Look, I want to believe in 1923 Season 2. I really do. But after Taylor Sheridan fumbled Yellowstone’s Sarah Atwood storyline like a quarterback with butterfingers, my expectations are lower than a cowboy’s drawl. Sarah had all the makings of a top-tier manipulator. Yet, she ended up as a half-baked plot device.
Now, 1923’s got a solid opportunity to fix that mistake with its own femme fatale. Will it? Probably not. I’ll watch, but I’m keeping my optimism on a short leash.
Can 1923 Season 2 fix Yellowstone’s Sarah Atwood blunder?
Taylor Sheridan botched Sarah Atwood’s arc in Yellowstone, and I still haven’t forgiven him. I liked that woman. She had the makings of a brilliant femme fatale. She was sharp, manipulative, and totally unpredictable. But instead of letting her cook, Sheridan yanked her off the board in the most unceremonious way possible. Now, 1923 S2 has a shot at redemption, but I’m not really holding my breath.
Let me give you a little context first. The Yellowstone prequel is diving deep into the Dutton family’s past, proving that Sheridan has learned a thing or two from his missteps. Case in point? Banner Creighton. Jerome Flynn’s Irish farmer-turned-antagonist isn’t just another mustache-twirling villain. He’s layered. He questions his own actions. He sees the wreckage his choices leave behind. That’s more than I can say for most Yellowstone bad guys.
But let’s face it: TS has a habit of setting up compelling conflicts only to rush through them faster than a stampede. 1923 could continue the trend, wrapping up Banner’s arc in an unsatisfying, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it finale. Sound familiar, eh?
That’s exactly what happened with Sarah Atwood. She entered Yellowstone like a hurricane, rattling Jamie Dutton and threatening the entire power structure, only to be sidelined and discarded. The same fate could be waiting for Banner. Hope not, though.
With only a few episodes left, the show faces a choice. It can lean into its best villain since Jamie Dutton, giving Banner a conclusion that actually sticks the landing. Or it can let him fade into the background, overshadowed by a cartoonishly evil Donald Whitfield.
If 1923 wants to truly stand apart from Yellowstone, it needs to prove it can handle its antagonists with more care. Otherwise, we’re in for another wasted opportunity.
1923 season 2 surges past season 1 with 56% more viewers
1923 is only getting bigger. Per Deadline, Season 2 is outpacing the first season by 56%, and it’s not slowing down. The premiere alone racked up 17M global viewers, marking a 41% increase over Season 1’s debut. Even more impressive? That first episode started with 5.4M viewers and has since grown by over 200%.
With new episodes dropping every Sunday on Paramount+, the Duttons are facing their biggest storm yet. 1923 Season 2 throws Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren) into a brutal winter, while Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) fights his way home to save his family. Meanwhile, Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer) takes her own high-stakes journey to reunite with him.
Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe just keeps expanding, and fans are clearly here for it.