1923 season 2, episode 6 points out that Alex (Julia Schlaepfer) and Spencer Dutton’s (Brandon Sklenar) story in the prequel is incredible, but we’ve been too distracted by the unfulfilled promise of the Dutton family’s impending war to appreciate it fully. As 1923 season 2 has progressed, there has been a buzz about Taylor Sheridan’s Dutton prequel wasting time, drawing out a range war advertised as the season’s main draw. While it’s clear the war has finally begun in 1923 season 2, episode 6’s ending, the complaints about wasted time in Alex and Spencer’s journeys have been tremendous.

Since the premiere, Spencer and Alex’s 1923 journeys have progressed slowly, with holdups in each chapter compromising their time together in season 2. Spencer got held up in Galveston, Texas, after unwittingly saving a member of the Italian Mafia, Luca (Andy Dispena), on his Italian freighter heading for the Gulf shore. Alexandra barely made it out of London after discovering she was pregnant, and terrible things have happened to Alex in 1923 season 2. Still, the silver lining is that the lovers’ journey to reunite is fantastic, telling two unique stories about life in America’s Prohibition era.

Why Alex & Spencer’s 1923 Love Story Really Is Incredible

Alex And Spencer Tell Two Unique American Stories

After Alex’s friends in 1923 save her at the train station, convincing the Chicago Police she was the victim in her altercation and taking her home to Winnetka, Spencer’s wife tells the couple her ill-fated saga. As Alex completes her story, telling them about how she was separated from her husband in Marseille, Paul (Augustus Prew) remarks that the story of Alex’s odyssey is “the most fantastic thing” he’s ever heard. Paul’s comment to Hillary (Janet Montgomery) is a reminder of how truly epic Alex and Spencer’s journey has been, and that’s because of their disappointing separation, not despite it.

While disappointing in a sense, Alex and Spencer’s separate experiences tell the story of an immigrant and a veteran. For both parties, America is more hostile than they expected. Spencer remarks throughout his voyage through America that the land he returned to isn’t a country he recognizes, and isn’t the land he fought for. Similarly, as Alex says in 1923 season 2, episode 3, America isn’t the land of respite that was advertised in her home country. All the while, Alex and Spencer have been brave of heart. We’re cheering for their reunion, proving their courage and determination are infectious.

1923 Season 2 Seems Disappointing Because It’s Telling A Different Story Than Audiences Expected

We Didn’t See Alex And Spencer’s 1923 Season 2 Stories Coming

Appreciating Spencer and Alex’s story hasn’t been straightforward for many viewers since 1923 season 2 was advertised differently. 1923 season 2’s trailer heavily leans on the developments of the Dutton family’s war, but it has taken six episodes to scrape the surface of the tactical conflict. However, as Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) surmises in episode 6, Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) has purposefully stalled the war, awaiting Spencer’s return to fight for the Yellowstone Ranch. Spencer’s trip can be frustrating to watch because we’re waiting for his return, too, since that’s when the action is supposed to start.

Spencer’s journey feels off-track because we want to see him get home and reunite with Alexandra since that’s what 1923 season 1’s ending also promised. However, when suspending any irritation that the war has not begun, understanding that it will all play out rapidly once it does, Yellowstone viewers can appreciate just how meaningful Alex and Spencer’s stories have been. Collectively, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequels, 1883 and 1923, tell a subversive story of a family navigating life in America after the Civil War and through the Prohibition era. Spencer and Alex’s cross-country journeys paint a more complete picture of the period.

1923 Was Always About Alex & Spencer As Star-Crossed Lovers

1923 Season 1 Set The Tone For Alex And Spencer’s Season 2 Struggles

Rewatching 1923 season 1 before the second season allowed me to understand that 1923‘s Yellowstone story is really about Alex and Spencer Dutton’s romance and their will to survive and be together. The couple’s time in Africa in 1923 season 1 comprises some of the most enthralling scenes of the prequel, and, similarly to season 2, tells a more complete story of what was happening during the period outside life on the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Alex and Spencer’s time in Africa in 1923 season 1 also comprises some of the most passionate moments in the franchise, and 1923 season 2 evolves that.

Established in 1923 season 1, Alex and Spencer’s journey is not just about the highs of their romance but their determination to persevere through its lows. After their wedding, Spencer tells Alex that everything up to that moment felt like a sign from the universe that they weren’t meant to be together. Still, when Spencer and Alex talked about how brief life is in Tanganyika, we witnessed their deep-seated alignment. Perhaps 1923 season 2 is really about how hard both lovers fight to overcome their adversity. Hopefully, Alex and Spencer’s incredible 1923 stories end with them finally starting their lives together.