Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel series 1923 is slated to return with its second season next month. It follows the story of Spencer Dutton as he must race back to his home in Bozeman, Montana, while his ancestral land and family’s lives are threatened. The first season ended on a major cliffhanger and upped the stakes with the Dutton family’s very existence at risk.

As a result, when the sophomore outing arrives, fans must be expecting several characters to bite the dust given just how high the stakes are. While some characters are more likely to die than others, Sheridan could throw in a major twist by killing off one fan-favorite character who might just be more integral to the overall Dutton family saga than meets the eye.

Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 season 2 could kill off one beloved character

1923 introduced viewers to a new generation of the Dutton family, shepherded by Harrison Ford’s Jacob Dutton. In the series, actor Brandon Sklenar plays the role of Spencer Dutton, who faces a race against time to return home before his family loses everything they hold dear.

Meanwhile, Spencer’s love story with Alexandra, played by Julia Schlaepfer is also a key subplot with the lovers separated in the season 1 finale with the promise of reuniting in Bozeman, Montana. As the second season draws close, one fan took to Reddit, to discuss each main character’s chances of demise.

The user noted how villains such as Timothy Dalton’s Donald Whitfield and Jerome Flynn’s Banner Creighton were almost certain to die, and some members of the Dutton family would also likely perish as collateral damage in the fight over their land.

This is a Taylor Sheridan production, which means she’s likely toast.

The user made the above comment regarding Alex’s fate in season 2, giving her a mere 10% chance to survive the upcoming horrendous events that will befall the Dutton family as already teased by promotional material.

Furthermore, Schlaepfer’s character has been used sparingly in the marketing material with more focus on her love interest. Given the extreme lengths Spencer will be forced to go for his family, it would make for a tragic conclusion for him to lose his wife. Taylor Sheridan‘s past work is also proof that the showrunner loves a good tragic death and Alex is perfect fodder for it.

1923 season 2 might lead to more Dutton family tragedy with Alex’s fate

Following actor Kevin Costner’s exit, Sheridan pulled off a twist by killing off his character early in the final batch of Yellowstone episodes. The showrunner could be preparing to deal an even more gut-wrenching punch to the franchise’s fans with Alex’s demise, which might not be as straightforward as it seems.

In the build-up to the second season, media reports have widely speculated that Alex will be pregnant during the upcoming episodes (via TV Line). Although Schlaepfer has played coy on the matter, Alex getting seasick in the season 1 finale could be pointing to her pregnancy in season 2.

However, the Reddit user further theorized that Alex’s pregnancy will only make her demise harder for fans to swallow. By the season’s end, Alex could die shortly after giving birth to her and Spencer’s son, thus keeping the Dutton family tree alive. However, their son would turn out to be John Dutton II, the father of Costner’s John Dutton III, thereby bringing the origin story full circle.