1923
A prequel to the 2018 series Yellowstone, and a sequel to the 2021 series 1883, 1923 follows a generation of the Dutton family (that the previous two shows also focused on) in, as the title would suggest, the year 1923. This is a time of great change and great difficulty, with the Western Expansion, Prohibition and the Great Depression to grapple with, amongst other things. Dutton patriarch Jacob (Harrison Ford) and his wife Cara (Helen Mirren) both work hard to support their nephew Jack (Darren Mann) and maintain the family ranch, but this is easier said than done in such uncertain times.
Even from its first episode, 1923 throws a lot of concepts and subplots at its audience, going back and forth between Jacob’s efforts to mediate disputes between ranchers in the community, the development of Jack’s relationship with his fiancée Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph), his brother Spencer’s (Brandon Sklenar) escapades in Africa tracking big game and the struggles of Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), a young Native American woman taken from her family and placed in a Catholic boarding school.
There are several moving parts in this tale, and having them all come one after the other in quick succession is slightly overwhelming, but there’s enough balance and thematic cohesion between each subplot that it more or less works, despite how many narrative balls it has to juggle. The main throughline connecting all of these threads is change, both good and bad, and how people react to it. The writing works well to convey this central theme, while establishing character dynamics and plot beats effectively and efficiently, even if some bits are more compelling than others.
Of the many distinct narrative elements introduced in 1923’s first episode, perhaps the most successful parts are Teonna and her character arc and Cara’s involvement in Jack’s story, particularly in her interactions with Elizabeth. These parts of the show are bolstered greatly by their leading ladies, who are able to bring strong and emotive performances to their respective storylines (even if Mirren’s Irish accent is a little awkward).
Overall, 1923 is a bit of a complicated show, giving viewers a lot of distinct concepts and characters at once from the onset, but the solid writing, careful structuring and talented cast come together to make an interesting TV experience with a promising start.
Umar Ali
1923 is released on Paramount+ on 19th December 2022.
Watch the trailer for 1923 here:
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