Warning: This article contains spoilers for the season finale of 1923.
Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 has given us a look into one of the earliest branches of the Dutton family tree and, with that, a look at one of the most iconic romances in entertainment — one that is quickly growing on fans who have already set the bar high for love stories within the Yellowverse.
When Spencer Dutton first met Alex in Africa, he assumed he was crossing paths with another woman who might be drawn in by his uninterested charm and badassery. Perhaps he’d spend some time with her, not exactly an evening, but a few hours until he moved on, giving no part of himself away. What happened instead was a chance encounter that would bring him face to face with something he’d long escaped: the idea of true love. During their initial conversation, Alex felt it too, for the first time, and she was willing to risk everything for it — including her soon-to-be wedding to the man who should have been suitable for her.
In those tense moments with Spencer, she realized that living safely didn’t mean living well, and she gave up everything for a chance at a life of love. Following him to his next job, Alex abandoned everything and opened her heart to the man she’d eventually marry. Falling in love with Spencer has been quite a journey so far, full of ups and downs, and it’s reminiscent of another great love story — Titanic.
When asked if the similarities between Jack and Rose were lost on them, Schlaepfer told The Hollywood Reporter that they certainly were not.
“Oh, certainly not. From the beginning, we were like, ‘This has major Titanic vibes,’ and you do get that from the characters a little bit. And yes, we were certainly singing a lot of Titanic, and I’m sure there’s a lot of BTS footage out there of us singing. We would literally perform for the crew. We’d stand on the deck of the ship, and they would all be doing their jobs, just setting up cameras and stuff like that. And while we were waiting to film, we’d literally dance around together and sing ‘My Heart Will Go On.’ (Laughs.) I don’t know if they appreciated it very much, but that footage is out there somewhere.”
We’re not sure what you plan to do with that information, but we’re clearing our schedules so that we can ask anyone anywhere how to get that footage and ensure that we’ll all be able to see it eventually. Can you imagine Sklenar and Schlaepfer belting out one of the most romantic songs of all time? Be still our beating hearts!
Things haven’t been easy on Alex and Spencer, but they’ve been worth it, and that’s part of the intricately woven journey of the Dutton family. They face the hardships that cross their paths with grit and determination that few can use, let alone hold at all. The season finale proves that they’re capable of making choices together and on their own, and they will need that power more than ever.
As we saw Spencer being taken oceans away from Alex during 1923‘s season finale episode, it’s clear that it will take a lot of work to reunite these two. It’s not lost on anyone that it would probably be easier on both of them to call their romance a fleeting love and be done with it, but the Duttons don’t do easy.
Of course, fans noticed that Alex was quite seasick on the boat, something she’d not dealt with before. With Spencer Dutton as charming as he is drop-dead gorgeous, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that she might be getting ill for another reason. Schlaepfer says it’s something she’s considered herself, but she’s as in the dark as we are.
“Honestly, I have not been told a single thing, but I have my theories, but when I was filming those scenes, there were definitely some moments where I was choosing to believe that maybe it was more than motion sickness. But there has been no confirmation from Taylor [Sheridan, creator] at all, so it could have just been those waves.”
Sheridan keeps his cards close to his chest, so it’s not surprising that Schlaepfer is unsure of what the future may hold for her, but we’re crossing our fingers that they’re brought back together quickly. You can watch the first season of 1923 in its entirety now on Paramount Plus.