1923 Season 1, Episode 3, “The War Has Come Home,” clearly understands the strength of not just 1923, but the entire Yellowstone franchise. It sees the Duttons move to the forefront again as the range war between Jacob Dutton and Banner Creighton comes to a head. Yet despite the tension that simmers underneath, the episode feels like a deep dive into multiple relationships and characters — which helps make a shocking, violent outburst affect the audience that much more.
Jacob and Cara Dutton, along with their entire family, prepare for the fallout of Jacob’s actions after he hangs Banner Creighton and his men. 1923 seems set to explore not just the relationships between the Duttons and the world around them, but also how all of that relates to the events seen in Yellowstone. This dichotomy of emotional and intimate character exploration, while horrific violence and anger lurks in the background, makes this not only a compelling episode but one of the best in Yellowstone franchise history.
Jacob and Cara Dutton Remain the Beating Heart of 1923
Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren Have Effortless Chemistry
Jacob and Cara Dutton are the foundation that 1923 is built upon, and that the rest of the cast relies on. Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren are so effortless on screen together. Everything they do feels natural and beautiful. When Jacob rides up to Cara after returning from the fields, the love the characters feel for each other doesn’t need to be expressed in grand gestures; it’s shown in quiet smiles and simple looks. Keeping Jacob and Cara at the forefront helps to set 1923 apart from other Western TV shows. Cara and Jacob spend most of Episode 3 just talking with each other, but that is captivating because it feels so real, and helps the audience become more strongly immersed in their world.
Yet they’re not the only interesting characters in “The War Has Come Home.” Jack Dutton and his wife-to-be Elizabeth Strafford. Elizabeth is a modern woman who returned to Montana after years away and Jack is a homegrown cowboy, dedicated to the ranch and his family. Their relationship could easily be full of snippy arguments and a fundamental misunderstanding of each other, but 1923 goes the opposite direction. Jack and Elizabeth complete each other perfectly. They are two kids in love and that shines through.
Actors Mann and Michelle Randolph — the latter of whom is now starring in Taylor Sheridan’s Landman — capture a chemistry between actors that others only wish they could achieve. It’s hard to have that kind of relationship jump off the screen when compared to Ford and Mirren, but Mann and Randolph carve out their niche and create a truly endearing couple. Jack and Elizabeth have a young innocence about them, like the whole world is open before them. This naivete and innocence is refreshing when the world of 1923 and Yellowstone often lacks any of that.
Spencer Dutton Feels Connected to the Ranch, Even From Miles Away
Spencer and Alex Find Themselves In a War of Their Own
One of the main issues of 1923 in has been how disconnected the stories of Spencer Dutton and Teonna Rainwater felt. Teonna is absent from Episode 3 — but Spencer’s plotline finally makes sense, even if only thematically. The crux of this episode is the relationships that are being built and how each relationship is facing its battles. Jacob and Cara are fighting against Banner and the encroaching of civilization. Jack and Elizabeth are drawn into the battles around them because of their circumstances, rather than their actions. Spencer and Alexandra continue this theme, fighting the animals of Africa, but also time itself. Their story has such reckless romanticism that it’s impossible not to root for them.
Alexandra: Our time here is an eye blink. One exhaled breath, then we’re gone.
Spencer Dutton: That’s why I’m not wasting any time with you.
Spencer and Alexandra are on a whirlwind romance, eager to explore the world and their relationship together. Their fiery passion is captivating and blots out all reason for them, but that impulsivity works on screen. Actors Brandon Sklenar and Julia Schlaepfer grow better and better each time they appear together. When they first met, Spencer convinced Alexandra that dying was the only way to feel alive — but after fighting off lions, they realize that being together is what makes life worth living. It’s wonderful to see that, even if Spencer and Alex physically couldn’t be farther from the Dutton ranch. The growth of their relationship and the struggles they have to deal with make them feel much more connected to the rest of the show.
The explosive ending of the episode also does a lot to help Spencer feel more connected. Audiences instantly wonder what Spencer will do when he receives devastating news from his Aunt Cara. Cara is the one connection he still has to his family in Montana — so her begging and pleading for his help will undoubtedly rekindle that thrist for battle within him and may even change where his priorities lie. How will that affect Alex and their future, just as they’ve gotten on the same page?
1923 Season 1, Episode 3 Feels More Like a Yellowstone Story
The Episode Is Reminiscent of Both Yellowstone and 1883
This episode of 1923 finally brings the feeling of Yellowstone into the past. This is mostly thanks to two themes that stretch across the entire episode. One is the encroachment of civilization on the Dutton ranch and the territory of Montana, and the Duttons fighting anyone who stands in their way. Throughout Epsode 3, the Duttons are constantly being assaulted with the concept of civilization and modern society: modern appliances, modern restaurants and modern thinking. This all directly opposes the Duttons’ concepts of freedom and stability. Cara Dutton highlights this conflict perfectly when she talks about how companies are creating fake demands and needs, just to make the products to fill those needs. Cara and the rest of the Duttons see greed as the destruction of everything — and they believe that is all the modern world has to offer them.
Cara Dutton: Greed will be the thing that kills us all.
As with Yellowstone, everyone in 1923 wants what the Duttons have. Banner Creighton is just one in a long line of people who have and will fight the Duttons for the land. Episode 3 begins as the family arrives home to a happy reception full of love and smiles. But in contrast to that, Banner arrives home bloody, full of rage and fury. While the Duttons celebrate, Banner plots their downfall. This story feels authentically Yellowstone and reinforces 1923’s connection to the main show. This plot has been told before, but the dichotomy between Banner and Jacob Dutton represents it perfectly.
1923 Season 1, Episode 3 packs so much character development and powerful storytelling into its runtime. It makes the show feel like it can stand alongside Yellowstone, while the incredible relationships of Jacob and Cara, Jack and Elizabeth, and Spencer and Alex help the spinoff to stand alone. When the tension eventually explodes onto the screen, audiences care so much more about the violence because of the time spent developing the characters.