Did Spencer Have A Child With Jack Dutton’s Widow? Some Fans Think So

With the series 1923, the popular prequel to the Yellowstone universe, coming to a close, fans are left with many speculations about the Dutton family. Currently, viewers know about the early and late decades of the Yellowstone Ranch, but the middle years remain a mystery.

Fans have started speculating about the upcoming prequel 1944, which is set during World War II and will be the next installment in the Yellowstone universe.

Let’s explore fan theories, ranging from the most plausible to the most outlandish.

Who Is Patience Dutton?

Who is Patience Dutton? One popular fan theory suggests that Patience Dutton is the daughter of Elizabeth and Jack Dutton. Her grave can be seen at the end of the Yellowstone series in the Dutton graveyard.

Fans know only one other thing about the illusive character besides the name “Patience Dutton.” That is the year listed on the gravestone, 1931. If this year represents her date of death, then it is clear that this mysterious character would not appear in the 1944 prequel currently being discussed.

However, if 1931 is her birth year—something unusual for a gravestone—fans might encounter Patience Dutton in the upcoming Yellowstone prequel.

If Patience is the daughter of Elizabeth and Jack Dutton and she died in 1931, it would be a tragic situation that implies Elizabeth returned to the Dutton ranch to bury her daughter. This theory builds on another popular fan theory that maybe the widow discussed at the end of 1923 was Elizabeth.

Is The Widow Discussed In 1923 Elizabeth?

At the end of 1923, Elsa Dutton, the Yellowstone universe’s voice, narrates a voiceover explaining Spencer’s life.

“Spencer never remarried. Took the comfort of a widow and made another boy, refused to marry her, and one day, the widow was gone.”

She reveals that Spencer lived for another 45 years before passing away and reuniting with his love, Alexandra. Additionally, Spencer finds comfort in a widow who he refuses to marry. Fans speculate that this widow could be Elizabeth, who was married to Jack, Spencer’s nephew.

This theory is supported by the idea that Patience Dutton is the child of Elizabeth and Jack and that she passed away in 1931. If Elizabeth returned to the ranch in 1931 to bury her daughter and was in mourning, it is possible that she could have formed a bond with Spencer afterward. It is also revealed that Spencer and this unnamed widow have a son together.

Could this be a storyline that fans will see in 1944? Only time will tell.

Who Is John Dutton’s Grandfather? The Dutton Family Tree Explained

Special note: Some fans believe that it is already a decided fact that John Dutton II is the father of John Dutton III, who you know from Yellowstone. Some are not so convinced.

One of the biggest unanswered questions in the Yellowstone universe is: who continued the family line, based on the notion that we do not know for a fact who will?

This mystery begins at the beginning of the series, in 1883.

1883 follows the first generation of the Dutton clan in America. They were heading for the West Coast, but after Elsa Dutton was shot with an arrow, the family decided that wherever she died, that was where the family would settle. She passed in her father’s arms in Montana. The land would one day become the infamous Yellowstone Ranch.

How did the family get the land?

James Dutton first got the land from a Native American chief who gave a prophecy along with the land to the Duttons.

“Know this, that in seven generations, my people will rise up and take it back from you.”

That is exactly what happened. In the Yellowstone finale, the land was given over to the local Native American tribe, which fulfilled the prophecy.

This brings us to the question of the family tree and who the missing link is between the 1923 finale and the beginning of Yellowstone.

By the end of 1923, fans were presented with two clear options: one that was possible but less likely.

The three options for the Dutton family lineage are currently represented by John Dutton, the son of Alexandra and Spencer Dutton; the unnamed child that Elizabeth was carrying at the end of 1923, fathered by Jack Dutton; and the son revealed to be the offspring of Spencer and an unnamed widow. Is it possible there’s a fourth option that Taylor Sheridan has yet to reveal? Perhaps.

All three of these current candidates have the potential to be the missing link.

Let’s start with John Dutton II, the son of Alexandra and Spencer Dutton.

He seems like a clear candidate to continue the Dutton name and potentially carry on the Yellowstone lineage.

However, fans have noted that if he is indeed the direct descendant, it will misalign the generations with the prophecy, which states that it will take seven generations to return the land to the Native American tribe.

Still, he remains a strong candidate, as Taylor Sheridan has been known to introduce unexpected twists.

Another possibility involves Spencer’s son with the unnamed widow.

He would fall into the same category as John Dutton II mentioned above, as this unnamed character would also be at the same spot in the generational line.

A third intriguing option is the unborn child of Elizabeth and Jack.

Since Jack is one generation below Spencer, being his nephew, the generational timeline could align according to fan theories.

This raises numerous questions, starting with who Patience Dutton is.

If this theory holds true, how and when does Elizabeth return to the Dutton Ranch? Does this suggest that fans may witness a romance between Elizabeth and Spencer?

Taylor Sheridan is certainly keeping fans on their toes, and the anticipation surrounding the 1944 release is building as it promises to answer many, if not all, of these questions.