1923’s second episode was its most romantic yet: Alexandra, a rich, young British woman who’d realized she didn’t want to marry the man her father had chosen, decided to blow up her life and run away with Spencer Dutton, whom she’d met — and generated serious sparks with — just a day or so before. Her willingness to leave everything behind surprised even Spencer, who’d been ready to leave for his next big-game-killing assignment alone. (Read a full recap.)
We took an immediate liking to Alex, portrayed by Julia Schlaepfer, and with how she and Brandon Sklenar’s Spencer play off each other. We’re glad that she’s sticking around. But given what we know of the Dutton family — and this Dutton man, in particular — I feel it’s only fair that I give Alex a friendly heads-up about what she might be getting herself into. Y’know, gal to gal.
Ahead of the Paramount+ drama’s new episode Sunday, scroll down for my advice for 1923’s latest lady.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+ Dear Alex —
(May I call you Alex?) So you’re picturing a happily ever after with the tall drink of bourbon known as Spencer Dutton, eh?
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+ I get it. He’s interesting. He seems smart. He’s lived life. He takes you seriously.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+ Then there are his God-given… survival talents. Yes, that’s what I was going to say.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+ But what comes off as “tortured and merely in need of the love of the right woman” at first might start to seem like “emotionally unavailable and requiring serious trauma therapy” when you’re in Year 2 of your shared Spending Every Night in a Tent Circled by Apex Predators era.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+ (On a related note: Careful when you wake him. There’s a train conductor in Nairobi who could tell you quite the cautionary tale.)
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+ Look, I’m not saying it absolutely won’t work between you two. You seem great, and up for an adventure, and — most importantly — immune to being intimidated by Spencer’s reticent nature and/or his status as a celebrated war hero. And he seems like a good, if hurting, egg. Plus, there were a few moments between the two of you in Episode 2 that were straight-up hot.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+ It’s just that the last pretty blonde in Spencer’s immediate vicinity didn’t fare so well. (R.I.P., Leopard Lady.) And while Dutton is an in-demand hunter, he also can’t be everywhere at once. (R.I.P., Kagiso.) So, uh, just keep your head on a swivel out there.
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+ All of this sounds harsh, but I don’t mean it to. I’m rooting for you, with your plucky spirit and your conviction to walk away from a life that wasn’t making you happy. That takes guts!
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+ … Which is fortuitous, because if everything goes well and Spencer ever returns to Montana to introduce you to his family, guts will come in very handy when you meet this woman. (Honestly, the murderous leopards might be a little less scary.) Good luck!