As we all know, the events of the new 1923 series, which is the sequel to 1883 and a prequel to Yellowstone, follow the story of a new generation of the Dutton family during the 1920s and 30s. That is why the series follows the story of new characters that have their own problems to deal with in an entirely new era. One of the new characters that the show introduced was Spencer Dutton. So, who is Spencer Dutton, and how important is he?
Spencer Dutton is the nephew of Jacob Dutton and the younger brother of John Dutton Sr. He is an adult that excels at hunting because of his experience in World War I and his expeditions in Africa. He is important to the events of 1923 because he might die and cause a series of violent events to happen.
The thing about the Taylor Sheridan universe that began with Yellowstone is that violence has always been a big part of the entire Dutton family. Death often comes unexpectedly for the members of this family, and that’s why there is a good chance that Spencer Dutton will die in the events of the series. And it is probably his death that will highlight the series of violent events that will happen to this family.
Who Is Spencer Dutton In 1923?
One of the things that we know about the Taylor Sheridan universe of series that began with the massive success of Yellowstone is that there are a lot of different characters that are directly connected to the Dutton family that we saw in the main series. Of course, this includes the main characters that we have seen in the two prequel storylines that are based on the same universe. These series are 1883 and 1923, which both tell the stories of the Dutton family members that lived long before the events of the main series, which takes place in modern times.
While we already have a good idea of what happened in 1883 because the events of that series have already concluded, it has a sequel in the form of 1923. The official synopsis of 1923 reads:
“1923 focuses on the Dutton family’s next two generations as they struggle to survive historic drought, lawlessness and Prohibition, and an epidemic of cattle theft; all battled beneath the cloud of Montana’s great depression, which preceded the nation by almost a decade.”
In that regard, we know that the show follows an entirely new and different storyline, as each of the prequel stories has new characters that lived during their own respective eras in American history, and one such character that we met in the pilot episode of 1923 was Spencer Dutton. So, who was Spencer Dutton in 1923?
Spencer Dutton is the nephew of Jacob Dutton, who we know is one of the most important characters in the series. He is also the younger brother of John Dutton Sr., who we know is the father of John Dutton III in Yellowstone. As such, we already see a direct relationship between Yellowstone and 1923.
Of course, we know that John Sr. works as the right-hand man Jacob, and that means that he has a more active role on the ranch. On the other hand, Spencer Dutton has a different background because he spent a good part of his younger years fighting for the country during the first World War. He survived the events of World War I but ended up spending time hunting in Africa, where he became a skilled hunter. As such, when he started working for the Dutton ranch, he became the one tasked to hunt the different wild animals that threatened the safety of their livestock.
Another thing that we know about Spencer Dutton is that he experienced traumatic and life-changing events during World War I, and that means that he was traumatized by the events that he experienced. And it is possible that his traumatic past will chase him during the events of the 1923 series.
Why Is Spencer Dutton Important?
In the first episode of 1923, Spencer Dutton was shown to have been attacked by a jaguar, as it was actually implied that this animal killed him. However, it is unlikely that he is already dead as early as the events of the first episode of 1923, as we know that he is quite possibly going to be one of the most important characters of the series.
Of course, the reason why we believe that Spencer was an important character in 1923 is the fact that the Dutton family is not a stranger to violence and death. Sudden deaths in the Sheridan universe have always been quite common, as that was what happened when we saw the death of Lee Dutton during the early portion of Yellowstone. And the fact that Spencer had a brush with death at the hands of the jaguar could be the omen that will follow the entire family in 1923.
Throughout the history of the Dutton family, ill omens have always been something common among them. As mentioned, Lee’s death in Yellowstone was an important part of the series of violent events and deaths that plagued the entire family in the main series. And the death of Lee Dutton was mirrored by the death of Elsa Dutton at the end of 1883.
As such, while there is good reason to believe that Spencer is still alive after the events of the pilot episode, the attack that he experienced and his brush with death could be the ill omen of the entire Dutton family in 1923.
The fact that the 1920s and 30s are quite dark could also mean that 1923 is set to become the darkest of the three series that follow the Dutton family. As such, Spencer’s brush with death could be the first of a lot of violent events that are going to happen in 1923. And that is why Spencer Dutton is likely to become one of the most important parts of the entire series.
