Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) is closer to home than ever in 1923 season 2, episode 5, and it’s all thanks to Jennifer Carpenter’s Deputy Marshall Mamie Fossett. The fan-favorite hero has been expected to cross paths with the series newcomer since the first season 2 teasers came out, but there was no telling which way the wind would blow once their encounter came. Thankfully, she chose to abide by the law and let him continue his trek home to save his family – a refreshing change from the corruption, violence, and other obstacles he’s faced on his journey thus far.
One of the first things Fossett asks when she meets Spencer is whether he’s heard of Teonna. There is some irony to be mined in the situation, given that viewers have been expecting Spencer and Teonna (Aminah Nieves, whose character is an ancestor of Yellowstone’s Chief Thomas Rainwater) to team up in some way. While Fossett herself has not met Teonna, her actions in 1923 thus far have indicated that she would be more likely to take her side than to aid the so-called lawman and priest aiming to take her down.
ScreenRant interviewed Carpenter about her pivotal scenes with Spencer Dutton in 1923 season 2, episode 5. The actor explained what went through her character’s mind upon encountering him, why she sent him on his way, and how she approached Mamie’s interior life when not onscreen.
Mamie’s Scenes With Spencer Prove Her To Be The Fairest Form Of Justice In 1923
“I’m Here To Establish The Laws, And If They’re Thin Now, They’ll Never Mean Anything”
“Only Gunshots To Guide Us” opens with the search for Teonna still ongoing, and my heart sank when the cowboy who had offered her group shelter previously caved upon hearing of her contextless crimes from Father Renaud. The first thing Mamie Fossett asks Spencer upon approaching his sleeping form is whether he’s seen either the lawmen or the Indian girl, indicating her continued investment in the outcome of that search.
It would not have boded well for Teonna to have yet another man advertising what she had done.
Carpenter explained that as soon as Fossett hears he’s from Montana, she can’t help but imagine Spencer is connected to one of the two groups. “Either way, I’ve got to get him out of there,” she said, and with the sheriff’s office in Amarillo being near water, that’s the best place to take him. “But I’m probably calculating the entire way that, if he had in fact been associated with those men, it would not have boded well for Teonna to have yet another man advertising what she had done.”
Any doubt about the Deputy Marshall’s allegiances disappeared with that statement of purpose, but Fossett is not a character led by her personal desires. Instead, she is guided by what Carpenter calls “the Good Law,” which is best exemplified by her phone call with Sheriff McDowell. Whether Spencer’s low growl about vengeance for his brother or McDowell’s plea that she find a way to keep him in Texas holds any momentary sway, she is steadfast in her decision to let an innocent man go free.
“That’s why I really respect how closely she holds the law,” Carpenter gushed. “It’s like the Good Book to her; the Good Law.” In her mind, Fossett’s mantra is, “Those are the laws. I’m here to establish the laws, and if they’re thin now, they’ll never mean anything. She’s in the deadliest job in the United Territories, knowing that death is, if not tomorrow, maybe next month. It’s more than a creed. It is her purpose. So, if the law says he must go, he will be there. The Sheriff should be the one watching out if he’s scared.”
Jennifer Carpenter Joined 1923 As A Taylor Sheridan Super Fan
“Not A Second Of My Time – Or Hopefully Yours – Is Wasted On This Show”
Fossett may be all business onscreen, but Carpenter was ready to soak up every minute of enjoyment on set. “I loved the first season,” she admitted. “And when watching it, I never even imagined that I would get a chance to put on some boots and play along.” She even signed up for her own form of Cowboy Camp despite there not being an official one before season 2. “I went to Texas for a week by myself and learned with a couple of women, who were incredible at getting me from zero to better in no time.”
One of her scenes includes “a full-out run” on horseback, which the actor had never attempted before. After some last-minute coaching, she shared, “I was high for two hours after filming that. I can see why people dump all of their money into horses because it is a spiritual, exhilarating experience.” Her love of the craft is something she shares with show creator Taylor Sheridan, whom she praised for his passion and storytelling.
“I watch everything he does,” Carpenter exclaimed. “I think that he’s reconnecting audiences to what it means to tell stories on the viewer’s behalf.” As painful as certain storylines on 1923 might be, or as slow as the build might be, the star is sure fans will see how worthwhile the journey is. “He’s earning every minute of your time. Not a second of my time – or hopefully yours – is wasted on this show.” She felt it offscreen too. “I can’t tell you how much this job meant to me. It brought me back to life as an artist.”
When it came to episode 5 in particular, Carpenter pointed to her first scene as an example. “Standing under that tree, just before he wakes up, I had one question about him,” she explained, referring to his potential connection to Teonna. “I had one curiosity about this person, and I started there. Every take, I dove deeper into that one question I had, and I thought, ‘What a glorious way to live as an actor. How rich am I? It was so satisfying.”
Bringing A Real-Life Marshall To The Screen In Yellowstone’s Universe
“I Wanted To Do Right By Everyone And Every Word”
Mamie Fossett was a real person in history, but not much was known about her that Carpenter could find. Nevertheless, she plays the fictional version with such confidence and assurance that she leaps off the pages of history and fits perfectly into Sheridan’s world. Carpenter is humble when it comes to describing her process: “That was a tough one because I wanted to do right by everyone and every word, but there was so little written about her.”
One record of her work helped Carpenter, however. “There was only one story about her and another woman who went up to catch a criminal, and they did it in the grittiest way. Even if there were homes as they passed along the trail, they camped out on their own.” Based on this information, “I knew she was legitimate and the real deal. But how do you convey a sense of place, position, power, and credibility in so few words?”
I think she might have learned from her experiences when younger, so I imagined her with a big family, watching a lot of brothers in her life. But power is how other people treat you, not how you treat people. So, I think that she is confident enough and intelligent enough to live in stillness and to let information come to her rather than chase it down at every given minute. I think that she’s very strong on her own two feet, and that comes from a greater sense of purpose, probably.
The greater sense of purpose comes through in every one of Carpenter’s 1923 scenes, but there’s a lot more going on underneath. “I wonder what would make a woman of her capability go at it alone,” the actor asked rhetorically. “Did she go with her brothers when they made the move from East to West? Did she lose some along the way? Were any of them ever engaged to another woman? Did she ever see what femininity could possibly look like? Or was she the one who was left at the altar, either by just circumstance or illness?”
All of these unanswered questions about a potential tragedy earlier on led Carpenter to one conclusion when it came to portraying her version of Mamie. “If she can’t live a traditional life, could she dedicate her life to being a soldier who protects God’s earth and God’s creations?” Such a noble cause is evident in her behavior towards the Native Americans in Indian Territory, and there’s no doubt that the final 3 episodes of the season will highlight more of her fair-minded justice.
“I’ll be around now,” she promised when asked about the rest of the season. “I’ll say that, as a viewer, I had the absolute privilege of watching the finale months after we had shot. Even knowing what was going to happen, I was still a leaf in Taylor’s current. It just moved me wherever it chose to, and I went willingly. It was the most satisfying viewing experience I’ve had in years.”
Not only is it a beautiful story to watch, not only does it look like they’re spoiling you rotten with every single dollar being put on your television screen, but it opened up a conversation within myself about, “Is this how my ancestors moved when they did this, that, or the other? Is this how hard they fought for this simple pleasure, or this simple earthly convenience?” It really helped me collect myself in a way that I hadn’t expected.
New episodes of 1923 season 2 drop Sundays on Paramount+.