A funny thing happened in the two years since it first aired in 1923: The Dutton family lost their fight for land in Yellowstone.
Well, that’s almost it.
I’m writing this before the Yellowstone season 5 (or series) finale, so maybe there’s a hint of happiness. At this point, I seriously doubt this.
Of course, a spinoff or continuation of the Darden Legends piloted by Beth and Rip will hopefully continue the family legacy in some way.
Case’s foolish tax plan to save the land—after already selling off their prized stock, all their horses, and their family history of wagons and other stuff—might give them another respite.
But the reality is that the Duttons’ century-long fight to save the land lost its luster in the prequels, and the results were so depressing.
We still don’t know with any certainty the ancestral lineage of John Dutton, which is one of the interesting things about watching 1883 and 1923.
And the love story is off the hook.
In 1883, young Elsa Dutton experienced two mind-blowing love affairs in her short life.
Spencer and Alexandra met under circumstances common in romance novels. They travel across the planet, dodging humans, animals, and predators in an attempt to tear them apart.
Jack and Elizabeth’s story is more grounded, but not without danger. They cling to each other for a better life while their world falls apart around them.
Of course, this brings us to Beth and Rip, Yellowstone’s de facto fiery romance, and Keith and Monica, a more chilled-out family-style romantic couple.
So forgive me for losing my excitement when I saw the trailers for 1923 that once again put the land war front and center. The battle was likely unwinnable, at least not in the way the family imagined at the time.
To Taylor Sheridan’s dismay, the making of appointment television in 1883 or 1923 was not a search for or a scramble for land, but the promise of an emotional connection that would keep the flame burning for generations to come.
Here’s the official synopsis for Season 2 of “1923”:
The harsh winter brought new challenges and unfinished business to Jacob and Kara who returned to Dutton Ranch.
Amid harsh conditions and an enemy that threatens to end Dutton’s legacy, Spencer embarks on a difficult journey home, racing against time to save his family in Montana.
Meanwhile, Alexandra embarks on her own harrowing transatlantic journey to find Spencer and win back their love.
So Spencer and Alexandra, the fiery light that swept us all while watching Season 1 of 1923, will spend most of the season apart, and likely all of it, embracing each other to end the play.
If there’s one thing these short seasons (and miniseries) take away from us, it’s the joy of experiencing a relationship develop over time.
Worse, Sheridan’s show is a soap opera in the truest sense of the word, with star-crossed lovers battling forces that push them to their limits and often pull them away from the arms that gave them life.
In Yellowstone, John Dutton died, the last man to care as deeply about the land as the family that owned it.
Regardless of how this story ends, the wars waged by Dutton’s previous generations no longer matter that much. The way of life they lived and fought for was over.
This really sucks the energy out of the past. Maybe the final eight episodes of 1923 will prove me wrong.
If Yellowstone Season 5 Part Two did anything, it showed that my optimism was just a pipe dream. So if they do, I’m going to remain cynical and enjoy the excitement of my incorrect assumption.
Here’s the official trailer:
Are you still excited about 1923, or has the ending of Yellowstone tarnished the past as much as it does now?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
The second season of “1923” premieres on Paramount+ on Sunday, February 23.
