As the “1923” finale came to a close, many fans are wondering whether the baby in that series is related to Kevin Costner’s “Yellowstone” character, John Dutton III.
This would seem like an obvious possibility, as the baby – born to Spencer Dutton and his wife, Alex – is named John. That much was revealed in the finale. Be forewarned that this article will contain spoilers for the “1923” finale, which aired on April 6, 2025.
The two seasons of “1923” continued the saga of the Dutton family ancestors that started with the prequel “1883.” The franchise is working its way toward the present-day “Yellowstone” series time frame, with the next prequel taking place in 1944.
There May Be Another John Dutton
(L-R) Harrison Ford, Julia Schlaepfer and Brandon Sklenar attend the “1923” S2 Premiere at Delilah on February 19, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
“1923” fans know that the show ended with a heartbreaking development. Alex underwent an arduous and dangerous trek to get to the Dutton family ranch in Montana, where she hoped to be reunited with Spencer, who was making his own way home.
Caught in a snowstorm, she developed hypothermia. She was close to death, when Spencer spotted her from a train, jumped off it, and brought her to the hospital. However, tragically, Alex died shortly after giving birth to newborn John. The prequel then revealed that Spencer never remarried, although he did go on to have a child with a widow. Because Spencer lived at the end of “1923,” it’s a good bet that fans will see him again in “1944.”
However, some sites have described Tim McGraw’s character in “1883,” James Dutton, as Costner’s character’s great-great grandfather. If that proves true, then the timeline doesn’t work for Alex and Spencer’s John to be Costner’s dad. That’s because Spencer Dutton is the son of James Dutton, which would make his son Costner’s grandfather if it turned out that Costner’s character is a direct descendant of that baby.
“It’s fun to think about. That it ties into the whole world,” Julia Schlaepfer told USA Today of whether the baby is Costner’s father. “The only person who could confirm that is Taylor Sheridan himself, out of his mouth.”
“John’s a popular name,” actor Brandon Sklenar, who plays Spencer, told USA Today.
That’s where the second baby comes in.
Elizabeth Dutton Is Also Pregnant at the End of ‘1923’
(L-R) Brandon Sklenar, Michelle Randolph and Harrison Ford attend the Los Angeles Premiere of Paramount+ Series “1923” Season 2 at Harmony Gold on February 19, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Elizabeth Dutton is another character in “1923.” Although she has a miscarriage during the second season, she is pregnant again at the end of it.
Michelle Randolph, the actress who played Elizabeth, told People that the character was still pregnant at the end of the show.
“Elizabeth walks away pregnant. We assume she’s going back to Boston. We don’t know where she’s going,” Randolph told People. “I really had to kind of create my own storyline, and not get attached to it, at the same time.”
Her husband was Jack Dutton, who is murdered in the second-to-last episode. Jack Dutton was the son of John Dutton I, who is the brother of Spencer Dutton.
It’s not clear which name Elizabeth chose to give her baby, as the child isn’t born yet at the season finale. The last she is seen, it appears she is leaving the ranch to return to Boston. However, it’s possible she could name her baby John as well, after her husband’s dad.
