1923 (Yellowstone Prequel): Season 1
Based on: Prequel to the 2018 Paramount series Yellowstone
Created by: Taylor Sheridan
I decided to try this series just because I had heard of the massive popularity of Yellowstone and I wanted to get a taste of the hype without having to sign myself for several seasons.
And man, am I so glad I did!! This show didn't even contain any of special "biases" that draw me into a show--no sci-fi/fantasy, no Asian or foreign cultures. Sheridan drew me in with pure excellent writing and acting.
There's no point in this first season when I felt bored or like I was "enduring" a scene to get to better parts. (Well, Teonna's scenes were painful, but that wasn't bad writing or acting.) The very first moments of the premiere went from Cara killing a man to defend herself to Spencer shooting a lion in Africa to Jacob staring at a herd of dead cattle. Each of these scenes brought on intrigue, question, excitement, and a strong sense of "What's going on??" that begged to be answered.
As the season went on, I fell in love with both Jacob and Cara Dutton, the protagonists of the series and owners of a cattle ranch on which the show focuses. I thought they were an incredibly healthy and exemplary couple, depicting great support of one another, great communication, uplifting others in their community, handling their lifestyle well, and were respected members of their community. I really appreciated the ability of each of them to take command of sticky situations, make healthy judgements (usually), and maintain their dignity--never letting others drag them down. This was particularly true of Jacob in his politics, dealing with the community meetings, with Cara in her responses to Timothy's not-so-subtle digs, and both of them in dealing with Jerome and his heinous actions.
But even as much as I loved Jacob and Cara... it was Spencer and Alex who stole the show for me. (Watching interviews later, I found myself not alone in that opinion!) Being brand new to the franchise, I had no idea who Spencer was or his significance to anything, but I also didn't care--and the show didn't demand that I knew anything outside of what it presented. (Another testament to great writing.) But for the sake of this blog, I'll mention that he's the nephew of Jacob and Cara. Spencer's side-story was non-stop excitement the entire season. He and his whirlwind romance with Alex also provided quite the eye-candy. The premiere episode established him quickly as a successful big-game hunter in Africa, but notably, not for trophies--all the animals he's hired to kill are actively hunting tourists and other people in the region. He's also quickly established as a man of honor. He doesn't do it for the money, prestige, or reputation. Several women flirt with him and while he responds, he doesn't flirt back or pay them more mind than is respectful. He also treats his African coworkers with respect, which I think is admirable for any white person in the early 1900s. When one of them dies in a way that could have been prevented, he gives his white boss a strong lecture and threatens his life for not having provided information that could have saved the African man's life.
Later on, his meeting with Alex was the most typical Hollywood romance, but I absolutely fell for it and let myself get whisked away in the current. Alex was an unhappy fiancée, in a probably-arranged marriage to a member of the English royal family, and was ready to let go of any chance of excitement in life. A brief encounter with Spencer and a minute listening to his life was enough to let her imagination soar--and entice Spencer to glance back as she left. The next day, as they're about to part ways permanently, Alex breaks away from her group and darts on after the Dutton nephew. After that, it's cute romance, witty lines on both ends, and non-stop life-threatening encounters that admirably continue bringing them together.
The thing that kept my attention with them was their impressive chemistry, Spencer's humanity and honor, and Alex's bravery, confidence, and endless ability to meet any challenge head-on. Together they made an entertaining, wholesome, funny, heartwarming, and relentless pair.
Finally, the third story that was very painful to watch but also gripping was that of Teonna, a Native American girl forced into a Catholic forced integration school. The story was absolutely brutal with its violent beatings and harmful (literally) theology. The way the nuns treated the Indigenous girls was horrifying, especially for me as a Christian with a heart for Indigenous people. Her story was great to watch progress, though, as she escapes the school and manages to make her way back to her people for support fighting back. The entire story was fraught with violence, but necessarily so, as when one group is set on the genocide of another.
The show has been renewed for one more season which seems expected to be its last. And while that should be all that's needed for a complete story, it can't come fast enough. All three storylines--that of Jacob & Cara, Spencer & Alex, and Teonna--are all sitting on intense cliffhangers!
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