I was really hoping Taylor Sheridan would use his most exciting young actor more in 1923’s season 2 premiere, but he hasn’t capitalized on the opportunity just yet. After over two years away from the series, Taylor Sheridan has returned to his Golden Globe-nominated Yellowstone prequel for a second and final run. However, with the Yellowstone finale and Taylor Sheridan’s other shows, including Landman, in mind, our perspective on the prohibition-era Dutton drama has slightly changed.
1923 season 2’s cast is almost entirely the same as the first season’s, with the Dutton ranch still under threat from Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) and Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) while awaiting the return of Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar). That leaves the remaining Duttons in a high-pressure situation, hopefully giving each of them opportunities to demonstrate their valor and strength. This is possibly the most dire situation we’ve seen the Yellowstone ranch in, and I’m hoping even the supporting characters have engaging opportunities to contribute.
1923’s Season 2 Premiere Barely Used Michelle Randolph’s Elizabeth
Elizabeth Could Become A Great Character Throughout Season 2
Michelle Randolph has been a main cast member throughout 1923, but she’s barely had opportunities to shine in the series. In Taylor Sheridan’s Landman, she plays a far more prominent role as one of the leads, and she proves she’s one of the producer’s greatest weapons. Taylor Sheridan loves to work with the same cast members repeatedly, be it James Jordan (Yellowstone, Landman, & more), Jeremy Renner (Wind River, Mayor of Kingstown), or Neal McDonough (Yellowstone, Tulsa King), so it’s possible Michelle Randolph could be a prominent addition to the rotation.
Once again, however, her character Elizabeth was barely featured in 1923’s season 2 premiere. Of course, I know she isn’t going to suddenly become the main character, but I’d like to see her develop as she remains at the ranch. Especially with Cara (Helen Mirren) in such close proximity, having her grow as a strong feminine character could be a fantastic example of how the Dutton ideals aren’t genetic but learned. We’ve seen this with Rip in Yellowstone and Alex in 1923, so Elizabeth having an outsider-to-Dutton arc could be fun.
1923 Can Improve On Michelle Randolph’s Divisive Landman Scenes
Michelle Randolph’s Greatness In Landman Was Undermined
Michelle Randolph’s excellent work in Landman season 1 was unfortunately undermined by the divisive response to some of her scenes, with criticism about her character being oversexualized. This was an issue due to her character being a seventeen-year-old in high school, and it has to be mentioned that there was never a problem with Michelle Randolph’s performance, only the writing. I’d love to see her have an expanded role in 1923, showing off her chops without the baggage of controversy.