The Duttons’ story spans generations, and we’ve gotten to see so much of it on screen. From the modern Yellowstone to 1883 to 1923, we’ve learned a lot about the founding and present members of the Montana-based family. Now, with upcoming Yellowstone shows like 1944 and the Rip and Beth spinoff, we’ll get to learn more.
That means it’s beneficial to know the family tree (which you can see below) and the various questions about it that we still need answers to.
Will Alex And Spencer’s Kid Be The Father Of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton?
The end of 1923 felt like it confirmed that Alex and Spencer’s baby was the John Dutton II who eventually becomes the father of Yellowstone’s John Dutton III (Kevin Costner). However, Brandon Sklenar, Julia Schlaepfer and Michelle Randolph, who play Spencer, Alex and Elizabeth, respectively, all told me nothing is confirmed. In the words of Schlaepfer:
The door’s open until Taylor Sheridan shuts it…Brandon and I have talked a lot about who's the lineage, and of course, I think we would love to imagine that our John is the John, but time will tell.
Meanwhile, Randolph, whose character was also pregnant at the end of 1923, told me that she could “confidently say that it's not confirmed.”
So, those red lines of the family tree connecting Jack and Elizabeth as well as Spencer and Alex to John Dutton II are warranted, and illustrate maybe the biggest question we have going into 1944.
Will Elizabeth And Jack Have A Child?
It seems like Elizabeth could be a key player in 1944, especially if she has the baby she would have shared with Jack.
After Jack’s death, she lived on and moved off the ranch. However, it is not confirmed if the child she was pregnant with was born. If they were, and especially if they end up being a boy named John, things could get messy for the next generation of Duttons.
Who Is The Mother Of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton?
While we know John Dutton II is the father of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III, seeing as Dabney Coleman plays him in Yellowstone, we have no idea who his mother is. We don’t even know her name.
Odds are, we’ll meet the woman John marries in 1944, seeing as that show will likely follow his generation of Duttons when they’re in their early to mid twenties.
As you can see, there aren’t very many "unseen" boxes on the family tree, and this is one of the few massive mysteries left. So, hopefully the next generation of Yellowstone can give us that answer.
Who Is Spencer’s Widow?
After Alex’s tragic death, it’s revealed that Spencer lived on and had a child with another woman who was also a widow. However, he never married her. Explaining this during the voice over, Elsa said:
Spencer never remarried. Took the comfort of a widow, made another boy, refused to marry her. Then, one day, the widow was gone.
So, will this woman be someone new? Will she be Elizabeth? Will it be a woman from Spencer’s past? Anything is possible, and the fact that they had a kid together 100% makes this question a prominent one.
What Is The Name Of Spencer’s Second Child?
Before 1923’s finale, we didn’t know if John II had siblings, but this situation with Spencer’s fellow widow revealed that he would have a half-sibling. Now, I’m curious what this sibling’s name will be.
Will they have the name of one of the Yellowstone characters – like Beth, Lee or Kayce? Could this child also be named John? If Elizabeth is Spencer’s partner, will they name their baby after Jacob or Cara or maybe James or Margaret?
All these questions are racing around my mind, and along with learning who the widow is, I also want to know the name of the baby she shares with Spencer.
Which, If Any, Of These Characters Will Be Central To 1944's Story?
To me, there are three characters who will likely be in 1944. John II, Spencer and Elizabeth.
John Dutton II feels like a shoo-in. While we don’t technically know if this John will be the child of Alex and Spencer or Jack and Elizabeth, he should be in this series, seeing as both women were pregnant in 1923. Plus, we see John II in Yellowstone as a very old man, and the math lines up for him to be in his early to mid twenties in the ‘40s. Hypothetically, we’d get to see this character right in the middle of his life, decades after his birth in the ‘20s and long before he died in the modern day.
However, he’ll also feel like a new character in a way, because it’s not like we really got to know him in the last show, or Yellowstone, for that matter. In one, he was (maybe) a baby, and in the other, he was a man on his deathbed.
That leads me to the other characters who could return.
Spencer feels like the most obvious answer. In the final moments of 1923, it’s revealed that he died 45 years after Alex passed away in 1924. That means he lived until about 1969. So, he is confirmed alive in 1944, and he’d still be at an age where he could likely run the ranch while his kids help out. If Harrison Ford's Jacob can run the ranch into his 80s, I’d bet money Spencer will do it until he can't anymore, too. So, I have a feeling we’ll see him in 1944.
I also think Elizabeth will show up. She was pregnant at the end of 1923. As we discussed, she could potentially be the widow Spencer has a relationship with. And it makes way too much sense for her and her child to somehow return to Montana to play a part in the ranch's future.
Odds are, Cara and Jacob will be dead; we know Jack and Alex are dead. So, of the 1923 Duttons, they probably won’t be back. With all that said, my hypothetical roster for returning Duttons in 1944 is: John II, Spencer and Elizabeth.
Overall, the Dutton family tree is a fascinating one, and every time I watch 1883 or 1923 with my Paramount+ subscription or Yellowstone with a Peacock subscription, I think about how all the generations are connected as well as all the questions that arise with each one.
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