1923 Series Premiere Review

 


It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. A hundred years ago life was exciting and full of romance but it was also a time of horrors. And so from the mind of Taylor Sheridan comes the prequel to the critically acclaimed Kevin Costner drama Yellowstone (a show which I still haven’t seen) entitled 1923. The series stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren and follows them as they lead the Dutton family through a time of hardships including Western Expansion, Prohibition, and the Great Depression, in the vast beautiful yet harsh landscape of Montana. Billed as a two-season only show with each season set to consist of eight episodes, the series premiere or pilot as you call it recently debuted and it didn’t disappoint in the least. 

 


 

The novelty of having Harrison Ford as the lead star of a TV show is not lost on me. In recent years we have continually seen the lines between film and TV blurred so much that there is practically no line. So the only explanation behind Sheridan being able to attract stars such as Ford and Mirren to such a rigorous workload of a project is that he presented them with a solid enough story… and they got paid top bill. And make no mistake neither of these performers are phoning it in here as they both live and breathe their characters with such a sincere sense of authenticity. Ford is particularly convincing as a cowboy who makes no qualms about standing firm in protecting his land and Mirren as a fierce and I’ll say it badass patriarch of the Dutton family. 

 


 




The cast doesn’t end there though as this show establishes a sprawling ensemble in its introductory tale. Of significant emphasis is Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), an indigenous American girl who suffers at the hands of a Sister and Father in a Catholic school of that time period. What transpires onscreen is brutal and unflinching and unfortunately paints a realistic picture of what went down back then in terms of treatment of indigenous Americans. Beyond that we have Elizabeth Strafford (Michelle Randolph), a feisty and capable young woman who is the fiance of Jack Dutton (Darren Mann). Strafford finds herself having to come to terms with the world of cattle ranching as it comes into conflict with her impending wedding. And finally we have Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton, the eldest nephew of Ford and Mirren’s characters. Spencer has seen the horrors of World War 1 and thus suffers from PTSD as he arrives in Africa where he proceeds to track big game. And I’ll tell you what unfolds from his side of the world here is not only exciting but edge-of-your-seat suspenseful and for sure ensures you’ll be tuning in next week to find out what happens next. Sklenar seems quite comfortable in the role and in a way embodies a young Harrison Ford with a potentially very promising career moving forward. 

 


 

 
 


 

The runtime of 1923’s pilot is a bit longer than what typical pilots usually run at 60 minutes but it is worth it. The characters and the atmosphere of the show are firmly established with plenty of storylines to fuel the 16 episode “limited series”. From the looks of things this show will be highly serialized and give us a complicated and layered look into the lives of its characters in its 1920s setting. Not to mention the international scale of the show with principal photography taking place not only in the show’s main setting of Montana but also locations throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe including Afghanistan, Kenya, Malta, South Africa, and Tanzania. This is definitely not your typical TV show as it imbues a highly cinematic nature to its storytelling. Sheridan even just said they are spending 30-35 million dollars per episode! And Harrison Ford was recently quoted as saying that at 80 he has no plans on retiring for the remainder of his lifetime as he just wants to keep working and loves the craft of storytelling in cinematic form. And if that’s the case 1923 is the perfect vehicle for that kind of ambition to be delivered to audiences on a weekly basis. 

 




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