So, we had a 1923 season 2 finale that ran for almost 2 hours. I think we were fortunate that it wasn’t a snoozefest and had a fair amount of action, drama, and emotion. Though in my opinion, it did lack the element of surprise, mostly because the writers had killed off a whole bunch of characters in the penultimate episode, preparing us for what was about to come in the season 2 ending. [Spoiler Alert] The finale wasn’t really about the Yellowstone ranch anymore, and mostly focused on Alex and Spencer’s tragic arc, where the latter swore to take revenge for his wife’s death and killed all the adversaries who had been targeting his family and trying to steal their land. Banner had a change of heart too, which I believe was one of the highlights of the episode. With that said, let’s jump straight into all the major events of the season 2 finale and explore how Alex and Spencer’s story finally comes to an end.
Banner Decides To Leave For Portland
In 1923, in season 2’s finale, Banner realized that he had made a huge blunder by signing a deal with the devil. He really didn’t know that Donald Whitfield would turn out to be such an evil man, the kind who sought pleasure in another man’s pain and suffering. Something changed inside him when Whitfield asked him to dump Christy’s body in a ditch near the border between Montana and Wyoming. He thought Christy’s death was accidental, and that Whitfield might have at least an ounce of remorse for her. But he was wrong. When he visited Whitfield’s mansion the next time, all he saw was a new woman being beaten the same way as Christy and Lindy, implying that she too would meet the same fate sooner or later. What separated Banner from the likes of Whitfield was the fact that he had been a family man who wanted to set an example for his son so he could be proud of his father. This was one of the things that stopped him from turning pure evil, and just for the sake of his son and his wife, he decided to leave Montana for Portland so he could earn a decent living working on a fishing trawler. He asked his wife, Ellie, to pack their bags and they quickly arrived at the train station. Unfortunately, in the end, Banner wasn’t able to escape his karma, and his past crimes hunted him down.
Whitfield’s Men Attack The Dutton House
In the previous episode, Banner informed his master, Whitfield, about the return of the famous Spencer Dutton, soon after which he announced his plan to take out the famed hunter by surprise and put a bullet in him as soon as he stepped off the train. Whitfield eagerly wanted to lay the foundation of his ski resort and get done with the Duttons as quickly as possible. In season 1, when Whitfield first met Banner, he had asked him to arrange a small army and prepare them for the final battle. These were the very same men who attacked the Yellowstone ranch and tried to ambush the family. However, Cara, Zane, and his men showed impeccable courage and held the line until their last breath. They quickly climbed onto the roof to have an advantage over their enemies, forcing them to fall back for the time being and wait for the darkness to take cover so they could use it to their advantage. Cara knew that she and the other cowboys wouldn’t be able to shoot these men at night and therefore prayed for Jacob and Spencer’s return to the ranch as quickly as possible.
Spencer Rescues Alex
In the previous episode, Alex found herself stuck in a snowdrift in the middle of nowhere with her two enthusiastic travelers lying dead in front of her. The fuel tank was empty, and she didn’t exactly know where to go or how to save herself from the freezing cold. She suddenly coined an idea and took out a lighter from Paul’s coat to burn a few papers to warm up the car a bit, though these papers didn’t last long, and in the end, she was forced to burn Spencer’s letter, the only physical memory of him she was left with. Some time later, she noticed a train coming in her direction and therefore lit a huge fire inside the car to send the train driver a smoke signal. However, the driver didn’t see any sense stopping the whole train for a single lady and therefore decided to inform the authorities while the train passed by Alex. It was fortunate, though, that Spencer was on board and recognized Alex soon after, at which point he ran towards the end of the train and jumped out of it to save his wife. As he picked her up in his arms, Alex gave him the good news that he was soon going to become a father, filling Spencer with the love and warmth he needed to walk miles just to protect his wife and child. Thankfully, the driver finally halted the train, and the two of them boarded it quickly. However, it wasn’t the end of their worries. Andrew, the doctor on the train, told Spencer that Alex needed immediate medical attention, and advised that he take her to a hospital in Bozeman.
Banner Sacrifices His Life
Banner knew that the train station was going to turn into a battleground, yet he chose the same day and same train to leave the town. Maybe he believed that he wouldn’t be able to escape once the war between Whitfield and the Duttons had come to an end. He was in quite the rush and was being haunted by a guilty conscience, which was likely the reason he told Jacob the location of the men who were going to attack his nephew at the station. I think it would have been better if he had told him about the snitch, Clyde, as well, as he was the one because of whom Banner had to sacrifice his life.
During the season 2 finale, Banner asked his wife to make a run for the train without worrying about the chaos around them. As soon as the train arrived on the platform, both parties started firing shots at each other. Still, Banner and his family managed to reach the train’s door. In a surprising turn of events, it was Spencer who helped Ellie and her son board the train, which brought a change in Banner’s heart. He stayed back at the platform and decided to help Jacob with the goons. Banner saw one of his right-hand men, Clyde, crawling along the tracks trying to shoot Jacob by surprise, but before he could pull the trigger, Banner pulled out his gun and killed him, forcing Sheriff McDowell to shoot Banner, as he didn’t know that Banner was just trying to protect Jacob. Ellie saw Banner dying in front of her eyes, and at least he died a dignified death and was able to atone for the sins he had committed in his life. With Banner gone, Ellie might use the money Banner had given to her before his death to build a new life in Portland. Hopefully, Banner’s son wouldn’t turn out like his father and do his best to try to “earn” a living instead of “taking” it away.
Jacob Brings Alex To The Hospital
At the Livingston station, Spencer told his uncle that he needed to get his wife to the hospital before he could return home, but Jacob believed it would be too late and Spencer might not have a home to return to by then. He knew Whitfield’s men had already launched an attack on the ranch, which was why he needed Spencer as quickly as possible. He finally convinced him to look after his wife and take her to the hospital while Spencer would deal with the goons attacking their house. Spencer quickly reached the ranch and went into total John Wick mode, killing the goons in numbers and saving Cara, Elizabeth, and others from the danger.
Meanwhile, Jacob finally brought Alex to the hospital, only to find out from the doctors that they needed to abort her pregnancy and amputate her hands and feet to save her life. However, Alex asked the doctors not to touch her baby and suddenly started crowning, giving birth to a six-month-old John Dutton II. The doctors advised her to let them move her to the surgery, but Alex didn’t want to live without her hands and feet and therefore chose to die instead. She spent the last moments of her life with her husband and child lying next to her on the hospital bed. The next morning, Alex passed away in her sleep.
Spencer Saves the Ranch
In the 1923 season 2 ending, Spencer held Whitfield responsible for all the misery and loss he had suffered in his life and therefore decided to kill the vicious man and put an end to his evil. After Alex’s death, Jacob and Spencer quickly drove to Whitfield’s mansion and killed him under his own roof so he couldn’t raise another Banner or try to bring harm upon his family. With Whitfield and Banner both dead, the Duttons finally heaved a sigh of relief and decided to bury all the people they had lost in the battle. After Jack’s death, Elizabeth, too, decided to leave for Boston to stay away from the wilderness and spend the rest of her life in peace. We don’t know what’s going to happen to her kid, but it is likely that she or her child will not return to the Yellowstone ranch and will likely build a separate life in the city. Cara told Elizabeth that she hoped she would find another man who would sweep her off her feet, and even though Elizabeth didn’t want to think about another man, Cara knew that she was too young to spend the rest of her life alone. And when that day comes, she will eventually create new memories and forget Jack. However, Cara, who had raised Jack and Spencer like a mother, won’t ever be able to forget Jack’s death, and therefore told Elizabeth that she would remember him for both of them.
Teonna Is Set Free
In season 2’s finale, US Marshal Mamie Fossett arrested Teonna when she tried to shoot her from a distance while she and her men were investigating the mysterious death of Father Renaud and Marshal Nathan Kent. After Teonna missed the shot, she tried to escape on her horse, shooting one of Fossett’s deputies, Clint Patterson. Teonna believed that Fossett and her men were as cruel as Marshal Kent, but she was quite surprised when Fossett didn’t report half of Teonna’s crimes in the court, especially Clint’s murder, thereby letting her evade any punishment and start anew. As she walked out of the court a free woman, Two Spears asked her to travel west, where she would possibly be able to find a new home, though I think she’ll end up in Montana, where her descendant, Thomas Rainwater, grew up in Yellowstone.
A New Life for Spencer
With Alex gone, Spencer tried to fill the void by fulfilling his duties as the patriarch of the Dutton family and went to the mountains to round up some wild cattle to start building the empire his father had dreamt of. Seeing Spencer filling his boots, Jacob finally decided to step down and retire so he could spend the rest of his remaining life sitting on the porch looking after Spencer’s newborn son. Elsa’s voiceover narrated what happened to Spencer after Alex’s death. He sought the comfort of a widow and even fathered a child with her, though the woman didn’t stay in his life for long, likely because Spencer couldn’t move on and forget Alex. Spencer passed away some 45 years after Alex’s death, and it was his son, John Dutton II, who took over the family business and looked after the ranch while a new war hit the world in the near future. And if a sequel to 1923 is already on its way, then I think it will be centered around John Dutton II and the things he went through to raise his kids and save the ranch against all odds.
