Is Alex Dead in 1923? Is Julia Schlaepfer Leaving the Show?

It feels like every character in 1923 is going through some sort of adversity and very dark times, but probably none are having it harder than Spencer and Alexandra at the moment. At the end of Episode 5, their fate is left unanswered as they get into a boat accident, and the episode ends with them virtually drowning. So, is Alex dead in 1923? Is Julia Schlaepfer leaving the show?

Although it looks like death by drowning was inevitable for Alex at the end of 1923 Episode 5, both she and Spencer will survive the situation and continue appearing in the show. Julia Schlaepfer is credited for eight episodes, and both actors talked about their characters arriving in Montana.

Their journey will be perilous and, as we learn, it won’t get any easier, even after this near-death experience at sea. Still, the couple is destined to complete the trip to the Yellowstone ranch – and it seems that Alex will get along great with another strong Dutton woman. Let’s dive into this topic a bit more and explain why Julia Schlaepfer isn’t leaving 1923 any time soon.

What happens to Alex in 1923?

Julia Schlaepfer’s character in 1923, Alexandra, has already gone through a lot of stuff, even though she appeared in the second episode of the first season, and we’re only five episodes into the show overall. Seeing we went through a short midseason hiatus, let’s refresh our memories about who Alex is and what her journey has looked like so far.

Alexandra is the daughter of a wealthy, powerful English aristocrat who was the heiress to her family’s great fortune. When we first met the character, Alex was betrothed and engaged to a man she didn’t love. Had she gone through with the wedding, however, she would inherit everything that her rich family owned.

But Alex wasn’t about that life. If anything, it made her miserable. While in Africa on a trip with her fiance, Alex met Spencer Dutton – a former WWI soldier who was now a big game hunter. Immediately, the two hit it off, and not long after, Alexandra decides to get into the car with Spencer and leave her fiance, heirloom, and life behind to ‘stare death in the eyes’ with Spencer.

And, almost immediately, she got a taste of what it was like to live such a wild, dangerous life with Spencer. First, their car gets toppled over and trampled by an angry elephant – an encounter they barely survive. Then, a pack of hungry lions chases them up a tree – another near-death experience.

After that, Alexandra tells Spencer she never wants to feel that way again. Sure, she wanted adventure, but staring death in the eyes wasn’t as fun as she thought it would be. That’s when the couple takes a sort of vacation on the beaches of Zanzibar – which is where she reads Spencer’s letters that he received from his family but never read.

They learn that the situation at the ranch is horrible and that Spencer’s brother, John, was shot and killed while his uncle Jacob (who raised him as a son) was severely wounded. The couple decides to travel back to the United States to save the ranch and Spencer’s family, but Spencer knows how incredibly dangerous the trip back would be.

He tries to leave in the middle of the night and save Alex from the perilous journey, but she catches him in the act and says: ‘Take me now, or leave me forever.’ Luckily for fans, Spencer chooses the latter and takes Alexandra on the journey with him.

Fortunately for fans, maybe, but unfortunately for Alexandra and Spencer, as we soon learned. Once, they were on a tugboat commanded by an aging, sick captain named Lucca, and they nearly collided with a huge ghost ship in the middle of a restless sea. 

At first, Lucca’s last-second maneuver saves them, but soon after, he dies from his illness, leaving Spencer and Alex alone on the boat, with neither knowing anything about boats. They collide with a ghost ship, falling into the restless waters as the episode finishes. We have no idea if Spencer and Alex survived, but it looked like they were destined to drown.

Is Alex dead after 1923 Episode 5? Is Julia Schlaepfer leaving the show?

Episode 5 ended with us not knowing if Alex and Spencer would survive. It looked like this time, there was no way out, and their journey will be cut short in a horrifying way. But then again, there are too many hints pointing at the fact that not only Alex, but Spencer, too, will survive the ordeal.

If you were worried about Julia Schlaepfer leaving the show, you should rest assured she isn’t going anywhere – not anytime soon, that is. She is already credited with eight episodes in the show, which means she’ll appear throughout the first season. 

Now, that doesn’t really mean her character has to survive the ordeal from Episode 5, does it? Flashbacks occur in Taylor Sheridan’s shows quite often, so she could appear in the following episodes in flashback or perhaps only be mentioned, right? Well, not quite – there’s more to confirm that Alex and Spencer will complete their journey to Montana.

First, Brendan Sklenar – the actor portraying Spencer Dutton – spoke to Deadline and confirmed that their journey doesn’t ‘get easier for anybody.’ But then, when asked if Alex, played by Julia Schlaepfer, will settle in well in Montana, he said:

“She’s definitely got it in her. Cara [Helen Mirren] and her will really get along.”

That was the first clue that Alex would arrive in Montana with Spencer eventually. To add to it, Julia Schlaepfer also gave an interview about the show and hinted that Cara and Alex would love each other very much:

“Alexandra has a lot of qualities of a Dutton woman. She has that intensity, that bravery, and the grit. [That] draws Alex to Spencer so much — she embodies a Dutton woman.”

That’s all you need to know to realize that there is no way Alex is dead after 1923 Episode 5. What will happen to her by the end of 1923 Season 1, though? Let’s explore some theories.

What will happen to Alex by the end of 1923 Season 1?

I say ‘by the end of 1923 Season 1 because the show was officially renewed by Paramount for Season 2. So, what will happen to Alex, and will she still be around by the time Season 2 arrives? My money is on ‘yes’! We know that the journey will be hard, but Alex and Spencer will eventually arrive at the Yellowstone ranch to try and help save it. 

We also learned through the interviews that Alex will embody a Dutton woman perfectly and get along nicely with Cara Dutton, despite being raised in a wealthy, aristocratic environment. She’ll get a grip on what it means to be a rancher’s wife quickly.

But, once they are in Montana and the ranch is (at least temporarily) saved, what’s to come? Well, we still don’t have a clear answer on who will be the father of John Dutton II – and, essentially, the grandfather of Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone character, John Dutton III. 

Right now, it can be either Jack Dutton – the son of the deceased John Sr. and Emma Dutton, or Spencer, John Sr.’s brother. And, as things are right now, everything points to it being Jack – his spouse, Liz, is pregnant already, and they (un)officially married in the midseason premiere.

However, my guess is that there will be a big twist, that Spencer – not Jack – will be John Dutton II’s father and that Alex will be the mother. Right now, not even the cast has the answers, as Julia shared in the previously mentioned interview:

“We were like, ‘Who is it? I don’t know.’ And we would pester Taylor [Sheridan] all the time being like, ‘Taylor, it’s gotta be this, right? Because this and this and this.’ And he’d be like, ‘I don’t know. Honestly, guys, I don’t know.’ And we were like, ‘Of course, you know! You have a family tree somewhere written out.’ But I do think the show is building towards that.”

For now, the question will remain unanswered, but my bet is that Alex and Spencer will settle on the ranch and that they will eventually have a baby boy that they’ll name John Dutton II, or John Dutton Jr., named after Spencer’s deceased brother. We’ll learn more already on February 12, 2023, when episode 6 of 1923 airs exclusively on Paramount+.