1923's Brandon Sklenar Sees A Lot Of Elsa In Spencer

Although Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone" prequel series "1923" primarily concerns the story of Jacob and Cara Dutton (played by Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, respectively) and their efforts to protect the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch from their power-hungry neighbors, perhaps the most interesting Dutton in the entire series is actually Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar), whose story takes place on the other side of the world.

A Great War veteran who begins "1923" in Africa (where he works as a very successful big game hunter), Spencer has shown himself to be one of the most adventurous and daring characters in the entire "Yellowstone" franchise — especially during his harrowing journey home to fight alongside his family for the ranch. Brandon Sklenar himself says that Spencer shares this daring nature with his older sister Elsa (Isabel May), a prominent character from "1883," the first prequel entry in the "Yellowstone" franchise. "It's just such a gift to put this puzzle together and see where you can layer in Elsa because there's so much of her in [Spencer], and yet they never met each other," Sklenar explained to Den of Geek.

Sklenar went on to say that both characters are "unintentionally poetic" and "romantic" despite walking paths of inherent danger — something he attributes to the excellent writing of Taylor Sheridan. It's clear that Sklenar is extremely fond of the similarities between Elsa and Spencer Dutton and how poetic it is that she should influence his character from beyond the grave.

Though Elsa Dutton's influence can clearly be seen in the adventurous spirit of her brother, she also impacts the story by serving as the narrator for "1923," further cementing the legacy she left behind. Taylor Sheridan himself has since praised how Elsa's character captured the "innocence and hope" of a young America and said that the vibrant performance of Isabel May helped to bring the series to life.

Much of that same vibrancy and love of life can also be seen in Spencer Dutton, especially since he (like Elsa before him) seems to have found love during his dangerous journey into the unknown. As the parallels between the two characters continue to stack up, fans will no doubt hope that Spencer's story ends less tragically than his sister's since Elsa eventually succumbs to an arrow wound halfway through her journey west. Her father, James (Tim McGraw), built the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch on the spot she died.

Sklenar's comments make it clear that Elsa Dutton's character was a major influence on Spencer Dutton and that there are plenty of symbolic parallels between the two siblings if you care to look for them (though hopefully not too many since fans would no doubt be heartbroken to see the "coolest Dutton" die just like his sister).