After the 1923 finale seemingly answered one of the biggest questions in the Yellowstone franchise, one of the show's main actors cast doubt on that revelation.
1923 Season 2 came to a close after a two-hour finale that aired on Sunday, April 6. Since Season 2 also served as the final season for the show, that means another chapter has now closed in the overarching story of the Dutton legacy told throughout Yellowstone, 1883, and 1923.
Many big questions were answered in the finale. Alexandra Dutton was killed by Donald Whitfield in a certain sense, a baby was born, and Elizabeth moved east to Boston while still carrying an unborn child. However, one big question mark that has been up in the air since Yellowstone was in the midst of its run may not have been answered.
Brandon Sklenar Casts Doubt on Spencer Dutton's John Family Tree Claims
Coming into 1923, many wanted to know which characters were the grandparents of Kevin Costner's John Dutton. John's father, John Dutton II, was seen multiple times in Yellowstone through flashbacks, but his parents were never revealed.
Both Elizabeth and Alexandra were pregnant in 1923, so many assumed that one of them would give birth to John Dutton II.
In the finale, Alexandra went into labor and gave birth to a premature baby boy whom she and Spencer named John (find out what happened to Elizabeth's baby here). Many fans automatically assumed that baby would grow up to be John Dutton II (Kevin Costner's John Dutton's father), thus confirming that Spencer and Alexandra were the grandparents of John Dutton III.
However, in a recent interview with TV Fanatic (shared via YouTube), Spencer Dutton actor Brandon Sklenar officially launched the question of who John's grandparents were back into the air.
When asked about that revelation in the finale, Sklenar revealed that "there's a lot of Johns out there," and that it still has not officially been confirmed that "that John Dutton is the John Dutton" in question:
"Well, at this point, we still can't confirm 100% certain that John Dutton is the John Dutton. You know, there's a lot of Johns out there."
So, according to Sklenar, Spencer and Alexandra's baby may not be the father of John Dutton III. If that is true, then many fans will be quite disappointed since that has been a question many have wanted answered for a long time now.
Since Alexandra and Elizabeth's pregnancies were such a big deal in the show, hearing Alexandra and Spencer name their baby John felt like a satisfying moment to many. If it were to be revealed that the baby isn't the same character as John Dutton III's father, that moment will mean a lot less in the future for many fans.
The actor then commented on how Beth Dutton's drive in Yellowstone would definitely come from Alexandra if Beth "were to be a descendant" of Alexandra:
"Yeah, if she were to be a descendant, I would say for sure, I mean, some strong genes here in the Dutton and Alexandra lineage, really strong genetics. They're both powerhouse people in their own right, and have a tremendous amount of drive and conviction and force in them as human beings. If it were to be passed down, I'd say that's where it would come from, potentially."
However, according to Sklenar, Beth may not have descended directly from Alexandra, leaving her genetic history still in question.
Is Spencer and Alex's Baby Really Not John Dutton II?
It is always possible that Taylor Sheridan could add another twist to the Yellowstone universe and reveal in the future that Spencer and Alexandra's baby is not the father of Kevin Costner's John Dutton. After all, there are multiple Yellowstone spin-offs in development, so that plot point could be explored more in one of those projects.
However, that seems highly unlikely, as the scene in which the baby was born and named John felt important on many different levels. In a way, it almost seemed as though Sheridan was indirectly saying, "Here you go," to the fans.
It is also worth noting that, in the interview, Sklenar's sly smirk that is on his face as he is answering the question makes it seem as though he is just playing coy and having fun with the idea of keeping that question up in the air.
The baby that was born in the 1923 finale will almost definitely grow up to be John Dutton II.
However, no matter what the case really is, fans luckily won't have to wait very long to find out, as the answer will likely truly be revealed in 1944 (another Yellowstone prequel series that is set to come out in the near future) since 1944 will likely feature some characters from 1923.
1923 is streamin on Paramount+.
