Along with new teasers and photos, here's a refresher on how Taylor Sheridan concluded the first season of his 1923 Dutton family western series also starring Brandon Sklenar and Aminah Nieves.
The two teasers released for 1923 season two show Spencer Dutton (Sklenar) trying to convey the urgency of returning to his family in Montana as everyone he left behind is under attack, including Spencer's uncle Jacob Dutton (Ford) says in the footage.
For a refresher (warning: spoilers from both 1883 and 1923 ahead...), the second prequel series of Yellowstone (2018) followed the next generation of Duttons after the events of the first prequel series 1883.
With 1923, Sheridan traced the Dutton family tree back to Jacob and Cara Dutton, played by Ford and Mirren, the aunt and uncle of Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) – who heartbreakingly died in late 1883 – John Dutton Sr. (played by James Badge Dale) – whom viewers met as a boy in 1883 and who died in the third episode of 1923 – and Spencer Dutton, whom 1923 viewers first met, played by Sklenar. The trio's parents were James Dutton (Tim McGraw) and Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill), who died between the events of 1883 and 1923. Meanwhile, 1923 is narrated by Elsa (May) from beyond the grave.
In the 1923 episode where John Dutton Sr. died, Jacob (Ford) was seriously injured, causing his wife Cara (Mirren) to take over management of the Dutton family ranch. The first half of the season served as a prologue to the central 1923 story that was about to unfold, as the series then focused on the rising Dutton commander, Spencer (Sklenar), and his soul mate Alex (Julia Schlaepfer). The remainder of the season revolved around Spencer and Alex's transcontinental journey back to Bozeman, Montana, to save both the Dutton ranch and his family from outside threats.
But the finale complicated Spencer's impending return when he and his current wife Alex were separated at sea; Spencer was banished from their ship after killing a passenger from Alex's past who threatened her future.
“All I know about part two is that I’m certain there’s going to be a shift in the tone, just for Spencer and the show itself,” Sklenar revealed after the finale. “The stakes all around have been raised to a new level [for season two], and the pain and the guilt that he’s carrying into this next part is going to shape him into a version of himself that we haven’t seen yet. If I can speculate as the character, I could see it going there. And then, hopefully, he carries that home and is able to realize his purpose in terms of fighting for his family and saving the ranch.”
1923 season two premieres Sunday, February 23 on Paramount+. Check out more photos and the teasers below.
