Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for the 1923 series finale.
1923 just wrapped up its two-season run, and the finale may be setting up the next entry in the Taylor Sheridan Yellowstone universe!
The 1923 series wrapped up with a huge two-hour finale that closed the door on one generation of the Dutton clan while paving the way for more storylines.
A quick recap: Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) and Alexandra Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer) happily reunited with her giving birth to a child only to die of severe frostbite. Teonna Rainwater (Aminha Reeves) was able to escape being sent to jail for killing the murderous Father Renaud and the nuns. Spencer returned home to a blistering shootout before helping his father, Jack (Harrison Ford), take down the murderous villain Whitfield (Timothy Dalton).
The final scenes have Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) talking to Cara (Helen Mirren), and Elizabeth is mourning Jack, who was killed in the previous episode. Now focused on Spencer's child, Cara effectively pushed Elizabeth to head back to Boston. The closing narration had Cara saying Elizabeth would move on and eventually forget Jack.
That was an odd way to leave off the character, and speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Randolph reflected on her character's end:
"Of course, she's going to remember him! First of all, she is pregnant with his child. Second, she lost her father. She chose his family over her own. This has changed everything about who she is as a person. I think that it's kind of belittling of Cara, honestly, to say that to her. But because of how their bond is, I don't think that Cara is meaning it in a dismissive way. I think Cara is trying to make Elizabeth feel better, because she's clearly heartbroken. That's the way I justified it."
Randolph also emphasized that Elizabeth "is more of a Dutton than ever." The fact that she's carrying Jack's child and thus has a claim for the family legacy could play into a planned spinoff.
Is Elizabeth's child going to play into 1944?
Among the various Yellowstone spinoffs announced is 1944. As the title indicates, this would approach the Duttons during World War II. This may fill a gap in the Dutton family tree. We know that there is a son called Jack who will be the father of Jack III, played by Kevin Costner in the main Yellowstone series.
So, could this be Elizabeth's child, who would be about 20 in 1944? Randolph was a bit cagey but does seem eager to return for the series:
"I mean, I'm alive! I'm alive. If I could be in 1944, I would absolutely love that. I have no idea where the storyline picks up or who it follows. I don't know anything about it."
However, there's also the planned spinoff, The Madison, about an East Coast family to be headlined by Michelle Pfeiffer. Randolph teased how there is a resemblance between her and Pfeiffer and the hint that there may be a deeper connection.
Either way, it would make sense for Elizabeth's child to play into the 1944 series. Whether it's a girl or boy, that child is a Dutton and there's no way they could avoid being pulled into the family drama. With the war going on, the men in the family might be off fighting so a distant Dutton coming to take charge makes sense.
For now, the 1944 spinoff is still in the planning stages, so it's uncertain how the shows may connect. Yet the end of Elizabeth's story hints there will be some sort of link to continue the Yellowstone saga for a while yet.
1923 seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Paramount+.