One thing you can say about the Taylor Sheridan cowboy-verse is that no one is guaranteed to survive, no matter how big a character they are. That means that the second “Yellowstone” spinoff, “1923,” lost some cast members. During a shootout over land, both young Jack Dutton (Darren Mann, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”) and Elizabeth Strafford (Michelle Randolph, “The Throwback”) lose their fathers after sleeping together for the first time. They’re both injured as well, and Jack’s mother dies by suicide after losing her husband.
The entire experience leads these two young people to marry in secret, saying their vows alone in nature. They’ve been in love and were already engaged when the tragedy happened, but these things can sometimes tear people apart. In this case, the bond between them only gets stronger, leading to what they say to each other under the sky.
In a February 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Randolph spoke about that scene and how one of the lines was improvised. The series has been renewed for a second season by Paramount.
‘ … it’s fun that they included it’
In the interview, it’s mentioned that during their personal wedding vows, Jack uses his nickname for her, Liz, while she calls herself Elizabeth. When asked if it was intentional, Randolph explained that some of it wasn’t in the script. She said:
“Darren and I actually talked about this because it was written in the script as Liz. And I was like, ‘Hey, do you think he should say Elizabeth?’ I think there’s a lot more weight to Elizabeth, but Liz is what he calls her. That’s his Liz. So we talked about it, but I don’t really think there was a whole lot of meaning behind it. Also, when I say, ‘I, Elizabeth Dutton,’ it’s faded into the background, and that part was actually improv. It was not written. So, it’s fun that they included it.”
While it’s sweet on the surface, a closer look makes you realize that when her full name fades “into the background,” it’s because her old life is doing the same thing. Elizabeth might be the daughter of ranchers, but she didn’t really grow up there, having gone to school back East. She was told by Jack’s great aunt Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren) after she and Jack become engaged, that she had to choose the ranch life. Her experiences and her world changes when she does that, and the person she was before, Elizabeth, is fading as she moves into this new life. Liz, the version of her that will spend her life ranching with Jack, is taking over.
“1923” is currently streaming on Paramount+ with season 2 on the way.