A funny thing has happened in the two years since 1923 first aired: the Dutton fight for their land on Yellowstone has been lost.
Well, almost.
I’m writing this post before the Yellowstone Season 5 (or series) finale, so maybe there is a sliver of happiness to be had. At this point, I seriously doubt it.
Sure, there is some hope that a spinoff or continuation of the Dutton saga with Beth and Rip at the wheel will renew the family legacy in some way.
And Kayce’s cockamamie tax scheme to save the land — after already selling off their prized stock, all of their horses, and a family history of wagons and whatnot — could buy them another reprieve.
But the reality is that the Duttons’ century-long fight to save their land loses its luster in prequels when the result is so depressing.
We still don’t know the certainty of John Dutton’s ancestral line, which was one of the fun things about watching 1883 and 1923.
And the love stories have been off the hook.
On 1883, young Elsa Dutton had two swoon-worthy romances during her tragically short life span.
Spencer and Alexandra met under circumstances normally found in romance novels. They traversed the globe, running from human, animal, and natural enemies, trying to tear them apart.
Jack and Elizabeth’s story is a little more grounded but not without its perils. They cling to each other for dear life while their worlds fall apart around them.
Of course, that leads us to Beth and Rip, the de facto fiery romance on Yellowstone, and Kayce and Monica, a more level-headed family-style romantic partnership.
So you’ll have to excuse me when I lose my excitement seeing teasers for 1923 that put the battle for land front and center again. That battle likely can’t be won, at least not as the family imagined it at that time.
Much to Taylor Sheridan’s dismay, it wasn’t the search for or battle for the land that made either the 1883 or 1923 appointment TV — it was the emotional connections promising to keep the fire burning for generations to come.
Here’s the official synopsis for 1923 Season 2:
A cruel winter brings new challenges and unfinished business to Jacob and Cara back at the Dutton ranch.
With harsh conditions and adversaries threatening to end the Dutton legacy, Spencer embarks on an arduous journey home, racing against time to save his family in Montana.
Meanwhile, Alexandra sets off on her own harrowing trans-Atlantic journey to find Spencer and reclaim their love.
So, Spencer and Alexandra, the fiery light that swept over us all while watching 1923 Season 1, will be separated for a good portion of the season, most likely the whole season, with them running into each others arms to close out the series.
If there’s one thing that these short seasons (and short series) rob us of, it’s the joy of experiencing a relationship’s development over time.
Even worse, Sheridan’s shows are soap operas in their truest sense, where star-crossed lovers fight against forces pushing them to their limits and often keeping them out of the arms that give them life.
On Yellowstone, John Dutton, the last man to care as deeply about the land as the family who claimed it, is dead.
No matter how that story ends, the wars waged by previous Dutton generations don’t hold as much weight anymore. The way of life they lived and fought for is at its end.
That really sucks the energy out of the past. Maybe the final eight episodes of 1923 will prove me wrong.
If Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 has done anything, it’s shown that my optimism is a pipe dream. So, I’ll remain cynical and enjoy the elation of my incorrect assumptions should they come to that.
Here’s the official teaser:
Are you still excited for 1923, or has Yellowstone’s ending tarnished the past as much as the present?
Let me know what you’re thinking in the comments below.
1923 Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ on Sunday, February 23.