Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ series titled “1923” is another impressive extension to his grand Western film saga. While “Yellowstone,” the original creation, and the initial prequel, “1883,” have concluded, the Dutton family’s tale persists in the second and final season of “1923,” featuring an illustrious cast consisting of Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, and Timothy Dalton. The series delves into the Dalton family’s life before the Great Depression, with Montana experiencing economic hardships years ahead of Wall Street, as a result of World War I, providing insight into the state’s financial difficulties post-war.
Via Jacob Dutton (Ford) and Cara Dutton (Mirren), viewers are given in-depth histories that explain the origins of the powerful Yellowstone ranch. The Duttons clash with adversaries like ruthless tycoon Donald Whitfield (Dalton) and rival rancher Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn), all while fighting to keep what’s theirs and safeguard their family. Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) encounters challenges during his estranged son journey, too. However, the Duttons aren’t the only ones facing opposition, as Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) evades danger. With plenty of villains, this series showcases the most ruthless among them.
10
Arthur I, Earl of Sussex
Played by Bruce Davison
In the second episode of Season 1, Arthur I, Earl of Sussex (portrayed by Bruce Davison), makes his appearance in Africa. During this time, his son is yet to be married to Alex (played by Julia Schlaepfer). He doesn’t reappear until the second-last episode, where their paths cross again in Italy. In the season finale, Arthur is back, attempting to quell his son’s wrath aboard the RMS Majestic. However, his efforts fail when the younger Arthur defies him by challenging Spencer to a duel.
A Father Driven Mad With Grief
1. The well-known African big game hunter attempted to demonstrate compassion towards his weaker opponent, but the latter, armed with a pistol, attacked him instead, resulting in a sad defeat for the Earl. Arthur I may not be inherently wicked, but he exploits his royal status to cruelly separate a newlywed couple when Spencer throws his son overboard in self-defense. Despite his son’s rash and deadly actions, Arthur remains merciless, driven by grief and anger. His goal is to forever tear the lovers apart, leading to further hardships for them in Season 2.
9
Arthur II
Played by Rafe Soule
The Earl of Sussex was quite arrogant and bitter, but his highborn son took this to an even greater level of cruelty. This stiff, aristocratic nobleman becomes unhinged when he loses his bride-to-be. However, it’s not grief that consumes him; instead, as Alex notes, it’s a significant blow to his pride. He couldn’t stomach the idea of losing a woman whom he considered his own, to nothing more than a commoner.
A Not-So-Noble Nobleman
There can be no argument that the Viscount deserved his fate. Spencer made every effort to show compassion and keep him at bay, but young Arthur was unrelenting. He even resorted to striking Spencer and hurling insults at Alex, yet none of this seemed to quench his anger. In a fit of rage, he challenged Spencer to a duel, ending up humiliated and injured. In his fury, he cast aside all honor and attempted to shoot Spencer, ultimately meeting the end that was fitting for him.
8
Clyde
Played by Brian Konowal
In my perspective as a movie critic, when Cara and Sheriff William McDowell (portrayed by Robert Patrick) are on the hunt for potential livestock agents, their options are rather limited. However, things take an intriguing turn with the arrival of a former lawman from the bustling city of Chicago, who seems to be the perfect fit. Little do our heroes realize that this seemingly strong candidate, Clyde, is actually a covert agent dispatched by the Duttons’ most formidable adversaries, Whitfield and Creighton.
A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Previously, Jacob advised Cara to be cautious about trusting everyone who applied for the job since Creighton might attempt to insert one of his own into the team to safeguard his own interests. It never occurred to Jacob that this individual would exceed their given authority and create harm instead.
As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but point out that Clyde is not just two-faced, he’s downright heartless. He rats out Zane (Brian Geraghty), revealing his marriage to Alice Chow-Davis (Joy Osmanski), an Asian woman, which in Montana during that era was against the miscegenation laws. As a result, Alice is arrested and Zane is brutally beaten in front of their children, who are later taken away. It’s clear that more despicable acts are yet to come from this unscrupulous character in the series ‘1923’.
7
Marshal Kent
Played by Jamie McShane
U.S. Marshal Marshal Kent (Jamie McShane) is tasked with tracking down Teonna, who has managed to flee from a North Dakota Boarding School for Native Americans, resulting in the deaths of two nuns. Kent shares similar characteristics with Father Renaud (Sebastian Roché), and his actions leave even the harsh priest stunned by their extreme cruelty.
Abuse of Power
Detective Kent relentlessly pursues the missing teen, leveraging his badge to manipulate unsuspecting individuals. In a tragic turn of events during a raid at Issaxche’s (Amelia Rico) home, where she is Teonna’s grandmother, he inadvertently causes her death by pushing her into a cast-iron stove. Remaining uncaring, he lets her body decay on the spot. Later, he brandishes a firearm against an Indigenous child and would have continued had it not been for Renaud’s intervention. Before leaving the Comanche encampment, Kent intentionally injures that same child by making his horse trample them.
6
The Clergymen
Before embarking on his own search for Teonna, Father Renaud dispatches three church representatives in pursuit of her instead. The group consists of Brother Liam (Justin Zachary), Brother Romero (Walker Hare), and Brother Cillian (Tanc Sade). Contrary to their self-perception as virtuous servants of the Lord, these men are actually part of an institution that forcibly removes Native American children from their families, with a history of abuse.
Not What Jesus Would Do
These religious leaders consider non-whites as primitive and inferior, thinking their duties enlighten and advance the world, when in reality they only dominate and ruin. Brother Liam reveals his genuine feelings towards Pete Plenty Clouds (Cole Brings Plenty) by saying, “I believe the world would be improved with you in it.” Earlier in the same conversation, Pete astutely points out to him, “You claim to teach His commands, but you violate them to teach them. Therefore, these commandments hold no significance for you.” A genuine man of faith wouldn’t come close to brutally attacking Teonna like Brother Hank (Michael Greyeyes) does later in the same scene.
5
Sister Alice
Played by Kerry O’Malley
As a movie enthusiast, I can share that from the 19th to the 20th century, over 526 government-funded, often church-run Native American Boarding Schools operated within the United States, as reported by The Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. Regrettably, a film set in 1923, titled “North Dakota Boarding School for Native Americans,” offers a chilling depiction of what life was like for these children in such institutions. In this fictional school, nuns like Sister Alice (portrayed by Kerry O’Malley), were entrusted with the care and supposed education of these innocent children.
A Danger to Kids
Instead of being guided by God’s hand, this woman was more akin to being controlled by the devil. She exhibited behaviors as cold and cruel as the character Sister Mary (played by Jennifer Ehle), dishing out punishment with an unfeeling heart. When Baapuxti (Leenah Robinson) carefully picked berries, she cruelly punished the young girl instead, later assisting others in abrasively scrubbing Teonna’s back with steel wool. Left alone with Teonna, Sister Alice took advantage of her, sexually assaulting the teenager who later referred to her as her attacker, suggesting that such actions were commonplace. It’s a relief she is gone; Sister Alice should have faced far worse consequences than what she did.
4
Sister Mary
Played by Jennifer Ehle
In 1923, an encounter with stern Sister Mary unfolds within a classroom setting. Her control over the room is unquestionable. She grills Teonna relentlessly, seemingly eager to catch her off guard and unleash her wrath. However, when Teonna struggles to recall the specific soap-making procedure, Sister Mary responds by physically punishing her with a wooden ruler. Yet, feisty Teonna doesn’t back down, instead standing up for herself, hinting at the challenges ahead.
Crueler Than a Catholic School Nun
Sister Mary appears to take pleasure in dishing out harsh punishments that border on abusive towards her students. Her actions are hard to stomach and intensely distressing. She not only physically assaults them but seems to enjoy the harm she inflicts, both physically and emotionally. Teonna, who stands firm against her oppressors, is frequently targeted by her. It’s not just the manner in which she mistreats Teonna that’s troubling, but how she strips her of her dignity and identity. Seeing Teonna being beaten with a bag full of bibles and having a wooden ruler forcefully branded onto her face is one of the most unsettling scenes in television history.
3
Banner Creighton
Played by Jerome Flynn
In the series 1923, Banner Creighton is the initial antagonist skillfully played by Jerome Flynn. This character hails from Scotland, where he’s a farmer of sheep, and his first encounter with the Dutton patriarch sparks tension due to a shared interest in a looming issue. Despite Jacob’s warning, Banner disregards it and illegally enters the Dutton land for the second time, allowing his livestock to graze there. This results in severe repercussions.
A Disgruntled Man is a Dangerous One
In retaliation for being severely injured by Jacob, Banner becomes determined to exact revenge, leading to a violent confrontation that results in John Dutton’s (James Badge Dale) death, along with others. Overwhelmed by grief, his wife Emma (Marley Shelton) takes her own life, leaving a devastating impact on the family and orphaning Jack (Darren Mann). With unquenchable rage driving him, Banner transforms into a ruthless criminal, willing to ally himself with the influential Whitfield clan in order to achieve his destructive goals against the Duttons.
2
Father Renaud
Played by Sebastian Roché
In contrast to the wicked nuns mentioned earlier, Father Ranud stands out as particularly vile and godless. As the French headmaster of a North Dakota Boarding School for Native Americans, he instilled fear not only in the children but also in Sister Mary, who was herself a victim of his harsh discipline. However, it is the scenes involving Teonna and Baapuxti that are particularly hard to bear.
A Graveyard Full of Sins
Father Renaud is a man who appears devoid of emotion and considers himself as the divine representative, wielding power over others, particularly those finding it difficult to adapt at his school. He remains unfazed when nuns enact similar harsh treatment. His cruelty towards Indigenous children runs exceptionally deep, showing no remorse for the excessive punishment they suffer. This indifference is so profound that one might liken it to a graveyard – a chilling reminder of the suffering these children endured. Regrettably, this is an accurate description of the residential schools in both the U.S. and Canada, where such clergy figures were responsible for numerous mass graves and burial sites. One can only speculate that when Father Renaud meets his end, he will be shocked to encounter not the face of Jesus, but the fiery entrance to hell instead.
1
Donald Whitfield
Played by Timothy Dalton
Compared to the ruthless Whitfield, Creighton appears as merely an annoying irritant for Jacob. In the series 1923, Whitfield, a wealthy mining tycoon, poses the greatest danger and threat to the Duttons, aiming to force them off their ranch. Unlike Banner, he’s meticulous in his actions and always has a plan, making him a formidable foe. To make matters worse, Whitfield shows no compassion, and beneath his refined magnate facade lies a man with a cruel and sadistic nature.
It Isn’t Just the Duttons Who Should Be Afraid
The brutal and aggressive side of Banner is showcased by his inhumane actions towards two prostitutes, Lindy (played by Madison Elise Rogers) and Christy (Cailyn Rice), whom he confines within his residence. He derives pleasure from witnessing their mistreatment, which includes them hurting each other, and later manipulating one to maintain control. When Season 2 commences, we find a traumatized Christy, tied up and damaged, who has been used as a toy by Whitfield and Lindy. Banner’s wife, Ellie (played by Sarah Randall Hunt), cautions her husband that associating with dangerous individuals will lead to picking up harmful habits, but if Banner isn’t careful, things will only get significantly worse for him.
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2025-03-08 22:06