[SPOILER]'s '1923' Death Speaks to the Brutality of the World of the Show

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the series finale of 1923.

Anyone who has ever watched a show set in the universe of Yellowstone likely knows that the world of the show is no stranger to death. Characters die all the time on Yellowstone and its various prequels, and unfortunately, it turns out that 1923 is not immune to that trend.

In the series finale, Alex, the wife of Spencer Dutton, who has been separated from him all season, succumbs to the harsh conditions of the Wyoming wilderness. Now that fans know she died, many are wondering why the show made the choice to kill her. Here's what we know:

Taylor Sheridan, the showrunner of 1923, has yet to weigh in on why Alex had to die, but Julia Schlaepfer has suggested that her character's death has a deeper meaning.

"I think she knows what the reality of her situation is. And I think also she makes a choice, you know? She makes a choice for her family and for her baby," she told People. "And she's going to spend the remaining minutes, seconds, hours of her life that she has making sure her baby stays alive, even if that means she doesn't."

Julia added that her character's death reinforces just how "brutal" this world can be, a reflection of the realities of living 100 years ago.

"I know people are going to be so upset because she does suffer so much," she added. "But you know, I think her ultimate sacrifice at the end, in giving her life, just shows how strong she is. And you know, it's such a testament to who she is."

Her death might not sit well with some fans, especially after she spent so much of the season traveling across the country to get back to her husband, but it seems like that might have been part of the point.

Life can be arbitrary and capricious, and especially in the world of Yellowstone, there are simply characters who aren't going to get everything that they deserve, just as is the case in life.

Even before the first season was shot, Julia told People that she had a sneaking suspicion her character wasn't going to make it out of the series alive.

"Before we started filming season 1, when Taylor [Sheridan] took us to dinner, I literally sat next to him and I was like, 'I'm dying, aren't I?' Like, 'I'm going to die,'" she recalled.

"I don't know yet. You might not. I don't know," she recalls Taylor saying. "I think he did have a couple different versions in his head. No one knew. No one knew for sure. I don't even think he did for a long time."

Ultimately, though, Julia's instincts were exactly right. Thankfully, she made it all the way to the series finale before it happened.