Parmount Network
Editor's Note: (This article contains spoilers from "1923" season one)
Have you ever watched something, loved it, obsessed over it, and then — weeks later — realized you missed a colossal detail? That was me with “1923”. Because, somehow, I completely glossed over the fact that Alexandra Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer) isn’t just a free-spirited adventurer chasing love across continents — she’s British royalty.
That’s right. The woman who tossed aside her engagement, jumped on a boat with Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar), and got caught up in a Titanic-level whirlwind romance? She also happens to be the Countess of Sussex.
Cue the sound of a record scratch.
If you were too busy worrying about Spencer and Alex getting separated (or, let’s be honest, caught up in their undeniable chemistry), you weren’t alone. The show didn’t exactly wave a Union Jack flag and spell it out early on. It wasn’t until the “1923” season finale that the truth came out.
During those nail-biting final moments, as Spencer faces the consequences of his duel with Alex’s ex-fiancé, Arthur (Rafe Soule), the ship’s captain refers to her as “The Countess of Sussex.” And suddenly, Spencer — and all of us watching — realized he hadn’t just fallen for some wealthy, rebellious socialite. He’d fallen for a woman with ties to the British throne.
Let’s rewind.
Spencer and Alex’s love story began in Africa, where fate (and a dare from her friends) pushed them together. Sparks flew, common sense went out the window, and before you knew it, Alex had abandoned her aristocratic life, her titled fiancé, and her place in British high society — all for love. How American, right?
But Arthur, her jilted ex, wasn’t about to go quietly. When he challenges Spencer to a duel on the deck of the Majestic, things escalate fast. Swords clash, tensions rise, and when Arthur pulls a gun, Spencer does what a Dutton does best — he survives. Arthur doesn’t.
The fallout? Besides Alex and Spencer being separated (heartbreaking), her noble status suddenly becomes very important. Arthur’s family — and the British elite — aren’t about to let her go that easily.
Now, this is where things get tricky.
After doing a little research on how things work across the pond, traditionally, a countess is the wife of an earl. But Alex was never married to Arthur, only engaged. So how does she hold the title?
One possible explanation is that she inherited it. If her father was an earl and died without a male heir, the title could have passed to her. Another theory? Some creative liberties in Taylor Sheridan’s writing. Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that Alex had serious royal ties — and she walked away from all of it.
Here’s where things get interesting.
Alex isn’t just bringing heartache and drama to the Dutton family — she’s bringing potential financial salvation. Back in Montana, Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) has a stranglehold on the ranch, and money is tight. And who has access to a lot of money? A former countess who might still have connections, even if she’s been blacklisted from London society.
If Alex makes it to Montana (a big if), her status could save the Duttons from losing everything.
And if you saw all of this coming from episode one? Congratulations. You’re basically the “Yellowstone” universe’s royal historian.
Because me? I was too busy swooning over Spencer and Alex’s love story to notice the crown jewels sitting right in front of me.
