Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” might be in hibernation (until this summer, when the back half of season 5 airs) but that doesn’t mean that you are totally deprived of Dutton-related drama, as prequel series “1923” is currently streaming. It’s full of all the things that make “Yellowstone” so special – frontier justice, cowboys, big movie stars (in this case Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and Timothy Dalton among others) and a surprising amount of pistol whipping.
“1923” picks up after the events of “1883.” Harrison Ford plays Jacob Dutton, the brother of James Dutton (Tim McGraw’s character on “1883”). After James and Margaret (Faith Hill) passed away, Jacob and his wife Cara (Helen Mirren) take the boys in. Jack Dutton (Darren Mann) is the dedicated cowboy and ranchman while Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar), having PTSD from World War I, retreats to Africa to hunt big game. In a very real way we are seeing the beginnings of the Yellowstone ranch, not just in the buildings but in the craggy philosophy and the psychic trauma that seems to permeate the soil.
There’s a lot to enjoy about “1923” and much to look forward to, so we’ve cobbled together a handy guide to the show’s release schedule and when new episodes will air.
When did “1923” premiere?
Paramount+ premiered “1923” on December 18, as a little Christmas treat. Paramount also ran the episode on linear television, on the Paramount Network and again on Christmas Day during the Dutton marathon that included episodes of “Yellowstone” and “1883.” With nearly 7.4 million viewers on streaming and linear, “1923” was the biggest debut in Paramount+ history. Dang right.
What time does “1923” come out on Paramount+?
New episodes of “1923” premiere on Sundays, dropping at midnight Pacific and 3:00 a.m. Eastern if you want to stay up late on Saturday night to catch the latest episode.
Are new episodes released weekly or all at once?
Eschewing the Netflix binge-and-go model, new episodes of “1923” debut on Paramount+ weekly. You know, like television. Not only does this makes the show more digestible but it also gives you something to look forward to each week.
Here’s the full schedule for the season:
Episode 1: Sunday, December 18, 2022
Episode 2: Sunday, December 25, 2022
Episode 3: Sunday, January 1, 2023
Episode 4: Sunday, January 8, 2023
Episode 5: Sunday, February 5, 2023
Episode 6: Sunday, February 12, 2023
Episode 7: Sunday, February 19, 2023
Episode 8: Sunday, February 26, 2023
Who is in the cast of “1923?”
Beyond the aforementioned members of the Dutton clan, there are all sorts of villains and allies in the Montana plains. Perhaps most surprisingly is the fact that Isabel May returns from “1883” as Elsa Dutton, our narrator. She carries over the poetic musings about the land and the vices of men, just like in “1883,” even though her death was arguably the defining moment in that series. It’s a neat bit of continuity and it’d be nice to see it continue throughout the ever-growing suite of spin-offs.
Here’s more of the “1923” cast:
• Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton
• Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton
• Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton
• Darren Mann as Jack Dutton
• Julia Schlaepfer as Alexandra
• Jerome Flynn as Banner Creighton
• Brian Geraghty as Zane Davis
• Aminah Nieves as Teonna Rainwater
• Michelle Randolph as Elizabeth “Liz” Strafford
• Timothy Dalton as Donald Whitfield
• Isabel May as the Narrator, Elsa Dutton
Will there be a “1923” Season 2?
Yes, it seems like Taylor Sheridan and Paramount+ have learned their lesson from “1883,” a limited series that ended up being a streaming juggernaut. Sometime during the production of the first season, they hastily reconfigured deals and announced that the show would be back for a second, 8-episode season sometime next year. Part of this has to do with their desire to reuse sets and costumes since episodes of “1923” are hugely expensive and are estimated to have cost between $30 – $35 million per episode. That’s a spicy meatball!
Beyond that, there are more “Yellowstone” spinoffs planned, including “1883: The Bass Reeves Story” about the legendary lawman that inspired the Lone Ranger (starring the great David Oyelowo); and “6666” about the Texas ranch (this is a modern-day spinoff with characters from “Yellowstone”). And who knows? We’re sure Sheridan will continue to map out uncharted parts of the Dutton family tree.
