In a twist that has sent Yellowstone fans into full-blown meltdown mode, Taylor Sheridan’s latest tease about the upcoming prequel Yellowstone: 1944 has unexpectedly dragged one of the franchise’s most controversial story decisions back into the spotlight—the tragic fate of Alexandra, the ill-fated wife of Spencer Dutton in 1923.

And if online reaction is anything to go by, Sheridan has just reopened a wound fans were barely starting to heal.

According to insiders and long-circulating fan chatter, Sheridan suggested that the franchise’s newest chapter would “recontextualize” Alex’s de@th—an off-screen, unexplained twist that still enrages viewers more than a year after the finale aired. But instead of offering closure, this hint has only convinced fans that Alex’s demise wasn’t simply a narrative misstep… it was a franchise-altering mistake, one they say hits even harder than Kevin Costner’s exit from the flagship series.

And that’s saying something.

THE MISTAKE THAT WON’T DIE

For many, Alex’s storyline had all the makings of a classic Sheridan romance: sweeping landscapes, star-crossed lovers, and the promise of a legacy that would ripple through generations. So when her character was suddenly written out—quietly, abruptly, and without the mythic weight Sheridan usually gives his tragic heroines—fans were left stunned.

The Dutton dynasty, after all, is built on blood, sacrifice, and hard-won love. But Alex’s exit broke that pattern in a way that, to critics, felt both narratively jarring and emotionally incomplete.

So when Sheridan hinted that 1944 may draw a direct line from Alex’s de@th to the turmoil that defines mid-century Montana, longtime viewers didn’t breathe a sigh of relief—they groaned.

“Her de@th wasn’t for no reason,” Sheridan reportedly suggested, implying the fate of Spencer’s great-great-grandchildren will somehow connect to that single moment of loss.

But instead of smoothing over the controversy, the implication that Alex’s tragedy is a mere stepping stone in a larger plot has reignited the debate:

Was the franchise robbed of one of its strongest heroines for the sake of a twist Sheridan hadn’t fully planned?

FANS CALL IT “A WASTE,” “A MISFIRE,” AND “THE REAL BIG MISTAKE”—BIGGER THAN COSTNER’S EXIT

Comparisons to Kevin Costner’s departure were inevitable. His exit fractured the main show’s structure, cut short major arcs, and left Season 5 in an awkward limbo. But many fans insist that at least there, the chaos came from behind-the-scenes realities.

Alex’s fate?
That, they argue, was avoidable.

Viewers hoped 1923 would mark a pivot—a love story so powerful it would echo through the family’s entire history. Instead, it became the franchise’s most divisive storytelling gamble.

And now, with 1944 looming, Sheridan’s suggestion that Alex’s de@th fuels future drama feels less like payoff and more like salt in a still-fresh wound.

SHERIDAN’S NEXT MOVE COULD MAKE OR BREAK THE PREQUELS

Whether 1944 can deliver a justification strong enough to redeem Alex’s ending remains the burning question. Sheridan thrives on long-form storytelling, but fans are demanding more than hints—they want meaning, justice, and a sense that Alex’s sacrifice truly mattered.

Because right now, many believe the franchise didn’t just lose a character.
It lost a legacy.

And that, fans claim, may be the biggest Dutton mistake yet.