spencer Jr. or otherwise—then John II must come from a different branch of the Dutton family tree.

Generational Timing & The Dutton Curse

One of the thematic backbones of Yellowstone is the so-called Dutton curse, a prophecy of sorts that the family would lose the Yellowstone ranch within seven generations. In this lineage, Spencer is considered a second-generation Dutton—following James Dutton from 1883 as the patriarch.

This generational math matters. If Spencer were the father of John Dutton II, and if Tate Dutton is the seventh-generation Dutton (as Yellowstone implies), then the timeline would already be off by a generation. It would mean Tate is only a sixth-generation Dutton, contradicting the lore that looms over the series. For the generational prophecy to hold, Spencer must be John II’s grandfather, not his father.

This places Spencer’s potential son—perhaps Spencer Jr.—as the possible father of John II. That timeline works more cleanly. If Spencer Jr. were born in the 1920s or 1930s, he could father John Dutton II in the 1940s or early 1950s, placing John II in his 70s or 80s during the events of Yellowstone in the early 21st century.

The Case Against Jack Dutton Being John Dutton II

Some fans have speculated that Jack Dutton—son of John Sr. and nephew to Spencer—might be John II. But the timeline all but rules that out. If Jack were John II, he would have to survive into the modern era. That’s a stretch, to put it mildly.

Assuming Jack was born in the 1890s or early 1900s, as 1923 suggests, he would be pushing 120 years old by the time John Dutton II dies in Yellowstone‘s flashbacks. That’s simply not feasible within the realm of realism, even for a show as mythic and romanticized as Yellowstone. It’s far more likely Jack is part of a different branch—possibly the brother or uncle of John II’s father, but not John II himself.

What This Means for the Dutton Legacy

What’s becoming increasingly clear is that the creators of 1923 are intentionally playing the long game with the Dutton family lineage. Instead of offering clean, immediate answers, they’re crafting a multigenerational saga where every detail—names, timing, geography—matters. Alexandra’s decision to give her child Spencer’s name is a deeply emotional moment, but it’s also a breadcrumb in the larger narrative puzzle.

As Spencer and Alexandra’s arc unfolds, it’s likely we’ll meet more of their descendants, and perhaps even catch a glimpse of the elusive John Dutton II. But for now, 1923 seems content to set the stage rather than resolve the mystery. With Alexandra’s letter, we get a powerful, intimate moment that subtly reshapes fan theories and invites deeper speculation into the true origins of the Dutton bloodline.

Alexandra’s Revelation in 1923 Season 2 Hints Spencer’s Child Isn’t John Dutton II The second season of 1923—the Yellowstone prequel—has already begun peeling back the layers of the Dutton family legacy. One particularly poignant moment in episode 2 subtly yet definitively alters the expectations around the Dutton family tree and the mystery surrounding the origins…