1923-episode-3-ends-after-heartbreaking-death-you-will-not-believe

‘1923’ Episode 3 Ends After a Heartbreaking Death You Will Not Believe

At least one of 1923‘s main characters is gone too soon by Episode 3’s end, and the ramifications of their death change the Yellowstone forever. Before we dive in, please be aware that major spoilers for 1923 lie ahead.

*Again, Major Spoilers for ‘1923’ Season 1, Episode 3 Below*

As Episode 3, “The War Comes Home,” begins, the Duttons are out for an evening on the town and living their best lives. And they do so blissfully, despite Jacob (Harrison Ford), John Sr. (James Badge Dale), and their cowboys having hung a crew of sheepmen in 1923 Episode 2. This was a bold, vengeful decision that would come back to haunt them, and ultimately claim the life of a legacy Dutton character.

I’m sure I’m not alone in how gobsmacked I was by the latter minutes of this episode. Similarly, I know I am not the only one who will miss James Badge Dale’s portrayal of John Dutton Sr. For such a staunch fan of 1883, getting to know one of James and Margaret Dutton’s children as an adult in their prime was a pleasure. And Episode 3 cuts that pleasure short in a wholly gripping, horrifying ambush that leaves John Dutton Sr. dead in the fields of Montana.

Understanding the Death of a Dutton

To understand how we got here requires revisiting the first two episodes of 1923. So far, the conflict of the series has been between sheepmen and cattlemen. Scotsman Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) fancies himself the leader of the local sheepmen, while Jacob Dutton fearlessly leads the cattlemen of the valley. A little fear, however, would’ve done Jacob a world of good.

Regardless of Jacob’s hubris, it was Banner who instigated this feud. In the final moments of the premiere, Banner chooses to cut the barbwire of Dutton land and let his sheep into the Yellowstone to graze – an offense he had already committed on another cattleman’s ranch prior.

Behind the scenes with James Badge Dale as of the Paramount+ series 1923. Photo Cr: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ © 2022 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

“Sheep eat to the root. They ruin the grass for anything else to eat. One could argue you killed his livestock, too, it just took them longer to die,” Jacob told him during the episode. But the lesson wasn’t one Banner was interested in learning, nor was he interested in abiding the law.

Episode 2 has Jacob stepping out of the confines of his role as Livestock Commissioner to lay down some wild western justice as a result. “You’re gonna hang us, huh? Hang me? It’s the f*cking twentieth century, and you’re gonna hang us?” Banner cries out during the episode, and that’s exactly what Jacob, John, and their cowboys do. A chance is given to the sheepmen, however, as the Dutton cowboys hang them with their horses below in hopes that a few steady, loyal equines will save their riders. And if they do, they can tell the world what happens to men who cross Jacob Dutton.

I gave those men a chance, because I wanted them to tell the world what happens when they cross me

There in the night, the sheepmen hang to death from a tree far older than any of them. All except Banner, who manages to cut himself free thanks to his loyal, steady horse. In this, we see that Banner is, in fact, a cut above the rest. He’ll return to prove this with a vengeance in Episode 3, too.

As the Duttons leave their hotel rooms mid-Episode 3, their ranch foreman, Zane (Brian Geraghty), leads the way at the behest of Jacob in case of trouble. And trouble finds them as things do not go to plan. As soon as the family is out of town, a hellish ambush rings out from the forest. Bullets overtake the entire family. And as endless gunshots fly from the treeline, both Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) and Jack (Darren Mann) are shot as the family seeks cover.

Jerome Flynn as Banner Creighton of the Paramount+ series 1923. Photo Cr: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ © 2022 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Thankfully, Zane and the cowboys hear the gunshots and circle back to defend the Duttons. But it is here that Banner Creighton makes his return, driving through the field in a black motorcar fit for the devil himself. From the back seat, he pulls out a tommy gun.

‘Jacob Dutton! I am a man of my word.’

“Jacob Dutton! I am a man of my word,” Banner shouts, mocking Jacob’s words to him in the prior episode. This is their only warning before he opens fire on Jacob and John, and both take multiple bullets as blood spatters the grass.

Tragically, John Dutton Sr. is killed instantly as a bullet passes through his eye. But Jacob clings to life. And as he does, Cara chases down their one shooter as she spots him fleeing. In this we see her opening scene of 1923‘s premiere play out in far wider context: the death of her nephew and the potential death of her husband.

Through John’s death, we come to understand Banner Creighton as far more than a nuisance. Rather, he is an adversary of the highest sort that will go down as one of the most brutal and deadly in Dutton history.

For a full recap of the episode, see our ‘1923’ Season 1, Episode 3: Full Recap of ‘The War Has Come Home’ next.

1923 continues with Episode 4 next Sunday, Jan. 8, exclusively on Paramount Plus.