Paramount+’s 1923 season two episode five finds Alexandra enduring yet another devastating event in her journey to reunite with Spencer. Meanwhile, Spencer’s luck finally changes, and his trip to Bozeman takes a few steps forward. Episode five, “Only Gunshots to Guide Us,” doesn’t check in on the Duttons as they endure the winter at the Yellowstone Ranch but does show Teonna’s pursuers are closing in on her in Texas.
The following is a recap, so there are plenty of spoilers ahead!
Marshal Kent (Ross Crain) and Father Renauld (Sebastian Roche) question the men from JA Ranch about Teonna’s whereabouts. The boss, Anders (C. Thomas Howell), is reluctant to admit he’s seen Teonna but does so only when Father Renauld confirms Kent’s story that Teonna murdered two nuns in their sleep.
Anders provides Teonna’s pursuers with the location of her last sighting. Kent figures out that Teonna and her companions are heading north, and Anders says they’re heading into an area without any cover. There aren’t any trees, water is scarce, and it’s possible to wander around in circles for hours without realizing it. Plus, it’s completely flat, which should make Teonna easy to spot.
Teonna (Aminah Nieves), Runs His Horse (Michael Spears), and Pete (Jeremy Guana) realize they’re lost, and the horses are incredibly thirsty. Pete decides to strike out on his own to search for water, promising to return soon. He’s sure the lawmen won’t be looking for a lone rider. Teonna’s frustrated and angry that white men have taken over their land.
Pete sees an animal and heads in the same direction it’s running. He spots a tree and finds a small waterhole. Unfortunately, Father Renauld and Marshal Kent are waiting at the water source and give chase when he flees. Pete’s horse is dehydrated and can’t maintain its pace. It falls, and Pete grabs his rifle. Shots are fired, but it’s unclear who’s been hit.
Spencer Crosses Paths with Marshal Fossett
Storylines finally begin to intersect as Marshal Mamie Fossett (Jennifer Carpenter) and two of her men come across Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) asleep under a tree while searching for Marshal Kent and Teonna. The marshals are shocked by the size of Spencer’s rifle and impressed that he has tracked large predators they’ve never heard of.
Spencer provides a brief recap of where he’s been, where he’s heading, and why he’s in the middle of nowhere. Asked about Teonna and Marshal Kent, he confirms he hasn’t seen either. Marshal Fossett is suspicious when Spencer claims to be from Montana, just like the lawmen and Teonna. She doesn’t believe in coincidences, and that’s too many people wandering around West Texas from Montana.
Marshal Fossett orders Spencer to come along with them to Amarillo, advising him he’s lucky they found him. If he is who he says he is, they’ll give him a train ticket to Montana.
They arrive at the sheriff’s office in Amarillo and learn the cells are always filled to capacity, so it’s being expanded. The sheriff in charge allows Marshal Fossett to use his phone to call Bozeman. The Amarillo sheriff notes that switchboard operators can get salty, and Mamie responds, “Impudence rides sidesaddle with anonymity.”
An operator on the other end of the line fetches Sheriff McDowell (Robert Patrick), and Marshal Fossett explains she’s with Spencer Dutton. After McDowell gets over the fact a marshal can be a woman, he confirms he knows Spencer Dutton. McDowell notes that Spencer is a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. She repeats that to Spencer, and he’s unimpressed. He had no idea that he earned the Medal of Honor.
Spencer gets on the phone with McDowell and asks about the men who killed his brother, John (played by James Badge Dale). McDowell warns him to stay away; he doesn’t want a war to break out. Spencer points out that a war is already underway. He asks McDowell to tell Cara he’s on his way home. McDowell asks that he stop by and see him first, but Spencer doesn’t respond.
McDowell suggests Marshal Fossett should keep him in Texas for his own good. Fossett points out she can’t arrest someone for what they’re thinking of doing. Instead, she fulfills her promise of a train ticket and sends Spencer on his way.
Alexandra Encounters Another Disgusting Brute on Her Trip Across America
Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer) is shocked to learn that her ticket doesn’t include food service. She doesn’t have any money and begs the porter to give her something to eat. It’s been days since she had a meal. The porter takes her to his boss, and although he can’t give her food, he will allow her to work serving meals to earn it.
Alex is working as a waitress when a repulsive man forces her to wipe his private area after she accidentally spills his tea. She’s disgusted when he grabs her hand and forces her to touch his penis through his pants. Alex finally manages to escape his grasp and rushes off.
She counts her tips before eating a bowl of stew after her shift’s over. Her feet are throbbing when she returns to the cabin. Fortunately, the manager has much more comfortable shoes delivered to her cabin, along with a reminder that her breakfast shift starts at 6am.
There’s only the wealthy British couple, Paul (Augustus Prew) and Hillary (Janet Montgomery), in the meal car when Alex begins her breakfast shift. They discuss why the French haven’t financially recovered from the war, and Alex interjects her opinion. She quickly apologizes, but Paul laughs and assures her she’s correct. They’re both impressed, and Paul gives her a large tip.
Unfortunately, the pervert from yesterday has taken a seat in the car and asks for coffee. He reaches up her dress and assaults her while she fills his cup. In response, she pours the steaming liquid into his lap and repeatedly hits him with the pot.
Paul and Hillary watch in shock while Alex runs off.
The train staff quickly place Alex under arrest and lock her in a cage. The conductor and restaurant manager don’t react when she explains the man attacked and raped her with his hand. He should be under arrest, not her. Alex is informed she’ll be turned over to the police when they reach Chicago.
The Chicago cops take the rapist’s statement. Afterward, they place Alex in handcuffs, certain she is guilty and just a “woman on the side” who feels scorned. Before Alex’s removal from the train, Hillary informs the officer that they witnessed the entire incident. They saw the man grope Alex’s privates and watched Alex defend herself. Alex confirms she told this same story to the conductor.
The couple agrees to make a statement, and the officer releases Alex from the handcuffs. She thanks Paul and Hillary and watches as the officers take her assailant into custody.
Suddenly, she spots her cabin mates carrying her belongings off the train. The woman also stole her tips but hands them over when Alex calls out for a cop.
Alex’s terrible luck continues when she learns that her train to Fargo has been canceled due to a snowdrift. Nobody can predict when the snowdrift will clear. Dejected, Alex takes a seat on a bench in the station with nowhere else to go. She’s sobbing, unsure what to do next, when Paul and Hillary suggest that she come with them to Winnetka. “It seems a bit of a respite from your adventures might be needed,” says Paul.
Alex leaves the station with her rescuers.
Briefly Checking in on Banner and Whitfield
Banner (Jerome Flynn) and the two spies inside the Livestock Commission drop the dead prostitute’s body at what will eventually be referred to as the train station. It’s an area where no laws apply since it’s a county with a zero population.
Whitfield sends his pet off to fetch another whore, and she convinces a pretty prostitute there’s a more profitable way to make a living than selling herself on the streets. She reveals that her client is incredibly wealthy, enjoys “theatre” in the bedroom, and prefers multiple women. The prostitute accepts the offer, totally unaware of the horrors in store.
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