After “1883,” the first prequel of the “Yellowstone” saga, the second prequel series “1923” began with the Duttons owning land that went on to become a ranch; “1923” is a continuation of the Dutton family saga, which is now going through a different era where there are wars and new inventions that will change the course of the lives of the ranchmen living on their hard-earned land. The show so far is highly accurate about the lives of men and women who were going through turmoil after turmoil. The show is set at a time when the Great War (First World War) had ended, and the men had returned from Europe, except for one member of the Dutton family who chose to stay away from the politics of the ranch. The first four episodes jumped right into the conflicts and how the Dutton family planned to retaliate. They were fast-paced and quick to comprehend, knowing the dynamics the family members have with each other and their rivals.
Spoilers Ahead
The Dutton Saga Continues
The show began with Elsa Dutton’s voiceover, letting the viewer know of the history of violence that has followed the Dutton family right from Europe to America. Jacob Dutton and Cara Dutton are the important figures that run their ranch, where they take care of livestock, which has been their bread and butter for decades. The couple took over the ranch from Jacob’s brother James Dutton and has taken care of James’s children, John and Spencer, ever since. Spencer served in the Great War, but he did not return to the ranch in Montana after the war got over. He has spent years dealing with the trauma of witnessing the war by indulging in drinking and taking up assignments to kill wild animals across Africa. Spencer is going through a classic case of PTSD, but this is set in a time when there was no concept of dealing with mental health issues. Jacob and Cara, on the other hand, are taking care of the ranch, helping Jacob’s nephew John Sr. and his son Jack, and prepping them to take care of the ranch in case Spencer does not show up. There is an attack of the locusts that are messing with not just livestock grazing but also the sheep, which are taken care of by sheepherders. The sheepherders’ group, headed by Banner Creighton, is being accused of taking over the land meant for the grazing of the ranchmen’s cattle.
Banner cries for help because the locusts have ruined their sheep’s source of food. Jacob is the head of the ranch in the town and forces Banner Creighton not to graze on their lands. This forms friction between both parties. Banner initially does not heed the judgment made by Jacob. Banner takes it upon himself to take their sheep to the lands owned by the ranchmen, and that’s where everything goes south. Jack Dutton was injured on the way to take their livestock grazing, which soured the relationship further between the ranchmen and the sheepherders, forcing Jacob to sentence them to death without any fair trial. Banner takes this as a sign of aggression and a declaration of war and forms a foolproof revenge plan of sabotaging Jacob Dutton and his family. Banner and his men ambush the Dutton family on their way back to the ranch from the town, and unfortunately, there is a major casualty in the Dutton family. Cara has no choice left but to ask Spencer to come back and take over the ranch. Meanwhile, Cara is asked to take over the duties of the ranch and the committee in the town, as instructed by Jacob. She takes up the opportunity to introduce a police force that would help ranchmen to catch hold of thieves who ransack their properties. Banner, on the other hand, was convinced of Jacob’s death when he approached a businessman to fund his war. In return, once the Dutton’s are destroyed, Banner promises to approve the mining of gold, silver, and other metals on the Dutton land. But now Banner wonders if Jacob is dead or not; he is taken aback by Clare’s claims of Jacob being out of town, and he is worried that if Jacob is indeed alive, the businessmen will destroy Banner and his family. Banner, on the other hand, has also never heard or dealt with Spencer, Jacob’s nephew. The first four episodes set the premise right for the next half of the season. The camaraderie, love, rivalry, and adventure—these emotions are captured accurately by Taylor Sheridan.
Spencer Dutton In Africa
Meanwhile, Spencer spends most of his time hunting and killing animals that have gone rogue, as per the work given to him by any white gentleman working in Africa. Spencer travels from one country to another with his native assistants, helping them to understand the nature of the animals and the surroundings per se. During one of his stays, he runs into Alexandra, a British woman, the daughter of a rich Britisher visiting Africa. Alexandra and Spencer are drawn to each other for their love of adventure. Though Spencer is not sure of the future they have together, Alexandra makes it clear she wants to spend her life from now on with him, sealing their love. Though Alexandra underestimates the danger Spencer faces when he takes up the assignments, a close brush with death makes Spencer also realize that chasing danger is not as exhilarating anymore since he has someone he loves right beside him. Alexandra ends up being a good influence on Spencer, for he finally ends up reading all the letters his aunt Cara sent to him. He had refused to read those letters because he believed they only gave him false hopes and reality is far away from the hopes one creates in their mind. However, the last letter made him change his mind about his life from there on. As Cara mentions the death of his brother John and the fatal injury of his uncle Jacob and nephew Jack, Spencer, and Alexandra decide to pack bags and leave for Montana. Spencer is the kind of person who would prefer to stay away from the politics of the ranch and live in reality. Kind of like the Michael Corleone situation from the “Godfather” series, but when time comes, he has no option but to step up and be there for his family. That’s what Spencer does, and Alexandra encourages him to do the same.
Theories And Expectations From Episode 5 Of ‘1923’
Spencer will be out of Africa in no time, but on reaching Montana, he will have a hard time getting a grip on the whereabouts of the ranch. Since he has been away from the property for years, Spencer will probably come up with radical ideas to make sure their ranch is not harmed further. Alexandra, on the other hand, as supportive as she is, will surely find it difficult to adjust to farm life, which is quite different from the aristocratic life she had led in England. Cara, on the other hand, will be happy to have Spencer back, and will surely support his expeditions, understand his problems, and encourage him to do the right thing for the ranch. It will be interesting to know how exactly Spencer will take things from here.
