1923 is still on its midseason hiatus, but the hit Yellowstone prequel returns with a new episode next Sunday, February 5th. Ahead of the series return, actor Brandon Sklenar—who plays Jacob and Cara Dutton’s nephew Spencer—spoke out about certain shifts in the show as his character plans his trip back to Montana.
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Sklenar said, “I can say there is not only a definite shift in the story itself, but also in him as a person from this moment forward. It’s the hero’s journey, and his calling to go home does propel the story.”
A preview for the latter half of 1923, however, reveals that Alex and Spencer’s journey home to the Dutton Ranch will be anything but easy.
Standing on the front porch of the iconic Dutton family home, the trailer sees Harrison Ford‘s Jacob Dutton tell Helen Mirren’s Cara Dutton, “My concern is survival.” In response, she tells him, “Survival is coming.”
Of course, as we know from Sklenar’s recent interview and the remainder of the preview, Mirren’s character is referencing her nephew Spencer’s return home. But on their way there, Alex and Spencer find themselves in deep trouble in the middle of the ocean. Sklenar teased that the couple’s trip to Montana will likely be as treacherous as the war for the Dutton ranch itself.
“Spencer and Alex both have a lot to overcome before he can get there,” the 1923 star revealed. [Creator] Taylor [Sheridan] doesn’t make it easy on anybody in writing these shows.”
Why Taylor Sheridan Continued the Story of ‘1883’ in ‘1923’:
1923 has seen massive success since its premiere just before the holidays. However, the success of the new Yellowstone prequel is rooted in the series’ original backstory, 1883. Amid the second sequel’s hiatus, actor-producer Taylor Sheridan spoke out about why he chose to continue 1883‘s tales in 1923.
More than anything, Taylor Sheridan said he set the second Yellowstone prequel exactly 50 years ahead from 1883 as it gives viewers the opportunity to meet some of the characters from the original prequel as adults.
“I chose that moment in time to peek back in because you’re seeing the children that we’ve met back in 1883 attempting to raise another generation of Dutton,” Sheridan said.
The Dutton family mastermind also spoke about why the year 1923 was important within the universe overall. He said the era marked “a time of great drought, at a time of Prohibition, at a time of all this expansion — the Wild West was truly becoming a relevant center of resources.”
1923 is sure to see continued success after the tale returns, but it’s hardly the only new project Sheridan has in the works at the moment. Paramount Network’s Chief Programming Officer Tanya Giles recently promised that there is a lot more new Taylor Sheridan content to come.
