How many Duttons can there actually be?
The first four episodes of 1923 introduced audiences to the previously unknown ancestors of Yellowstone’s Duttons and the struggles they faced to survive the problems of Prohibition-era America. The story so far has given audiences man-eating leopards, desperate ranchers, starving cattle, romantic interludes, shady deals, betrayals, brutal school systems, ambushes, and just about everything in between. But after all the action and tension of those episodes, the midseason finale left most of the plot unresolved, leaving audiences hanging as they wait for the second half of the season.
As such, a whole host of problems and unresolved questions have arisen from the events of the first four episodes. No doubt they will eventually be resolved, but for now, they provide the source of endless speculation about what is coming next for the stories of both the Duttons and Teonna (Aminah Nieves). How will the different storylines intersect? How will they deal with all the problems facing them? Here are some of the most pressing questions still unanswered at the halfway point of the season.
Will Spencer Get Home in Time?
The very ending of Episode 4 provided perhaps the biggest twist of the whole series so far. When Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) and Alex (Julia Schlaepfer) finally read all the letters Cara (Helen Mirren) has sent over the years, they and the audience both come in for a nasty shock: it had been written three months before. The reveal that Spencer’s timeline had been offset from that of the goings-on at the Dutton ranch was surprising in and of itself, but of course, it also spells a great deal of trouble going forward. Even if Spencer immediately sets off for home, there is no telling what will have happened in the intervening months. Will the Duttons have been forced out? Will they still be hanging on? Will there be nothing more than a smoldering ruin that was once the house?
What Role Is Whitfield Going to Play?
One of the more unexpected turns of the midseason finale was the introduction of Timothy Dalton’s Donald Whitfield as a new player in the rapidly darkening outlook for the Duttons. While he only appeared in one scene, striking a deal with Banner to support his vendetta against the Duttons, Whitfield immediately came off as extremely intimidating and a force to be reckoned with — far more intimidating than Banner himself had ever been in the story, to be honest.
Of course, with as much of a splash as he made in his only scene in the show so far, he will almost certainly play a larger role in the events to come. What that role will be is anyone’s guess, but things do not look good for the Duttons if he decides to take a more active interest in their operations in the future, which he is sure to do.
Will Jacob Recover?
Of course, compounding the problems posed by Whitfield and faced by Spencer on the way home is the critical condition of Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford). At death’s door after being ambushed and shot by Banner’s men, Jacob was seen hovering between life and death throughout Episode 4. Even if he does survive, his recovery is clearly going to take months or even years, and he is out of commission at precisely the time that the family needs him most. It will be an ordeal for him just to survive long enough for Spencer to get home, and his outlook does not look good in the meantime. The Duttons are facing a crisis regardless, but a rapid recovery by Jacob could make things manageable enough for the family to make it through the following months.
Will Teonna Make it Home?
The last scenes with Teonna saw her taking vengeance against Sister Mary (Jennifer Ehle) before making her escape from the boarding school in the dead of night. Of course, she is hardly off scott-free in that situation. She is almost certainly going to be pursued by the administration of the school, and even if she evades capture there are the government bureaucracy and records to deal with, which was the reason she was sent to the school in the first place. Her grandmother seems to be trying to find her, but will Teonna reach home in time? Will she be able to escape and hide permanently? And what will she have to do to remain hidden?
Who Is Actually John Dutton’s Ancestor?
The recent events of the series have also served to stoke the embers of the swirling theories about how the storyline of 1923 will end up intersecting with that of Yellowstone. Of particular interest to many fans of the Yellowstone universe is who among the central cast John Dutton (Kevin Costner) is actually descended from. Initially, the most likely answer seemed to be Jack (Darren Mann) and Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph), but the introduction of Spencer and Alex into the story has muddied the waters of that theory.
As a result, it is possible that John could be descended from either of those couples, but it also adds a layer of tension to the story. Several of the characters involved could be killed off in the events of 1923 while still leaving room for eventual ancestors of the 21st-century Duttons. So who among the central cast is ultimately indispensable? And who is consequently expendable?
How Will the Storylines Intersect?
One particular promise for the future of the series is that the three major storylines must intersect at some point. Spencer will likely return to Montana as soon as possible, and it is difficult to say how he and Jack will interact with each other. Will there be any bad blood between the two of them over what has happened, or will they overcome their differences out of necessity?
The potentially more interesting intersection is less obvious: how will Teonna’s storyline meet up with the Duttons? It must, at some point, but how, when, and why is anyone’s guess. In time the storylines will become clearer, but until the second half of the season, all the major questions will have to wait to see their resolution.