With the show’s return right around the corner, Michelle Randolph teases the “really great” story to come from 1923 season 2. The travails of the Dutton family fueled the rise of creator Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone, which just did away with Kevin Costner’s John, leaving the series’ future up in the air. Meanwhile, Sheridan’s 1923 season 2 is set to fill the void left as Yellowstone wraps up an eventful season 5, with the spinoff’s new season premiering on Paramount+ on February 23.
Randolph’s Elizabeth Strafford is among the characters returning for more drama in 1923, and season 2 promises to have more great storytelling in store for fans, as the actor teased during a recent interview with ScreenRant about her other Sheridan-created show Landman. The star also lamented that audiences are going to be “very sad” that they won’t be able to binge-watch the new season in one sitting:
It’s gonna be a really great season. Season 2 was incredible, but with two years in between, I was so excited. I just read straight through the scripts, and I think people are going to be very sad that they can’t binge-watch the season, because every episode leaves you on the edge of your seat.
Randolph then addressed those theories about Elizabeth having a family connection to Costner’s Dutton, cautiously denying knowing anything about the Dutton family tree and her character’s possible place on it. Randolph did, however, express her worry about unwittingly dropping 1923 spoilers, noting that her ties to the family tree is the “No. 1 question I get asked” and ultimately prefers to play coy. Check out the rest of what Randolph shared below:
I may or may not know. You know, you’ve just got to watch and find out what happens. It’s so much easier to just say I don’t know anything. No, I’m terrified. [Chuckles] That’s the No. 1 question I get asked, and I just, I know nothing.
What This Means For 1923 Season 2 And Elizabeth’s Storyline
Elizabeth Experienced Tragedy In Season 1
The mystery of John Dutton III’s lineage remains intact going into 1923 season 2. Randolph has no answers about whether Elizabeth is the grandmother of Costner’s Yellowstone character, and that’s just how series creator Sheridan wants it. Randolph herself explained in a 2023 interview that there is a lot of “back and forth” between the cast on the answer, though the multihyphenate keeps the answers close to his vest.
Randolph understands the assignment when discussing season 2, holding back any potential spoilers, while teasing a “great” storyline ahead. As for her character Elizabeth, things ended very tragically in 1923 season 1’s ending, as she miscarried her and Jack Dutton’s baby. More big changes are afoot at the ranch, as Whitfield now holds the deed, placing Jacob and Cara in his debt. There’s also the ongoing saga of Spencer and Alex, who are separately headed to Montana, after Spencer accidentally killed Alex’s ex-fiancée.
Our Take On Elizabeth Being John Dutton’s Grandmother
Fan Theories About The Dutton Lineage Are Fun, But Meaningless
There are multiple theories about the Dutton family tree and which characters fit where. 1923 thus far has established a pair of obvious candidates to be John Dutton III’s grandfather, that being Elizabeth’s fiancé, Jack Dutton, and the absent Spencer Dutton. Season 1 showing Elizabeth pregnant, before actually marrying Jack, seemed to put another piece of the puzzle in place, only to have the rug pulled out when Elizabeth miscarried. Now it’s unclear whether Elizabeth can have children, and whether she and Jack ultimately marry at all.
Sheridan seems to enjoy muddying the waters when it comes to the Dutton family tree. It’s a clever ploy in terms of fan engagement, as all the theorizing demonstrates. Sheridan is sure to keep audiences guessing all the way through 1923 season 2, and on into whatever future Yellowstone spinoffs he decides to concoct.
Though fan theories about the Dutton lineage are fun, the questions they seek to answer ultimately are not important to 1923. Whether Jack and Elizabeth are the grandparents of John Dutton III, or Spencer and Alex are, is beside the point. What matters is the drama, and on today’s TV landscape, no one is better at generating it than Sheridan. It’s likely Sheridan himself hasn’t made up his mind who will bear the father of Yellowstone’s John Dutton, and it could be years before he finally puts the mystery to rest.