1923 Season 2 Episode 1 recap: There’s a lion on the porch

1923 Season 2 Episode 1 recap: Jacob and Jack walking into town

1923 Season 2 Episode 1, “The Killing Season,” opens with Spencer and Alex stranded on opposite sides of the world and the Duttons encountering dangerous beasts all around. (Warning: major spoilers ahead!)

It’s been a long time coming for the next season. Since that cliffhanger ending of the first season, Yellowstone fans have been waiting to see just how the Dutton family would keep their claim on their famous ranch.

There are other questions to answer, too, including major gaps in the Dutton family tree. But the wait is finally over—Season 2 is here, and the Yellowstone prequel is starting to deliver some long-awaited resolutions for Jacob, Spencer, and co.

Here’s everything that went down in the premiere episode, and what it means for the new season.

Winter has arrived in 1923 Season 2 Episode 1

1923 is back, and where better to start than at the Dutton Ranch? Winter has arrived, rendering Jacob, Cara, Jack, and Elizabeth useless at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Remember in Season 1 when Donald Whitfield paid off the ranch’s taxes under the condition that they’d need to pay him back in two years? Well, to make good on that (and prevent him from taking ownership), Jacob and Cara have resorted to selling off most of their herd.

1923 Season 2 Episode 1 recap: Jacob kisses Cara

As Cara tells Spencer in a letter, the road to Bozeman is snowed over, so they’ve also had to stay in the lodge over most of the season. (As we see Cara, Jacob, Jack and Elizabeth sit quietly over dinner, we can’t help but wonder how they pass the time. What do these guys even talk about?)

It’s not looking good. They can’t kill their own beef, so they’re living off stews and stale bread. Oh, and Jack’s got a beard.

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On this particular morning, Jacob is heading into town for a court hearing with Jack, and will be back the next day. But on the way out, he spots a mountain lion chilling on the front porch. He gives it a good talking to, but it runs away before he has time to kill it. (Symbolism? A CGI omen? You decide.)

Whitfield and Banner close in

Over at Donald Whitfield’s mansion, it’s a house of horrors. He’s joined by a naked woman in the bathtub, and seduces her by telling her that the honeybee is more deadly than the rattlesnake – a factoid he intends to use himself in his battle against the Duttons.

When things in the bath start getting heated, Whitfield tells the woman to get their “doll” to come in. It turns out, the doll in question is a young woman, beaten and bruised, chained up in the hallway. The other woman brings her inside, advising her to do her best in order not to get punished.

Meanwhile, Whitfield’s lackey, Banner Creighton, is enjoying his new life of luxury. As he leaves to head into town himself, his wife warns him against working with Whitfield. But he ignores her warning, telling her they could have everything they ever wanted if he continues to work with him.

Spencer makes his mark on an Italian ship

After being arrested for the death of Alex’s ex-fiancé (in a fair duel, mind you), Spencer’s now working on an Italian ship, trying to save up and find his way back to America. While shovelling coal in the engine room, he has a bit of a communication problem with his soon-to-be friend, Luca.

1923: Spencer on a ship

That night, in the sleeping quarters, Spencer is awakened by strange noises. When he gets up to investigate, he sees that Luca is being raped by a much larger man. Seeing Spencer, the man brandishes a knife, and the two get into a fight.

Spencer wins, easily, beating the abuser mercilessly with a belt. The captain later comes in to break up the fight, and tells him to clean up the blood.

Teonna is still free (for now)

We then return to Teonna’s story. Father Renaud is still hunting her down, now aided by the stern Marshal Kent and his man. When they reach a Comanche campsite, they interrogate the innocent people there. The campers insist they’ve never seen Teonna.

Unsatisfied, Kent escalates the situation by grabbing a young boy and holding a gun to his head, which even Renaud admonishes. As they ride out, Kent stampedes his horse right into the little boy, potentially killing him.

Aminah Nieves as Teonna Rainwater in 1923

Teonna is actually elsewhere, safe and sound. She’s been travelling with her father, Runs His Horse, and Pete Plenty Clouds. She and Pete clearly still have a blossoming romance growing, and although her father warns her against moving too fast, he says she can give Pete permission to marry her.

As such, Teonna runs into the woods to find Pete, who’s out hunting. When she finds him, she strips off her clothes. He follows her into a secluded spot, but before they can go any further, they spot a lone rider coming down the hill. Pete runs out to grab her abandoned clothes, but the rider spots him.

Thankfully, he’s kind, and tells him they’re free to camp on that ground – only to mind the snakes. He also tells them they’ve reached Texas, which they were unaware of until now. When Pete returns, he and Teonna kiss.

A new Dutton baby is on the way

Next, we head to Sussex, England. Alexandra is practically comatose with depression, hiding out in her bedroom. When her best friend Jennifer arrives, Alex reveals the shocking news: she’s pregnant with Spencer’s child.

1923 Season 2 Episode 1: Alex laying in bed

This makes her mission all the more urgent. She has to go to America to reunite with the father of her unborn child. The problem, however, is that she’s now a persona non grata among society, and her family refuse to give her the money to travel.

Pleading with Jennifer, Alex takes the jewellery from her dresser (some of which belongs to the estate) and asks her to sell it on the streets for cash. Jennifer is hesitant at first, but eventually relents.

Elated, Alex then writes a letter to Spencer, telling him, “I know not the path nor the manner of with which I will find my way to you.” (She then proceeds to tell him exactly the path and the manner in which she will find him: a ship to New York, then a train to Montana.)

Spencer joins a fight club

Back on Spencer’s ship, he goes to his bed to find a handful of letters on his pillow. They’re from Luca, who’s currently planning to end his life by jumping from the side of the boat. But Spencer finds him and talks him out of it, cementing their friendship for good.

1923 season 2 episode 1: spencer prepares to fight

Later in the engine room, Luca is enamored with his new lion-fighting buddy (once again, the lion motif). When Spencer reveals how he’s trying to get back to Montana, Luca suggests he starts fighting the others on the ship for bets, since he could easily win and use the cash to get back home.

Back in Montana, Jacob and Jack head to the local speakeasy. There, Jacob meets Sheriff McDowell, and the two discuss the upcoming case. It’s over Zane and his wife Alice, who were arrested at the end of last season for an illegal marriage. Jacob also explains that while they managed to pay off one of Whitfield’s two-year tax plan, they still have this year’s to make up for.

Returning to Spencer’s ship, Luca is acting as his hype man. During dinner, he lines up a couple of fights for the Dutton hero, both of which he wins, easily. By the end of the night, he’s made $420. (According to one inflation calculator, that’s $7,941.77 today!)

Return of the mountain lion

So, Spencer now has the means to travel home. On the other side of the ocean, Alex is also preparing to start her journey. Jennifer gives her the money she earned from the jewels, which isn’t enough to get her a first class ticket. Luckily, Alex would rather ride “tourist class” anyway, to avoid being spotted by London’s elite.

As they part ways, Jennifer gives her a diamond bracelet, in case she needs to sell it for cash along the way. Alex steps aboard the ship, hopeful and optimistic about the long road ahead of her.

Finally, back at the Dutton Ranch, Elizabeth wakes up in the morning and is delighted to see sunlight for the first time in months. She rushes outside to enjoy it. However, when Cara steps out, she sees that Elizabeth has been frozen in fear by the sight of the mountain lion on the porch again.

Without hesitation, Cara takes a gun and shoots it dead. She steps outside, lighting to the sounds of the wolves and other wild animals around them.

Then, the voice of Elsa Dutton returns, telling us, “Winter is the time of the wolf, the time of the lion, when all nature’s failures become a meal. Then spring brings new life, and God tries again.”

1923 Season 2 Episode 1 is available to stream on Paramount+ now.

For more, check out our full release schedule, and remind yourself where to watch 1923. You can also learn all about the first episode’s Cole Brings Plenty dedication.

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