Still reeling from the penultimate episode of Taylor Sheridan’s 1923? You are not alone. Viewers watched in horror as beloved characters and new favorites met their demise. With a total body count of seven(!) in a mere 50 minutes, Sheridan once again hammered home the brutality of the unforgiving American West. Comparisons to the slaughter of King Robb Stark, Queen Talisa Stark, and Lady Catelyn Stark during the infamous “Red Wedding” massacre in Game of Thrones Season 3, Episode 9, were obvious. These deaths were unexpected and shocking events for fans of both series.
The first death in 1923 Season 2, Episode 6, entitled “The Mountain Teeth of Monsters,” should have come as no surprise to viewers. Episode 5, entitled “Only Gunshots To Guide Us,” ended with Marshall Kent (Jamie McShane) and Pete Plenty Clouds (Jeremy Gauna) each getting off one shot at the other after a horse chase across the plains. Unfortunately for Plenty Clouds’ love Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), Kent won that duel. As Kent stands over Plenty Clouds’ dead body, Father Renaud (Sebastian Roché) approaches. Though Kent was right that Plenty Clouds’ and Rainwater were connected, Renaud has had enough of Kent’s senseless killings.
“All this death you make, and we are no closer to justice,” Renaud tells Kent. “We are looking for a girl, but you, you keep killing boys and men.” When Kent shows no remorse for his actions, Renaud finally decides to take action. He shoots a shocked Kent three times. “Now you go scream with the devil,” Renaud says coldly.
The next death is a difficult one for Yellowstone fans to stomach. Sweet Jack Dutton (Darren Mann) leaves his post at the family farm—where’s he’s been tasked to protect his pregnant wife Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) and great aunt Cara (Helen Mirren)—to join Jacob (Harrison Ford) at the train station to wait for Spencer’s (Brandon Sklenar) arrival. They hope to prevent Banner Creighton’s (Jerome Flynn) men from killing him.
On his way into town, Jack sees two men approaching on the road. Cautious, he ducks behind some trees, but he is swiftly spotted by the riders, Alec (Colt Brown) and Clyde (Brian Konowal),who are with Creighton. “We’re agents of the Livestock Commission,” they tell Jack. Jack, who is also a member, immediately lowers his weapon, taking their words at face value.
“Heading to the train deport?” asks Jack, happy for the company. “He your brother then, this Spencer?”Alec asks. “My father’s brother. With a gun in his hand, there’s no one better,” replies Jack. “That a fact?” asks Clyde. “Well, I’m a close second,” Jack replies cockily. And with that, Clyde shoots Jack off his house. Jack stares up into the sky in disbelief asClyde stands over him, gun drawn. “If you’re a close second, I’m not much worried about the first,” says Clyde before shooting Jack in the heart.
On the plains, Rainwater and her father, Runs His Horse (Michael Spears), have discovered Plenty Clouds’ body and have made camp for the night. Though Rainwater warns Runs His Horse about making a fire, he dismisses her worries because he believes no one else is around to see the flames. Runs His Horse is tragically wrong. Renaud, who has gone mad after killing Kent, approaches their fire and shoots Runs His Horse in cold blood.
Renaud then confronts Rainwater at gunpoint and offers her salvation if she will beg for forgiveness for her transgressions against God. At gunpoint, calmly tells him: “I will not. You beg for forgiveness.” “You are renouncing salvation?” asks Renaud in disbelief. “I renounce it,” screams Rainwater. “Then to the devil with you,” replies Renaud and pulls the trigger.
Miraculously, nothing happens because Renaud has run out of bullets. With this revelation, Rainwater springs into action, grabbing smoldering embers from the fire and rubbing them in Renaud’s face. Screaming, he staggers around their camp as Rainwater grabs her knife and stabs him multiple times. When he falls to the ground, Rainwater retrieves her father’s gun and swiftly shoots and kills Renaud.
Next up is the kindly British couple, Hillary (Janet Montgomery) and Paul (Augustus Pew), who offer Alex (Julia Schlaepfer) refuge in their Chicago home after her train was canceled because of a snow drift.They were so moved by Alex’s retelling of her and Spencer’s epic love story and subsequent journeys to be together that they undertake to drive her the 1,500 miles from Winnetka, Illinois, to Emigrant, Montana.
The drive starts out happily until they hit a snow storm in Buffalo, Wyoming. When they stop for gas and tire chains, the woman at the station asks where they’re headed. After hearing that they’re aiming for Emigrant, the woman is stunned. “In a car? How are you going to do that?” she asks incredulously. “We’ve made it this far,” Hillary answers confidently. “Take the train from Sheridan,” the woman implores. “Car won’t make it.”
Nervous, Alex asks: “Are there no more roads?” The woman, knowing these people are in over their heads, answers plainly. “Yeah, there are roads, just no more of these stations.” Undeterred, they begin the next phase of their trek as temperatures drop and the heavy snowfall continues. As Alex gets on the floor of the car to sleep where it’s warmer, Paul and Hillary watch the gas gauge fall closer and closer to empty.
The next morning, as she blinks herself awake, Alex realizes that she is in a stopped car. She checks the front seat and finds that Hillary has frozen to death. She opens the car door and quickly sees Paul lying dead nearby in the snow. Presumably, he was trying to go for help. Alex can only look out hopelessly at the miles and miles of frozen tundra all around her.
What horrors await Sheridan’s living characters in next week’s Season 2 finale? It’s anyone’s guess. Stream it next Sunday, starting at 12AM ET / 9PM PT on Paramount+, to find out!