Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for 1923 Episode 4.The midseason finale of 1923 found the Duttons reeling in the wake of the ambush that left Jacob (Harrison Ford) at death’s doorstep. While the most intense action was contained in Episode 3, however, Episode 4 seems to have served as a catalyst, ratcheting up the tension for the rest of the series. Banner (Jerome Flynn) approaches Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) and the two strike a deal that promises to bring war upon the Dutton ranch; Cara (Helen Mirren) steps up into Jacob’s role, cleverly playing for time, but can clearly only delay for so long before things fall apart; Teonna (Aminah Nieves) finally reaches her breaking point and makes an escape from the school, but is almost certain to be pursued by those she was fleeing.
All the developments in Episode 4 promise dramatic complications in the second half of the season: how will Cara be able to fend off Banner’s attempts to take the ranch? Will Jacob survive? If he does, will he recover in time to be of any help? Will Teonna escape, or will the school’s administrators catch up to her? These lingering questions hang over the story, and no doubt the resolution to these questions will be a key part of the drama of the rest of the series.
'1923's Biggest Twist of All Happens in Episode 4
The biggest twist of all, though, comes at the very end of the episode, just in time for audiences to mull over its implications in the month-long midseason break. After the countless letters Cara has written, the audience finally finds that Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) hasn’t read any of them for years. When Alex (Julia Schlaepfer) finally convinces him to actually read them, it proves to be a cathartic moment for him, particularly as the two of them laugh, cry, and relive all the joys and sorrows of the Duttons over the preceding years.
When they finally reach the last letter, however, there is a rude awakening for both Spencer and the audience as a whole. While Spencer is finally aware of the desperate situation of his family at home, Alex also reveals that the letter had been written three months before. While Cara wrote the letter at the end of Episode 3 and events at the ranch proceeded directly afterward, the disconnect between the “Africa” storyline and the one at the Dutton ranch suddenly became apparent. The two timelines were not simultaneous, but were actually happening several months apart.
What Does Episode 4's Twist Mean for the Rest of the Season?
What this means for 1923 is of course both complicated and winds the tension up even further than it was already. The choice of staggered timelines is an interesting one, as it places emphasis on an aspect of life that stands in contrast to 21st-century instant-messaging existence. When news travels at the speed of a letter from Montana to Africa, the audience is effectively put in the same position as Spencer by the offset timelines, finding out about the tragic events months after they actually happened.
Of course, the most obvious repercussion of this reveal is that the audience has no idea what has happened to the Dutton homestead in the intervening months. Even if Spencer rushes home the moment he finishes the letter, there is no telling what will have happened by the time he actually gets there. The separation of the two timelines further intensifies the drama around Cara, Jacob, and the Banner/Whitfield alliance, as well. The audience is left to ponder what may already have happened at home by the time Spencer finally read the letter in the first place.
A related question also crops up because of this: will the two timelines ever even meet? While Spencer will presumably attempt to get home as quickly as he can, there are clearly a lot of problems that the ranch will have to face if it is going to survive the months in between. As a consequence, will Spencer return in a blaze of fiery vengeance in a climactic season finale? Or will he return only to find the homestead deserted and overrun?
Episode 4's Twist Could Also Provide Some Answers About Spencer's Storyline
But perhaps most importantly, this ending twist potentially provides clarity on a problem that has vexed some viewers from the very beginning of the series. In the first two episodes, when Spencer was hunting dangerous predators, there was a strangely unexplained sequence in which he was surprised by the fact that he was dealing not with one, but two mating leopards. After he barely survived, he confronted the safari leader about why he was not told about the other leopard. The strangest turn was that Holland (Nick Boraine) seemed to actually know about the other leopard, but had kept the information from him. While that omission was never ultimately explained, the offset timeline might just provide the answer.
When Cara sends word to Spencer, she insists on a letter rather than a telegram because, while a wire would be faster, it would mean that anyone and everyone would be aware of the dire situation of the Duttons. A letter, while slower, would provide more secrecy. At the end of Episode 4, however, she makes a reference to her “other” nephew to Banner as a kind of veiled threat. As Banner has just made an alliance with the much more rich and powerful Donald Whitfield, that may not have been the wisest move on Cara’s part.
A tantalizing sequence of events suggests itself here. While not a guarantee by any means, it might explain the strange sense that somebody had it in for Spencer at the beginning of the series. As revealed at the end of Episode 4, some of the events of the earlier episodes actually happened much later than was originally thought. In this case, something like this may have happened: while Cara’s letter is in transit to Africa, Banner eventually finds out who her “other nephew” is. Using his contacts with Whitfield, they do send a wire overseas and, after locating Spencer, attempt to arrange an accident that will cost him his life, using Whitfield’s international connections.
It is, of course, no guarantee, but presents a plausible explanation for the strange and unexplained disaster that almost killed Spencer earlier in the show. Whether this is actually revealed to be the case will have to wait for the second half of 1923's first season, but there have been hints throughout the story so far that something sinister has been going on behind the scenes; this just might be it.
1923 will return in early February 2023.