In season one, Spencer and Alexandra get married, and she, too, becomes a Dutton. The lineage grows as viewers expect to see when the direct ancestors of John Dutton III (Kevin Costner) from Yellowstone will come into the storyline. It’s very easy to get immersed in the world, acting as if the Duttons are real people and their family tree is a legitimate research topic. The Yellowstone universe gave viewers some melodrama, some action, and even thrills, showing Sheridan’s got the chops to make us cry, laugh, and wince, all while rooting for our favorites. Season two was much darker and ended with some major deaths in the season finale; some are forgivable, but others are grounds for serious offenses. Here’s every major death in the 1923 finale.

4Jack Dutton (Darren Mann)

Died Trying to Be a Dutton Worthy of Remembering

Darren Mann spoke about his character’s untimely death, saying he was “pissed off” about Jack’s death. Really, a lot of us were. His character was meant to represent the future, but as far as the Dutton family goes, their lineage isn’t exactly without tragedy and sacrifices. Jack’s father, John (James Badge Dale), dies in the first episode of the show, and since Jack was his only child, all that’s left is to see if Elizabeth gives birth and continues their lineage. That’s one unanswered question about the show: whether Elizabeth is still pregnant and if she will allow her child to meet and learn about the Duttons. There’s no doubt Sheridan thought of that, too, when he wrote the family lore. Maybe if the upcoming Yellowstone spin-off, 1944, shows Spencer Dutton, Jack’s lineage could be mentioned. Jack is the obvious telling of the luck and inevitability of the Duttons’ lifestyle—luck often runs out, and armed confrontations are never victimless; this time, it was the one Dutton that was meant to keep the family going.

Died Trying to Do the Right Thing

While Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) was an antagonist throughout the two seasons of 1923, he came around in the season finale after witnessing yet another sick and twisted adventure of Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton). After selling out to work for Whitfield, there’s no doubt fans wanted to see Banner dead at the end of the show. In many ways, the storyline’s progression would’ve never allowed him to stay alive in the first place. While Banner’s intentions become clearer in season 2, and the character gets a redemption arc, we realize that the biggest enemy of both Banner and the Duttons is greed and early capitalism, which Whitfield represents. In his last attempt to do the right thing, Banner’s intentions are mistaken and Sheriff McDowell (Robert Patrick) shoots him while he’s wounded.

2Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton)

Died a Deserving, Though Quick, Death

Donald Whitfield was indeed 1923‘s biggest and most menacing antagonist, so him dying was the best part of the episode, as cruel as that might sound. When Spencer arrives at his home to avenge Alexandra and everyone who had to die in Whitfield’s name, he doesn’t wait for a grand speech from the evil mastermind, nor does he offer him a chance to say his peace. Instead, Spencer barges in and shoots, killing Whitfield at the very dining table where he previously abused and violated a kidnapped woman. Spencer lets her go and kills Whitfield’s psychopathic girlfriend and former victim, Lindy (Madison Elise Rogers). In many ways, Whitfield’s quick death was as satisfying as it wasn’t. Maybe Spencer could’ve let him suffer a bit, just as payback for how much he made others suffer. His need to control and manipulate could’ve been addressed in his final moments to show that it doesn’t pay off, and it never will; however, Spencer isn’t a man like that. He resolves to take vengeance and does it without asking questions, trusting his family’s judgment of someone and deciding they’re the Duttons’ enemy.

1Alexandra Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer)

Lived and Died on Her Own Terms