Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton in 1923

‘1923’ Returns This Sunday: Here’s Everything We Learned in the Mid-Season Trailer

That whirlwind 45 second trailer promised one hell of a back half for Season 1, and we’re breaking down every clue ahead of 1923‘s return this Sunday, February 5. But before we dive into what the mid-season trailer reveals, beware of spoilers ahead.

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Right off the bat, Jacob and Cara Dutton (Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren) set the tone for episodes 5 through 8. “My concern is survival,” Jacob begins. And survival is coming as Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) is set to venture back to America with his fiance, Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer) along for the ride.

A Time-Jump is coming in ‘1923’s Second Half

As clues in the trailer show, when these two eventually reach the Yellowstone, we can expect 1923‘s two timelines – Montana & Africa – to finally line up into a single, forward narrative. Our biggest hint towards this is Cara’s change in attire. It’s clearly far colder in Montana now than it was in Episodes 1-4, so a time jump for the Montana Duttons is coming in Season 1’s second half:

And when Spencer does return home, his Dutton kin will be worse for wear. His older brother, John Sr. (James Badge Dale), is dead, and Jacob is using a cane and seen struggling to do much more than stand after that Episode 3 assassination attempt. But its this brief shot at the 10 second mark that has us curious if further death is coming for the Yellowstone.

Is Further Death Coming for the Duttons?

Here, we see Jacob sitting outside (much as Kevin Costner‘s John Dutton does often in Yellowstone) as Cara comes out of their homestead. Standing to the left are nurses and doctors who surely aren’t there just to chat. They’re either checking in on Jacob, or another death has happened. Does that fever ultimately claim Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) after being shot in the torso in Episode 3? 

Elizabeth-and-Jack-Dutton-in-1923-Episode-3
Michelle Randolph as Elizabeth Straffod and Darren Mann as Jack Dutton of the Paramount+ series 1923. Photo Cr: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ © 2022 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

If it does, it would explain why young Jack Dutton (Darren Mann) is so unhinged throughout the episodes to come. Jack handled the death of his father. John Sr,  remarkably well in Episode 4, so Episodes 5 through 8 will either see him finally come to terms with this, or we’ll watch as he spirals out of control after losing his fiance, Elizabeth, too. She is not shown once in the trailer, after all.

Instead, we get a shot at the mid-season trailer’s 23 second mark in which Cara comforts Jack as her great nephew grieves.

And if Elizabeth does die, well, then we’d recommend watching our Dutton Family Tree breakdowns for how greatly this will impact the future of this family. But don’t worry, our bet is on Elizabeth surviving so the mystery surrounding the Dutton’s future lineage continues.

Either way, Jack is seen taking Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton), Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) and those livestock thieves head on alongside Yellowstone cowboys – and they’re hellbent on getting their hundreds of stolen cattle back as winter takes hold.

Teonna Rainwater’s Destiny Will Unfold

We’re also set to watch as Teonna goes on the run after escaping her horrid North Dakota christian boarding school slash hellscape. Will she finally be reunited with her family in Montana?

Teonna-Rainwater-1923
Aminah Nieves as Teonna of the Paramount+ series 1923. Photo Cr: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ © 2022 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Surely she will, as the original 1923 trailer revealed that her full name is, in fact, Teonna Rainwater. And we just may see how a certain Thomas Rainwater’s (Gil Birmingham) roots came about in southern Montana.

Outside of Teonna and Jack’s suffering, the main thru line for the mid-season trailer is Spencer’s return home from Africa. And it’s a return that looks to be every bit as perilous as his wartime and big game exploits.

Spencer Dutton Returns to America By the End of ‘1923’ Season 1

After seeking passage to America, it would seem Spencer winds up captaining their small vessel himself, as the trailer shows a violent throwing of the small ship with Spencer in the captain’s quarters. A horrible Atlantic storm is a likely culprit, one that places Alexandra in immense peril as she fights against rising waters inside the cabin.

'1923's Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton
Photo Cr: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ © 2022 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

And once the pair make it through this peril, they’ve got sharks to contend with. As Spencer readies his rifle to face a completely different sort of wildlife than he’s handle so far (see: giant Atlantic sharks), the trailer ends… And we’re left pining for the second half of Season 1.

What are you looking forward to seeing most in the second half of 1923’s first season? Did we miss anything in the trailer that has you curious? Let us know in the comments on our YouTube breakdown. Then, subscribe to Outsider for weekly Yellowstone content. We’ll see y’all this Sunday, Feb. 5 for Episode 5!