A small yet striking detail in the finale of 1923 season 2 makes Alex Dutton’s (Julia Schlaepfer) tragic ending even more devastating. Despite reuniting with her husband in 1923 season 2’s finale, Alexandra of Sussex died at the end of the saga. Alex’s exposure to Montana’s unforgiving cold in the penultimate episode catalyzed the heart-wrenching conclusion, with Spencer Dutton’s (Brandon Sklenar) wife enduring an insufferable amount of time in the brutal winter of 1924, and her limbs freezing completely.

Like with all the worst things that happened to Alex Dutton in 1923, there was a silver lining to the young mother’s fate. With Alex tragically forgoing the fight for her life to deliver and nurse her baby, her son survives. Then, the couple ultimately reunite in the afterlife after Spencer Dutton’s time jump at the end of 1923. Still, what happens to Alex Dutton at the end of 1923 is indelibly devastating, and the timeline of her death emboldens the impact of Alex’s life being cut short.

Alex Dutton Died 3 Days Before Her 24th Birthday In 1923 Season 2

A Few Days Would Have Made All The Difference

At the end of 1923 season 2, Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) says the following about her sister-in-law’s fate, giving her a proper eulogy: “Alexandra Dutton was born on April Fool’s Day, 1901, in Oxfordshire, England. And laid to rest March 29, 1924.” 1923’s narrator, therefore, revealed that Alex Dutton died just three days shy of her 24th birthday, not quite making it to her April Fool’s Day celebration. The details confirmed that 1923 season 2 took place in 1924, with most of the Dutton family surviving another winter.

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There’s Another Alex Dutton Tragedy In 1923’s Finale That No One Realizes

On top of her tragic fate in 1923 season 2’s finale, Alex Dutton experienced a grave tragedy in the last chapter that no one knows about.

Ultimately succumbing to her exposure to the cold, Alex Dutton died of hypothermia at the end of 1923. While Alex made it safely onto the train heading to Livingston and to the hospital in Bozeman, she refused the treatment that could have otherwise saved her life. The doctors at the hospital wanted to amputate Alex’s legs and one of her arms to save her from necrosis. Still, she refused the procedure, wanting to maximize time with her son, John Dutton, over the celebration of her own life.

Alex Dutton’s Missed Birthday Makes Her 1923 Ending Even Sadder

Alex’s Missed Birthday Underscores A Life Cut Short

In 1923 season 2, Alex Dutton couldn’t catch a break. Spencer’s wife faced horror after horror on her journey to Montana, forced to brave her travels through America alone after she and Spencer separated at the end of 1923 season 1. Knowing Alex missed a birthday highlights the reality of her struggle: Dutton was just days away from celebrating her first birthday with her husband and new family. We know she died young, but the revelation that she missed a birthday underscores that Alex Dutton’s life was cut short.

Ultimately, experiences like Alex’s 24th birthday are the occasions the mother chose not to live for at the end of 1923. While it was caring for the mother to sacrifice her life at the end of the prequel, there’s reason to believe Alex Dutton didn’t have to do that in 1923’s finale: choosing her own life over her child’s for the sake of the Dutton family having a better fate. Still, regardless of whether Alex could have avoided her death, knowing Alex’s birthday was just days away makes her loss, and the Dutton family’s loss, more poignant.

Alex Dutton Could Have Avoided Her Tragic 1923 Fate

Many Decisions Led To Alex Dutton’s Death In 1924

Sadly, there are many ways that Alex could have avoided her fate. Alex could have accepted treatment for her necrosis, allowing the doctors to amputate her dying limbs. That said, Alex could have avoided the injury altogether had she just listened to the local gas station attendant who warned her that the roads would be impassable. Even before that moment, when staying with Paul (Augustus Prew) and Hillary (Janet Montgomery) in Winnetka, Alex could have taken a few more days, contacted Spencer’s family, and found a more viable way home.

While Spencer was undoubtedly in a rush to get home and win the family’s war, Alex had time to spare. Alex probably did leave Britain at the right time, as she feared the royals would take her baby. Still, once she was in America with friends, Alex could have charted a better course. Looking back as far as 1923 season 1, dozens of turning points exist in Spencer and Alex’s romance. There were significant fluctuations in Alex and Spencer’s luck, but one small, short-sighted decision after the next ultimately led to the couple’s reputation as star-crossed lovers.

1923

9/10

Release Date

2022 – 2025-00-00

Network

Paramount+

Showrunner

Taylor Sheridan