Where was Spencer Dutton in 1883? Details about Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone prequel, explained 

1883 is the first of the two Yellowstone prequel shows that chronicle the life of the Dutton family before the rise of Kevin Costner's John Dutton III. The character of Spencer Dutton, played by actor Brandon Sklenar, is the youngest son of the 1883 couple James Dutton and Margaret Dutton.

As the prequel began with the Dutton family's exodus from Fort Worth and their eventual settling down at Paradise Valley, Spencer Dutton was absent from the narrative. The reason behind this is that Spencer was born after the events of 1883 concluded.

The narrative of 1883 was largely told from the perspective of James and Margaret Dutton's young daughter Elsa, as she went on her own journey of self-discovery while traveling with her family in their own version of the Oregon Trail. Elsa undeniably comprised the central force of the prequel as the show eventually came to an end following her death and James Dutton's decision to settle down at Paradise Valley, which also formed her final resting place.

Spencer Dutton was born to James and Margaret after the events of the 1883 finale and therefore was absent from the prequel show. Spencer, however, takes on an important role in the second Yellowstone prequel show, 1923, the second season of which recently premiered on Paramount+. Here's everything that we know.

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1883: Spencer Dutton's character examined in detail

Although Spencer Dutton is the son of James and Margaret Dutton, he remained absent from the Yellowstone prequel. The first time that the character made an appearance was during a flashback in the fourth season of Yellowstone when John Dutton is seen riding with his sons, along with Spencer, to deliberate with a group of Crow people. Spencer once again made an appearance on the eighth episode of Yellowstone season four and was portrayed by actor Charlie Stover.

Spencer assumed significance in the debut season of 1923, which ended with him throwing the Earl of Sussex overboard from a ship. In the premiere episode of 1923 season two, Spencer undertakes a journey to his family ranch in Montana, moving from Galveston, Texas, to the mountains on a path that had hitherto been taken by his own ancestors.

The intricate narratives of 1883 and 1923 have been so developed by creator Taylor Sheridan that Spencer never meets Elsa as the latter passes away before he is born.

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Brandon Sklenar opens up about portraying Spencer Dutton

Actor Brandon Sklenar recently spoke in an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he spoke at length about the kind of preparation he underwent to bring Spencer Dutton to life on screen. He revealed:

"When I read the episodes, I was like: Ok, I definitely want to come in physically bigger than I was last season. So I put on quite a bit of size. I called Taylor (Sheridan) and I was like, “I think I’m going to get physically way bigger for this season because I want to feel imposing and I want to feel scary and I want to feel solid. And it will kind of work, because he’s been shoveling coal for four months (on his ship)."

1883 and 1923 are exclusively available on HBO.