1923 star Sebastian Roche reacts to his character’s brutal season 2, episode 6 demise, calling his death scene “really exceptional.” Father Renaud’s obsessive quest to track down his former boarding school student and abuse victim Teonna reached its climax in 1923 season 2’s penultimate episode, the two adversaries finally coming face-to-face in the wilds of Texas. But Renaud would be denied the satisfaction of ending Teonna’s life, instead meeting his own bloody demise at her hands, making him one of several 1923 characters to be killed off in the episode.
Father Renaud actor Roche may have seen his time on 1923 come to an end, but he has no misgivings about his character’s demise, expressing his pleasure with the way his vengeful priest went out, while praising Taylor Sheridan’s writing (via THR):
Well, it seemed to me that’s what was deserved for the character. I always thought that I would get an extraordinary demise, and I have to admit that I wasn’t disappointed. It was really the demise I was wanting for the character. I was hoping it would happen later in the season, which is what happened, because I go through this incredible journey to get to my ultimate goal. Then when I saw the written scenes, I thought, “Wow, my god, this is really exceptional.”
What This Means For 1923 Season 2
Teonna Finally Bested Renaud, But Now Finds Herself Alone
1923 season 2 is set to wrap up with a two-hour finale, which looks to focus on Spencer’s return to Montana, Alexandra’s own increasingly-desperate odyssey to reunite with her husband, and the sure-to-be-wild final battle between the Duttons and Whitfield. The cast underwent quite a pruning in anticipation of that final installment, with Renaud’s demise ranking as a highlight of episode 6’s Sheridan-orchestrated bloodbath.
Renaud’s obsessive quest to find Teonna, aided by U.S. Marshals, saw him meandering south for multiple episodes before suddenly and brutally meeting his fate. For a moment it seemed the mad priest might actually dispatch Teonna, bringing her saga to an unexpected end, but she was able to get the upper-hand on her tormentor, thanks to an empty gun. Teonna now finds herself alone in the wilderness, her father Runs His Horse and lover Pete Plenty Clouds having both been killed.
Our Take On Father Renaud’s Ending
Teonna Finally Got Some Justice
What happens next for Teonna is yet to be seen, but with Renaud now dead, she is free to return to Montana, where her story could finally connect to that of the Duttons. Renaud’s demise, meanwhile, serves as a bloody example of what can happen when a man allows himself to be overcome with the lust for vengeance, losing all focus on right-and-wrong in the process.
Renaud finally realizing the folly of his non-godly ways, and leaving a traumatized Teonna in peace, was seemingly never in the cards. That being the case, it was only fitting that Teonna herself should be the one to dispatch the bloodthirsty man of God. Given the price Teonna paid for her own suvival, it was no shock to see her unleash such brutal violence against the man who made her life hell, and clung maniacally to his hatred for her until the bitter end, despite his alleged desire to save her soul.
Teonna finally achieved a little justice by stabbing and shooting Renaud, leaving his body in the Texas dirt. It was a fitting way for her story to turn, leaving her still among the living, though now completely alone. Renaud also received his just desserts, setting up more carnage to come in the final episode of season 2.
1923 season 2, episode 7 brings the drama home to Paramount+ on Saturday, April 5.