I'm Re-Watching 1923, And I Can't Stop Mulling Over Two Lines About Spencer And The Impact They Could Have On Season 2

Considering 1923 will begin its Season 2 run on the 2025 TV schedule on February 23, I figured now was a great time to re-watch Season 1. I’m happy I am too, because I’ve been reminded of the challenges the Duttons are facing and the quest Spencer is on to get back to them. In fact, there are two quotes from Season 1 about Brandon Sklenar’s Dutton that I’ve been mulling over, because I think they could inform his actions in this next installment of the Yellowstone spinoff.

Basically, we know going into Season 2 that Spencer and Alex are separated, and they’ll both be making their way to Montana to unite with the Duttons and each other. That, mixed with Sklenar’s character fighting tooth and nail to get back to his home is cause for drama and trauma, I assume, especially since we know the hunter has some demons buried deep within him.

So, as I’ve been rewatching Season 1 with my Paramount+ subscription, I’ve been struck by two quotes from Cara and Alex about how Spencer’s past haunts him. And I can’t help but wonder if that will be a big challenge he faces in the new episodes.

“This ranch and you’re legacy are in peril. War has descended upon this place and your family. Whatever war you fight within yourself must wait. You must come home and fight this one.” -Cara

I was initially hit hard by the words above that were featured in a letter Helen Mirren’s Cara wrote to Spencer in a moment of need.

Basically, at the end of Episode 3, things were looking bleak for the Duttons. The family in Montana was attacked, leaving Jacob wounded, John dead and Jack injured. Many others were hit too, and the Duttons were left in a state of disarray. That led to Jacob and Cara realizing Spencer needed to come home.

To do that, Helen Mirren’s character wrote a letter to the youngest of James’ kids, saying he needed to put his own issues to the side and focus on his family. While that took a front seat in the back half of Season 1, I think it will truly drive Spencer in Season 2.

He got that letter months after it was written, and I think he feels guilty for being away for so long. Plus, his aunt called him out for how he’s been running away from his trauma.

Hearing this now, makes me think that in Season 2 we might get to see Spencer face his own demons head-on while also working his way home. I think what Alex told him about this topic adds to that theory too.

“There’s something you should know about me. I’m a very jealous lover. I will not share you with your demons. So we must find them and chase them all away.” -Alex

In Episode 4, one installment after Cara sends the letter, it’s revealed that Spencer hasn’t read any of the messages she’s sent him over the years. So, Alex makes him – saying the quote above to convince him.

While Cara’s letter is what’s literally driving Spencer home, I’m hopeful that Alex’s words will help him face what he’s been hiding from for so long. Especially with Alex not by his side, I think Sklenar's character will be lost and possibly forced to reckon with his demons. However, I'm hoping he remembers what she told him to do because I think it will help.

During Season 2, as the Duttons face their adversaries and winter literally speaking, I want to see Spencer, specifically, address his internal war and trauma. He is clearly still struggling with his past – specifically, his time fighting in World War I – as well as his place in his family, and I need him to face it all head-on.

No more compartmentalizing.

While he does need to focus on his family, as Cara implied, that battle within him that she mentioned is important too. As Alex said, he needs to chase those demons away. By doing that he can live a much happier life and move forward as a leader among the Duttons. Plus, not only would it be great for his growth as a character, but it’d make for fascinating TV too as he traverses his way around the globe to get back to his family. So, here’s hoping that’s exactly what Spencer does in Season 2 of 1923.