Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel series, 1923, recently completed the back half of its run with the just-finished-streaming second season.

This review contains spoilers for 1923.

I was a bit late to watching 1923 this season but my viewing was better late than never. Last week became something of a just-one-more-episode problem as I wanted to be fully caught up ahead of Sunday’s supersized series finale. As hopeful as I was to see a season 3, I found the series finale to be a satisfactory conclusion. The only downside is that unless Brendan Sklenar is invited back for 1944, we’re likely done with these characters. As for Harrison Ford, he’s fine in the series but he delivered his best work of the 2024-25 TV season in Shrinking.

Much like other series, season 2 was delayed in its return because of 2023’s double strikes. Series creator Taylor Sheridan also had to finish work on the fifth and final season of Yellowstone. Eight episodes is a pretty short run but it’s long enough to keep fans engaged, even if you find yourself wanting more at the conclusion. Next up is the Michelle Pfeiffer-starring spinoff series, The Madison.

Season 2 had a lot going for it as it had to tie up lose ends. Going into the final episode, there was no way of knowing if Spencer (Brendan Sklenar) and Alexandra Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer) would ever reunite. You have to feel for Alexandra with everything she went through after they were separated: a medically invasive examination, robbery, sexual assault, cancelled train, and nearly froze to death before the train passed by the vehicle. If not for a pair of British socialites–who sadly met their doom in the cold–she wouldn’t have made it that far.

The biggest mystery that 1923 had going for it was figuring out the parents of John Dutton II, the father of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III in Yellowstone. It’s currently assumed, on the basis of the final episode, that Spencer and Alexandra are John Dutton II’s parents. But at the same time, Jack Dutton’s fiancé, Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph), was pregnant as the series came to a conclusion. To my understanding, she never took the Dutton name as she left the ranch to go east. Elsa’s (Isabel May) narration never gives audiences any idea as to the name of her child.

Winter was not easy on the Dutton family. In addition to waiting for Spencer to finally come home, they still had to deal with business tycoon Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton). Whitfield is something of a sadist when he isn’t publicly dealing with his business operations. In any event, Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) is still working for him behind the scenes, until he decides he wants out of Montana. Whitfield gets what is coming to him, but not until after Alexandra dies.

The other 1923 storyline that had to be resolved was Teonna Rainwater’s (Aminah Nieves) arc. Her arc mostly came to a conclusion in the penultimate episode with Marshal Nathan Kent (Jamie McShane) and Father Jacques Renaud (Sebastian Roché) meeting their end. The only thing left was for Marshal Mamie Fossett (Jennifer Carpenter) to bring Teonna into custody. Ultimately, the case was dismissed and she was free to go. But at the same time, it’s a bittersweet ending because her father, Runs His Horse (Michael Spears), and boyfriend, Pete Plenty Clouds (Jeremy Gauna), were both murdered at the hands of Marshal Kent and the priest.

One doesn’t necessarily need to be a Yellowstone viewer to watch 1923. Obviously, having some familiarity would help. The big major requirement going into the series is watching 1883. The only major downside to my enjoyment of season 2 were seeing some of the unforeseen losses begin to pile up.

The back half of 1923 offers a satisfying conclusion to the story that began in the first season.

CREATOR/SHOWRUNNER/WRITER: Taylor Sheridan
DIRECTOR: Ben Richardson
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Taylor Sheridan, David C. Glasser, John Linson, Art Linson, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob Yari, Ben Richardson, Michael Friedman, Keith Cox
CAST: Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Brandon Sklenar, Julia Schlaepfer, Jerome Flynn, Darren Mann, Isabel May, Brian Geraghty, Aminah Nieves, Michelle Randolph, Sebastian Roché, Timothy Dalton, Jennifer Carpenter

All episodes of 1923 Season 2 are now streaming on Paramount+. Grade: 4/5

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