Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for 1923 season 2, episode 1.1923 is one of the best Western projects we have had in the past decade. Yellowstone franchise creator Taylor Sheridan is to thank for the resurgence of the genre and the first season of the spinoff series presented an exciting world full of possibilities. I loved how it took time to explore the legacy of the Duttons, including territorial fights, how they reacted to electricity and other technological advancements, and the rich Native American history. The show does not shy away from depicting the cruel things that happened back then.
Season 2 continues down that path, resuming with major storylines left unresolved in season 1 and offering new challenges born out of winter’s arrival. It is interesting to see the balance the show strikes between the peaceful and the macabre. There is room to have fun with a few characters and appreciate Montana’s gorgeous snow-covered landscapes. However, there is an inherent darkness this time around, and episode 1 depicts that all too well, though my favorite storyline of the episode was about someone operating in the darkness to help somebody else.
Spencer Dutton’s Journey To Montana Continues
Alexandra’s Own Journey Starts Elsewhere
Brandon Sklenar’s Spencer Dutton is my favorite character from 1923. Spencer’s arrival is the changing point in the Duttons’ attempts to defend themselves and keep the family ranch. Much like in season 1, the season 2 premiere once again features Spencer trying to get back home, which he does not manage to do just yet. Since there are only eight episodes in 1923 season 2, I’m afraid about how long the show will take for Spencer to finally get back.
1923 season 2’s first episode allows us to see what I feel is the best side of the character.
I want to spend time with him, Alexandra, and the rest of the Duttons together back in Montana. That said, Spencer’s journey does not ever have a dull moment. The season 2 premiere allows us to see the best side of the character. Westerns like to explore the concept of masculinity. 1923 also does this, with many characters thinking shooting around or trading blows makes them better than the rest. Despite having a solid military background, fighting well, and being built like a tank, Spencer Dutton is not like that.
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1923 season 2 continues the hard-hitting stories set up by season 1, with the Dutton family facing new challenges as Spencer must meet his destiny.
Sklenar gives him an imposing presence while also leaving room for vulnerability. Spencer is a good man on a mission. While he needs to get home, he will help everyone he can along the way. Sklenar’s character shows that two times in the episode. First, he brutally beats the man who was raping his new friend while everyone on the ship slept, and after that, he talks his friend out of dying by suicide. The action moment is what we’ve come to expect from Spencer, but the calmer one was more effective.
Spencer also fights for money to get home at the end of the episode, which adds an extended action sequence that starts the season with a bang.
Elsewhere, Alexandra comes up with a plan to escape her house arrest and journey to the United States to be reunited with Spencer. I did not expect the show to reveal she was already pregnant, but, with only so many episodes before the series wraps up for good, I can understand the desire to bring her and Spencer’s child into the story. This changes the game, and I’m excited to see how a pregnant Alex can endure what is sure to be a hard journey on her own.
The Dutton Family Faces A Lion & More
1923 Continues To Find Ways To Surprise Us
While I expected the wildlife to become more of a threat as winter approached, I was not at all anticipating a lion showing up at the Duttons’ doorstep. Not once, but twice does a mountain lion come to the ranch, and the second time, I fully anticipated that would be it for Elizabeth. Thankfully, Helen Mirren’s Cara Dutton was there to save the day, mirroring what Harrison Ford’s Jacob had done earlier, only this time, she shot and killed the lion instead of scaring it away, proving Cara can protect the ranch just as well as Jacob.
Jamie McShane’s Marshal Kent is another character who shows how the U.S. could be a very dark place during that time.
Timothy Dalton’s Donald Whitfield and his bizarre relationship with the two prostitutes that started last season continue to show how devious he is. The character might put up a posh facade, but he is cruel under it all. Jamie McShane’s Marshal Kent is another character who shows how the U.S. could be a very dark place during that time. Kent has no qualms about killing Native Americans in his search for Teonna. In fact, he relishes doing so. With Spencer’s story about finding light in the dark, he truly seems like the savior 1923 season 2 needs.
1923 season 2 will stream on Paramount+ weekly every Sunday.
1923
9/10
- Spencer Dutton’s journey is nuanced and makes the character interesting
- Winter affects the Dutton ranch in surprising ways
