Elizabeth Dutton neé Strafford, beautifully brought to life by 1923 star Michelle Randolph, has endured immense challenges on the ranch. From the passing of her father and her mother’s abandonment to suffering a tragic miscarriage, enduring a harsh Montana winter, and being bitten by a rabid wolf, Elizabeth’s journey from a naive young woman sacrificing everything to wed Jack Dutton (Darren Mann) has been tumultuous. Yet, it seems that love in the West is often accompanied by heartbreak.

Upon Spencer Dutton’s (Brandon Sklenar) return from defeating Donald Whitfield’s (Timothy Dalton) army, Elizabeth is the sole person to notice Jack’s absence from Spencer’s group. “When I received the scripts, I was in denial for a time,” Randolph admitted upon discovering Jack’s fate. “It’s incredibly shocking and sorrowful.” Nonetheless, once a Dutton, always a Dutton. With newfound strength and resilience, Elizabeth chooses to leave the ranch for Boston. “[She needs to] escape from the place where everyone she cherishes has perished,” Randolph explained.



Moreover, Randolph isn’t merely considering her own well-being but that of her unborn child. Although the finale doesn’t fully clarify it, Elizabeth remains pregnant with her and Jack’s child by the season’s end. Randolph expressed that it’s challenging to discern the pregnancy in Elizabeth’s final scenes due to her character being bundled up for warmth. “It just seems like I’m hugging myself because I’m cold, not cradling my baby,” Randolph said with a note of wistfulness.

So, is this the last fans will see of Elizabeth? It feels unlikely with Taylor Sheridan‘s previously announced 1944 on the horizon. That series will follow the next generation of Duttons during the height of World War II and will reveal how the political and economic circumstances will affect them and the ranch. Randolph will no doubt be busy at work on Landman Season 2, which just started production, but we have a feeling that if Sheridan calls upon her to revisit her role as Elizabeth, she’ll answer. 


Randolph hopped on line with DECIDER during a virtual press day to speak about Elizabeth’s fate, the final conversation between Elizabeth and Cara (Helen Mirren), and the advice Mirren gave her that she will keep with her for the rest of her acting career.

DECIDER: I was devastated when Jack dies just yards away from the Dutton ranch. What was your reaction to finding out his fate?

MICHELLE RANDOLPH: When I got the scripts, I was in denial for a while. I was breezing through them because I wanted to get a sense of the overall story. I came across that scene, and I was just like, “hold on. Is he gone for good? Is Taylor gonna bring him back as a ghost? Like, there’s just no way he goes out like this.” It’s so shocking and sad. The whole time on set, I would just say to Darren, “I can’t believe you die.”

I love that Elizabeth helped to protect the Yellowstone and save Zane. How long did the shoot-out at the Dutton ranch take to film? What was it like to take part in the action?

That was one of the more exciting days on set because Spencer walked through the doors—which was very exciting—and I got to witness it. It’s fun to shoot action sequences. It breaks things up a bit. We shot it over a few days. I’m just happy Elizabeth got to have a moment of strength. She had the option to go downstairs and hide, yet she chose to stay and fight.

It was really gratifying to see as an Elizabeth fan.

Thank you [laughs]. And she did it all while wearing pink!

I loved the Season 2 finale, but I wish we would have seen Elizabeth get confirmation of Jack’s death. Did you talk with Ben Richardson about what that moment would have been like for Elizabeth?

In the chaos of the situation, there are so many possibilities until they find the body. Elizabeth’s mind is racing. Her worst nightmare has come true. Ben and I never really had a conversation about what that looked like because Elizabeth just knows in her bones that he’s gone after he’s nowhere to be found. I really wish there was a moment where we could have seen Elizabeth and Jack together and happy one last time.

I talked to Darren the other week, and he was sad their last encounter was a half-hug and a normal goodbye.

That’s also how it happens in real life. You don’t always know the last time you’re gonna see someone, but yeah, I wish they had a special goodbye.

I know you and Darren are old friends—you two go back to House of The Witch! What was it like to have him play Jack to your Elizabeth?

I was so happy it was him because I was nervous about starting the project. It was just a lot. Darren was such a comfort to me. He’s such a great friend. We knew we had chemistry already. It just made everything easier.

Do you think Elizabeth could have made a home with the Duttons without Jack? Or was he the only thing keeping her there?

I go back and forth on that. I see a world where she could have figured it out on the ranch, especially after everything that they had just gone through. She finds comfort in Cara because Cara knows what she’s been through. Nobody on the east coast will understand everything she just experienced. There’s loneliness that comes with that. However, from the beginning, Elizabeth has felt that staying on the ranch means she will die. She just wants to protect her baby and get out of the place where everyone she loves has died.

So, Elizabeth is still pregnant with Jack’s child as she leaves for Boston?

Yes, she’s still pregnant. When we were filming Elizabeth’s last moments on the ranch, I tried to put my hands on my stomach, but it was so cold out [laughs]. It just looks like I’m holding myself because I’m freezing, not that I’m holding my baby.

That final conversation between Cara and Elizabeth really stayed with me. I think it was a bit unfair of Cara to say that Elizabeth will love only the “memories” of Jack and not Jack himself. Do you think she was trying to help Elizabeth move on?

I had the same impression when I first read it. I was like, “God, that’s harsh after all that they’ve been through together.” However, since working through the scene with Helen and our director Ben to figure out what we wanted the dynamic to be between Cara and Elizabeth, I see it differently. Cara is trying to make sure Elizabeth doesn’t go home with guilt. She wants Elizabeth to allow herself to move on and not live in a dark place given everything that’s happened to her.

Throughout these two seasons, Cara has constantly helped Elizabeth and given her the tough love she’s needed to survive. I don’t think that Elizabeth or Cara really believes what Cara’s saying. I think it’s their way of saying, “let’s not be sad right now. We’ve had too much of that. There is a hope for the future.” They have been through enough together.

That makes me feel much better. Was that the last scene you filmed with Helen this season?

No, thank goodness. I wouldn’t have been able to get through the scene if that was the last moment I filmed with Helen. It was Elizabeth’s last scene, and I was already emotional enough.

What will you take from your time with Helen going forward in your career?

You shared so many special moments together as Cara and Elizabeth. I remember in Season 1, I had a scene where I was just overthinking everything. After we wrapped, I felt like I could have done so many things differently. Helen said to me, “you’ll feel like this for the rest of your career if you care, and you have to let it go after the take is over.” I’ve really taken that with me. I can’t go home and torture myself and think about the day’s work. I just have to let go.

You can take that lesson on to Landman Season 2, which just started production. 


Oh, I have to [laughs]. Every day, I have to think about that piece of advice. Like, “no, leave it at work. It’ done.”