The plot of land claimed by the Dutton family in 1883 has certainly required a fair amount of fighting by and on behalf of said family. In the smash hit television series “Yellowstone,” John Dutton III (Kevin Costner) is the patriarch of the ruthless family, and he goes to tremendous lengths to make sure that his land and family are protected, and his efforts are usually joined by his children, though Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) has somewhat of a tenuous relationship with his father and siblings. Besides “Yellowstone,” which is set in the present, fans have seen the early days of this family in the series “1883,” which acts as a prequel and a means to set the proverbial stage for the now-famous family.
“1923” immerses “Yellowstone” fans in another period of Dutton family history. Starring the legendary Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton and Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton, “1923” is just as brutal and chaotic as its two predecessors. Although slightly removed from the Wild West feel of “1883” and the scheming modern-day politics of “Yellowstone,” “1923” manages to straddle the boundary between the two, with some elements of frontier law still in place, as well as systems and technology that are clearly 20th-century. Even with “1923” early in its run, some fans have decided to crown a particular character as the coolest Dutton to have ever lived. But what exactly are their thoughts?
1923 fans are loving Spencer’s history and personality
Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar), as a “1923” family tree reveals, is Jacob Dutton’s nephew and a World War I veteran. In Episode 1 of “1923,” Spencer is seen hunting a lion with a penchant for human flesh, and he stalks this quarry in a calm and collected demeanor. When Spencer finally comes face to face with the beast, Spencer waits until the last moment to fire his rifle, which shows Spencer knows what it’s like to come face to face with death, though his World War I experiences probably helped forged this character and make him stoic to the world’s horrors. Given that history and Spencer’s status as a Dutton family member, fans quickly deemed Spencer one of the coolest characters in the entire “Yellowstone” franchise.
Via Reddit, several “1923” fans heaped praise on Spencer. u/steampunker14 started a conversation about Spencer by saying, “Spencer might be the single coolest Dutton ever. Dude has Raylan Givens levels of rizz,” which prompted u/Far-Square3691 to reply, “I do not see Raylan Givens in him BUT I do see him as the coolest Dutton.” For those who don’t recognize the name, Raylan Givens was the main character in “Justified,” played by Timothy Olyphant. Givens is also another stoic figure who exudes levels of cool ruthlessness, which is probably why the above comments favorably compare the two. However, these weren’t the only things said about Spencer from “1923.”
Fans enjoy the interactions between Spencer and Alex
While discussing Episode 3 of “1923,” u/milliAmpere14 brought up some of the more notable events in Spencer’s life, which include surviving Native American raids, tornadoes, the death of a sister, almost freezing to death, crossing raging rivers, and much more, only to take a bullet on one’s own land. This list highlights why Spencer is the way he is, and likely why fans are starting to really like the character.
Others felt the same way, with u/32mafiaman writing, “Can I just say I love Spencer and Alex. I was stressing out so much during their scenes. I have a theory Spencer is going to start the tradition of branding the loyal ranch hands. And since Elizabeth was shot in the gut she’s going to be unable to have children, making Spencer the one who continues the family line, and he’s going to name his son John after his brother.” u/nrgins replied to this by saying that they think everybody loves Spencer, and that Spencer is one of the best aspects of “1923.” Similarly, u/Bobcat1954 absolutely loves the chemistry between Spencer and Alex (Julia Schlaepfer), and said that they were so worried about Spencer that they had their hands over their eyes during the tail end of the episode, which forced them to go back and watch it a second time.
Either way, it seems as if fans are really into Spencer in “1923,” and for very good reason.
