It’s a beautiful day to be a Yellowstone universe fan, especially in waking up to news about the extended storyline for 1923 and its upcoming second season — well, sort of. If you’ve been paying close attention to Taylor Sheridan, and don’t worry; we have, you’d know that his original plan for the Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren-led drama was a two-season run, and with all of the ups and downs the Duttons of days past have faced so far, we’re going to need the extra time with this branch of the Dutton family tree.
So call it news or a glorified re-announcement; it’s still exciting because fans are looking forward to another chapter with Cara, Jacob, Spencer, Emma, Jack, and of course, a hopefully much brighter future for Teonna Rainwater. There are so many pieces of the puzzle that Sheridan is weaving together through both beautiful and heartwrenching stories that it’s impossible to think we’d only have a few episodes of this story left.
As Sheridan does with conviction and attention to detail, he’s weaving together a much larger story with every episode, each piece of dialogue lending itself to a future with a deeply intertwined and emotional tale of family, love, and the lengths we’ll go to protect each. The talented cast also gives power to individuals who have so often had it taken from them. As we watch the story happening alongside the Dutton family and their troubles, Teonna Rainwater is leading the charge. As one of many Indigenous women at the boarding school, we’re getting a lesson in the sordid history of the pain and turmoil they faced for simply existing.
While we continue to see how vastly different the lives of everyone connected to the land are and the depths of the pain they each carry, we learn that their stories are more intertwined than we think. With layered characters, a captivating story, and a growing Dutton universe, the path to what’s next has never been more inviting. So what should fans look forward to in the thrilling second season of 1923? We’ve got you covered.
We’ll continue seeing a new side of Spencer Dutton
As Spencer Dutton heads back to the family ranch from a life in Africa (give us a moment, and we’ll explain), we’ll see a new side of the man who couldn’t stop running from himself. Spencer Dutton saw horrors in WWI and spent the rest of his life trying to rid himself of his memories and teetering between life and death. He realized that he couldn’t escape himself in a place that resembled home, and in moving across Kenya, he was working out his troubles in a familiar yet controlled way.
This time, the enemy wouldn’t shoot back at Spencer or hide to catch him in a trap. You see, Spencer was working for the Protectorate of Kenya as a hunter for “man-eating” predators in the area, and it was still a vicious struggle when Spencer’s life could end at any moment. Still, there was something different about the experience. It was a way for him to experience that moment between life and death with a sense of control.
So what changed for Spencer to bring him back to the ranch? Well, a few things and those very ideas are the ones we’re most excited about exploring in the second season. When Spencer returns to the ranch, when 1923‘s first season returns with new episodes starting Sunday, Feb. 5 — things won’t be all sunshine and rainbows. Brandon Sklenar, who plays Spencer, said not to expect one of those fairytale moments that we often look forward to in painful stories. There’s still a lot for him to work through and a lot for him to work through as he makes his way home.
In addition to returning to the ranch, Spencer also met someone in Kenya who changed his perspective on a lot — including on love and romance. When he and Alex first crossed paths, they were opposite in almost every way, but a fiery connection was evident from the very beginning. They weren’t afraid to speak their mind to one another, and it was intoxicating for the other. Alex gave up her life to join Spencer across Kenya, and she’s returning home with him when he greets his family for the first time in years.
We can’t wait to discover what that side of Spencer’s life looks like as he finds home once again at the Yellowstone and how Alex will play her hand when she settles at the ranch. Will we see a softer side of both characters, or will they fight against themselves and the slowed-down pace in Montana? There’s also the question of how the rest of the family will take to Spencer’s return and what power struggles may exist because of it. Only time will tell, and we can’t wait to figure it out.
The Dutton family tree will be further explored
Another exciting prospect in the second season of 1923 will undoubtedly be the unveiling of a clearer image of the Dutton family tree. There are two ideas that most fans have adopted, but a lot of the territory is still unwritten, and it seems like Taylor Sheridan is doing that on purpose. There are pieces of the puzzle that audiences have yet to discover, and with another season on the horizon comes the platform for Sheridan to continue spelling out how we got to the Dutton family we know today and where some of the branches of the tree could be made more clear.
Audiences know that Kevin Costner’s John is John Dutton III, and we saw the untimely death of John Dutton Sr. in 1923, but fans are still piecing together who Costner’s father’s direct lineage is. Will Spencer or Jack have a son they name John Dutton in honor of the fallen family member? Could Emma adopt a child, either outside or within the family, due to another tragedy? There are several possibilities, and with more time spent with this piece of the Dutton family puzzle, we’ll get clarity on many things we’ve learned throughout Yellowstone and 1883.
Fans who tuned into 1883 will remember that Spotted Eagle told James Dutton that his people would come back for the land in seven generations, and we’ve never let go of the weight of that statement. Of course, more storytelling will be necessary before even those pieces of the story fall into place, but Sheridan has a plan for that too.
As Deadline revealed in October, Sheridan is also considering future prequels of Yellowstone focusing on the Dutton family of the 40s and 60s — and it’ll all come together to give us the complete, beautiful, and heartwrenching story of a family who never gave up.
We’ll see what the future holds for Teonna Rainwater
Teonna Rainwater is another integral part of the 1923 storyline. While hers has been the most heartbreaking so far, it’s also something that Sheridan isn’t shying away from, for a good reason. The boarding school in which Teonna is housed with several other Indigenous women is brutal, twisted, and unfathomable for anyone with a conscience — but it’s a genuine part of the history of this country.
The heartbreaking way Teonna realized that so many of the women who “aged out” of the home have never been heard from again was one of the most emotionally charged scenes of the entire series so far, as is each one she uses her voice, despite whatever punishment is handed out because of it. When we last saw Teonna, she was attempting to escape from the school, but it’s evident in her character that she’s not doing this for herself. She’s trying to find a better life for everyone at the boarding school, a place of freedom for herself and the other young women at the school, and a life without torture and pain.
Father Renaud, played by Sebastian Roché, isn’t going to give up easily on finding Teonna. We’re sure we’ll see more struggles before we get to a place where healing can begin for Teonna. Still, as an ancestor of Chief Thomas Rainwater, we’d love to see more of her story soon, and to find out precisely what story she’ll write for herself and her family in decades to come. She’s a powerful character with a fight for survival that’s necessary for these tumultuous Dutton storylines, and Teonna stands out as a leader among many of the characters we’ve met.
With the knowledge of a second season now more prominent than ever, we’ll be dreaming up scenarios in which we find out more about the Duttons we know, the ones we’ve yet to meet, and the storylines weaving together to craft one of the most exciting universes in television history. In the Yellowverse — the Dutton family, their friends, and even their enemies unite perfectly to intrigue audiences more at each turn. 1923 will air the remaining four episodes of its first season beginning on Feb. 5, and the second season is slated for a premiere “soon.”
