With its return earlier this week after a midseason hiatus, we can say with certainty that 1923 is officially better than its parent show. With an incredible cast, great characters, and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, 1923 has taken the best of Yellowstone and brought it to a new level of entertainment.
Yellowstone introduced audiences to the complex and brutal lives of the Dutton family nearly five years ago. Since then, we have seen the current patriarch, John Dutton (Kevin Costner) fight alongside and against his children with a group of lovable cowboy henchmen to protect their sprawling cattle ranch from greedy outsiders, land development, and even their own scheming family members. The murderous lengths they go to in order to safeguard their family legacy have provided a captivating glimpse into the lives of a family struggling to shield what they love from change and the greed of the modern world.
However, one can't help but wonder how these twisted familial bonds and outright cruelty have come about in such gruesome ways for the current generation. The first Yellowstone prequel, 1883, showed fans the founding generation of the Dutton Ranch as its fiery young protagonist (Isabel May) leads her family along the Oregon Trail in search of a new start. Their bloodstained and tragic journey revealed the first time the Duttons had to do whatever it takes to protect their own and forge a new life in the crucible of Western Expansion and the perils of life on the frontier.
What Makes '1923' So Great?
The setting of 1923 takes us 40 years closer to the Duttons we know and love, as the Yellowstone Ranch has been established and new enemies come to take what they have built. The first thing that piques your interest when watching is the immaculate performances of Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford as Cara and Jacob, the current heads of the Dutton dynasty. These seasoned actors step effortlessly into the Prohibition-era chaos of the American Midwest and embody rich characters without skipping a beat.
Mirren shines especially bright as a powerful feminine figure that steps up to lead the coming war in the wake of a tragic attack on her family. As Cara Dutton, she is poised to play a central role in the conflict that is sure to come in the second half of the season, as she has appointed herself to local regimes in her husband Jacob's stead and called upon her estranged son to return home and help her protect the ranch.
1923 has raised the stakes in a way we haven't seen in Yellowstone with the attack on its leading family. In the original series, John recovers from a similar shooting through a time jump, but here characters are left in the lurch as the patriarch is bedridden just as conflict arises, leaving Cara to take charge and defend the ranch while the wealthy Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) teams up with Creighton (Jerome Flynn) with seeming intentions to lead a coup in the valley. It is refreshing to see a powerful matriarch take center stage in the Western genre while providing a fascinating foil to the strong but cruel Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) we see in Yellowstone.
'1923's Storylines Travel Far Beyond the Yellowstone Ranch
One of the most interesting storylines of this season has taken fans far beyond the scope of the ranch, as we follow Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) and his fiancé, Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer), on their travels through Africa. This plotline takes the franchise into new territory as we discover what life outside the Yellowstone was like in that era. It also brings a heightened sense of action to the series, introducing foes more dangerous than anything we have seen on the ranch as they battle lions, elephants, and more in their fight for survival. Perhaps the most perilous circumstances we've seen a Dutton encounter came about at the end of this week's episode as Spencer and Alexandra's tugboat was capsized by an enormous ghost ship, leaving their fate hanging in the balance. If Spencer does manage to make it home, he certainly won't find life on the ranch any less dangerous, as a battle for the future of Yellowstone seems imminent.
Another new dimension 1923 adds to the Yellowstone lore is a subplot centered around the experiences of a young Indigenous woman, Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), who is held captive in a Catholic boarding school where she rebels against the deplorable attempts to assimilate Indigenous children into Western culture. At the end of episode five, she was finding her way home to her tribe after murdering the nuns who abused her and escaping the school with the intention to return seeking justice against Father Renaud (Sebastian Rochè). This storyline is a step towards rectifying some mistakes Yellowstone has made in the past by skirting around the realities of the historical context that forms the premise of the show. While still giving viewers plenty of Dutton drama, 1923 makes an effort to shed light on an important and often unacknowledged part of American history, giving a larger focus and more depth to Indigenous characters in the franchise.
Where Can '1923' Go From Here?
While it seems Jacob narrowly survived his close encounter with death, there are still plenty of conflicts brewing, with Spencer lost at sea, Teonna traveling through the wilderness and Father Renaud beginning his quest for vengeance. Perhaps the most exciting thing is the confirmation of a second season! Unlike 1883, the season finale will not be the last we see of this incarnation of the Dutton family, opening up even more potential for 1923 to overshadow Yellowstone as it continues to grow in the coming years.
With only a few episodes left, it seems unlikely that all of these conflicts will be resolved by the end of the season, leaving the door open for the conflict to build into something that could unfold over the course of years. Whatever lies in store for the second half of the season and seasons to come, we expect it will continue to build on the incredible foundation it has laid so far.