Brandon Sklenar’s Spencer Dutton was supposed to be the heart and soul of 1923, a rugged, battle-scarred adventurer whose journey back to Montana would be nothing short of legendary.
Instead, thanks to Taylor Sheridan’s relentless recycling of plotlines, Spencer has become trapped in a never-ending loop of near-death experiences, dramatic rescues, and questionable decision-making.
Sheridan has somehow managed to take a character brimming with potential and reduce him to a glorified action figure, repeatedly thrown into the same perilous situations with only minor variations. At this point, the show isn’t progressing, it’s just spinning in circles like a train stuck on the tracks.
Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton in 1923 | Credits: Paramount Pictures
And speaking of trains… If you’ve been eagerly waiting for Spencer’s long-overdue reunion with his family, buckle up, because, at this rate, he’ll probably get lost in the wilderness for another five episodes. The once-thrilling, high-stakes journey has turned into a frustrating scavenger hunt with no real payoff in sight.
Spencer Dutton’s never-ending odyssey in 1923
Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton in 1923 | Credits: Paramount Pictures
Remember when Spencer’s journey was gripping? Back in season one, his encounters with deadly animals and perilous sea voyages felt fresh and thrilling. Now, it’s as if Taylor Sheridan has a checklist titled “Ways to Torture Spencer Dutton” and just cycles through the same events with minor tweaks. Sharks? Done that. Stranded at sea? Yep. Train drama? Oh, we’re not even close to being done with that one.
His latest stunt, jumping off a train for no logical reason, was the final straw for many viewers. Why did he do it? Who knows! Probably just to engineer another harrowing survival arc. This formulaic storytelling has stripped Spencer of any meaningful character growth.
He’s no longer a man on a mission, he’s just a guy repeatedly getting himself into absurdly dangerous situations and miraculously surviving. Every time he gets close to making progress, Sheridan throws another obstacle his way, forcing him into yet another episode-long detour.
1923’s stagnant storytelling
A still from 1923 | Credits: Paramount Pictures
Spencer isn’t the only one suffering from Taylor Sheridan’s bizarre storytelling choices. His wife, Alexandra, who was once a lively and engaging character, has now been reduced to a damsel in distress, perpetually facing logistical nightmares. She’s robbed, beaten, stranded, and forced into increasingly desperate situations just to reunite with Spencer.
And let’s not forget that while all this chaos is happening, the other storylines are essentially on repeat. The ranch still sucks. Elizabeth is still miserable. Jacob and Cara are still stoic. Teonna is still running. The villains are still villain-ing.
In between it all, Sheridan tosses in a few completely ridiculous moments, like a country doctor successfully performing brain surgery in a dusty living room. And then, he sent his patient downstairs to hug his wife five minutes later.
Spencer’s arc, which should be the backbone of the show, has instead become a frustrating exercise in redundancy. The longer Sheridan drags this out, the less satisfying Spencer’s eventual homecoming will be. By the time he finally reaches Montana, we’ll all be too exhausted to care. If he even makes it there, that is.
There’s still plenty of time for him to get lost in another jungle, survive another shipwreck, or get thrown into an underground fighting ring against a rabid grizzly bear. At this point, anything’s possible. Except, apparently, meaningful character development.
