Paramount+’s 1923 season one episode three opens with a reminder that ranchers don’t keep normal hours. They also don’t get weekends off. “Ranchers are bound only to the seasons,” says Elsa Dutton (1883’s Isabel May).
And, shockingly, by the time that episode three concludes, another Dutton family member has passed away. War has come to the Yellowstone Ranch and with it death. (Spoilers ahead.)
Cara (Helen Mirren), Emma (Marley Shelton), and Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) are doing chores when they spot their men returning home. Elizabeth races out to greet Jack, and in return, Jack (Darren Mann) rides like lightning toward the barn. Which, apparently, is simply not done on ranches. Jacob (Harrison Ford) notes that the Yellowstone Ranch might be the only ranch that doesn’t obey the rule that horses are walked near barns.
Cara confesses she was really worried about this trip, and Jacob confirms they encountered a problem he’ll need to discuss with the sheriff.
Banner Creighton’s homecoming isn’t as warm and welcoming. He’s returned without his men or his horse, and he sends his boy off to fetch fellow sheepherders. Banner (Jerome Flynn) is in poor shape from walking down the mountain, and he blames his condition on the Duttons. (Banner was the only one to survive after Jacob had the trespassing sheepherders strung up.)
The following day the Duttons and Yellowstone cowboys join Jacob on a trip to town. Cara’s shocked to learn electricity is coming to the valley, with a local shop owner confirming that cables are being run along with the paving of the road to the park. A road’s going in that will run all the way from Canada to Mexico.
Cara actually giggles as the store owner shows off a washing machine and describes what it does. A refrigerator catches Elizabeth’s eye, and the owner also describes how it works. He adds that although they can buy electricity, he’s renting these appliances.
Jack isn’t sold on these new-fangled contraptions, pointing out that they’ll just have to work harder and longer to pay for all these items that are supposed to be providing them with more time to relax. John Sr (James Badge Dale) agrees with his son and dismisses the very idea of renting these unnecessary luxuries.
As Cara’s walking away, she whispers to Elizabeth that a washing machine is actually a good idea.
Jacob and Sheriff McDowell (Robert Patrick) disagree over Jacob’s decision to hang the trespassers rather than bring them to town for justice. McDowell’s worried about a range war, and Jacob insists the war’s already begun and the sheepherders started it.
Jacob speaks with a fellow rancher, commiserating over the crowds in town, the devastating drought, and the intrusive sheep. The rancher promises to support Jacob’s fight with the sheepherders.
By the time Jacob reunites with his clan, it’s too late for the group to head back to the ranch. They’ll have to spend the night at the Hotel Boseman, and Elizabeth, for one, seems perfectly happy with that decision.
John Sr and Emma take a stroll away from the rest of the Duttons, unaware they’re being watched.
Jack, Elizabeth, and some of the cowboys make their way to a hidden speakeasy, hoping for a good time. Elizabeth’s all smiles as they take seats at the bar and order what all the “fancy folks” are drinking: Gin Rickeys (gin, lime, and club soda) and Bee’s Knees (gin, lemon juice, and honey).
Elizabeth downs her drink fast and insists on dancing. Jack will do anything for his lady and joins her on the dance floor.
They eventually make it back to the hotel, and after a passionate kiss good night, Elizabeth assures him she’s worth the wait. But as he’s walking away, she opens her door. Jack’s a bit hesitant as he enters her room and then watches Elizabeth start to take off her clothes.
“My plan was a beguiling pose on the bed,” she says, laughing softly at herself for being unable to unfasten her buttons.
Jack doesn’t care about the pose; he just wants Elizabeth right now. (Jacob’s suggestion that Elizabeth’s dad shouldn’t worry about a baby arriving early might be proven prescient.) They take their time as they explore each other’s bodies in the privacy of Elizabeth’s hotel room.
Hyenas are the Least of Spencer’s Worries
Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) arrives in the area of recent hyena attacks and learns they’re craftier animals than lions. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern to the attacks, and tying a goat to a tree has been unsuccessful in luring in a hyena.
Spencer believes the hyena responsible’s either old or hurt. It’s definitely not a pack since the victims are barely eaten.
Three men are constantly on patrol at night around the temporary settlement where the railroad workers are housed. The man in charge is worried the hyena’s kills will attract lions to the camp.
Spencer’s guides haven’t arrived, which is troubling since they’re only coming from 10 miles away.
Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer) rises later than the men and looks out over the plains. She confesses it doesn’t look real; it reminds her of a painting. Spencer agrees that it’s beautiful, and the conversation turns to Darwin and his theory of evolution. Spencer describes the differences between wild animals in America and Africa, explaining that in America, the animals flee from people. Here in Africa, they just consider people nuisances since they’ve dealt with humans for a million years.
Spencer and Alexandra head off in a car to look at the footprints of a child baked into a lava rock, something he mentioned while they were discussing evolution. They pass by herds of zebra, elephants, giraffes, and even a lone warthog, and Alexandra’s fascinated by all the wildlife. She’s never seen an impala before and thinks they look like goats.
They finally make it to the remote location, and Spencer asks if he can call her Alex. Alexandra’s just too long and will take too much time if he needs to warn her about a lion or some other danger. She jokes about how difficult it was to ask about a nickname and says she won’t hold her breath about a marriage proposal.
However, Spencer’s ready to pop the question right now, even though they’ve just met. Alex laughs but then realizes Spencer’s quite serious. He wants to marry her despite the fact that they’re basically strangers.
“Marry me,” says Spencer, and Alex points out that’s not a question. Still, she seems fine with his demand and agrees to marry him. (Brandon Sklenar and Julia Schlaepfer have incredible chemistry!)
Alex bends down next to the footprint and turns melancholy, thinking about the child being alone when he or she left it. This area makes her feel small, and she becomes emotional as she explains it’s the first time that she’s realized life is incredibly short.
Spencer’s already aware of that, and that’s why he proposed.
They head back to camp but pause as a herd of elephants, including young ones, cross their path. Spencer’s description of these gorgeous creatures changes Alex’s opinion of this man she’s fallen in love with. She sees the boy in him and sees “their boy” in him too. Spencer sees their boy in her as well.
Alex admits her parents are going to hate Spencer, but Spencer’s sure his parents will love Alex.
Suddenly, an elephant charges at the car and Spencer’s forced to throw it into reverse. They back away, but the elephant continues charging and is able to push the car over. It attacks again once it’s disabled the vehicle, and Spencer gets off a shot.
The elephant wanders a few yards away and dies. (Between 1923 and Yellowstone season five, Taylor Sheridan’s characters are killing a lot of animals.)
Spencer helps a shocked Alex from the car, and together they manage to push it back onto its wheels. Unfortunately, the car won’t start and they’re forced to hide in a nearby tree. A dead elephant is bound to cause a feeding frenzy.
But once they climb the tree, Spencer realizes it’s not high enough. They’re still in grave danger, but this is the tallest tree around. He explains their predicament, and Alex is quick to understand the dire circumstances they find themselves in.
Spencer assures Alex he will not let this be their last night together.
Hours later, Alex jerks awake in Spencer’s arms as a pride of lions feast on the elephant. Hyenas howl and approach the pride, but the lions don’t give ground. One lioness notices the humans in the tree, and Spencer kills her before she can reach their hiding place.
The pride now concentrates their attention on the humans, and Spencer continues to shoot while Alex screams. Headlights of four vehicles heading their direction appear, and Spencer remains laser-focused on the lions as Alex screams, “We’re here!”
Men leap out of the cars while firing into the air. The lions and hyenas back away, and Spencer helps Alex out of the tree. Spencer pauses a moment before following his shaken fiancée (if she hasn’t had a change of heart, that is) down. He takes time to retrieve his lucky rope before taking a seat in the car.
On their ride back to the camp, Alex admits she didn’t feel alive when she looked death in the eye. She only felt horror – and she doesn’t want to feel that again. Spencer confesses that’s how he always felt until he met her. Now, he never wants to feel that way again.
Spencer smiles as Alex says he needs to find a new job. “Honey, that wasn’t my job. That was just you and me taking a drive in the country,” replies Spencer.
Alex suddenly understands the real price of making love under the sun one, two, or even three times a day. After surviving a near-death experience, Alex and Spencer can’t wait and have sex in the back seat on the way back to camp.
The War Officially Begins
Morning arrives at the Hotel Boseman, and Cara enjoys watching Jacob shave. She points out that women are now shaving their legs and under their arms, which seems unnecessary. Cara’s worried about their species and thinks greed will be what kills us all.
Jacob agrees with his wife of 44 years and admits it’s a pleasure listening to her babble on about nonsense. Cara suggests there will come a point where women shave between their legs just because razor companies tell them to.
Jacob pauses in front of the mirror, wondering when he got so old.
The group prepares to leave town, and Jacob instructs ranch foreman Zane Davis (Brian Geraghty) to ride ahead with the cowboys. Zane wants to leave a few cowboys with the buggy, but Jacob declines that offer. The Duttons will follow behind with the buggy, and the cowboys can clear the way if there’s trouble.
A short while later, the Duttons are out of sight of the cowboys when they hear gunfire. Elizabeth’s shot before they can react, and Jacob yells for everyone to get out of the buggy. Before they can take cover, Jack’s shot and so is Elizabeth’s dad, Bob Strafford (Tim DeKay).
It’s an ambush, and although Jacob and John Sr return gunfire, their attackers don’t back off. The sheepherders are well hidden behind boulders and trees as the gunfire spooks the horses and causes them to race off with the buggy. Elizabeth never had a chance to get off, and she’s stuck in the back seat as the horses run away.
Cara, Jacob, John Sr, and Emma take cover behind a fallen tree as an injured Jack pursues the buggy on horseback.
Zane and the cowboys hear the shots and turn around, racing toward the Duttons. Meanwhile, Jack jumps into the wagon, grabs the reins, and manages to get the horses to stop.
Jacob watches Jack carry Elizabeth to safety behind a boulder as dozens of sheepherders ride toward the fallen tree. Jacob hopes Jack will remain hidden, but of course he doesn’t. Jack uses the boulder for cover and kills one of their attackers.
The larger group advances on Jacob’s position, and Cara, John Sr, and Emma all return fire.
They’re greatly outnumbered as Banner drives up with what looks like a Thompson submachine gun. He calls out to Jacob and declares himself a man of his word as he opens fire.
Jacob tells the others to run as bullets spray the area. Jacob and John Sr are hit multiple times before the Yellowstone cowboys arrive to kill or chase off the sheepherders.
Banner gets back into his car and drives away as his fellow sheepherders are shot.
Zane finds Jack crouched behind a boulder with Cara, Emma, and Elizabeth. Although Jack’s been shot, Zane orders him to retrieve the buggy because they need it.
Cara rushes to Jacob’s side, and he looks like he’s at death’s door. Unfortunately, John Sr has died from his wounds, and Cara attempts to hold Emma back, insisting she doesn’t need to see him. Emma doesn’t listen and stares at the love of her life, lying dead next to Jacob.
Elizabeth’s father has also passed away.
Cara notices an injured sheepherder fleeing on foot. (This is where the opening scene from the first episode comes into play.) She follows him and stands over the sheepherder as he begs for his life. He asks to be taken to the sheriff, but Cara isn’t about to let him get away. She pulls the trigger, but the rifle doesn’t fire. The man struggles to load his own gun, but Cara manages to load her rifle first. She kills him and screams to the heavens.
Jacob and Elizabeth are rushed back to the Yellowstone Ranch as Cara barks orders. She sets to work stopping the bleeding, and Jacob’s able to tell Zane not to send for the sheriff. Jacob believes he’s dying, but Cara insists that if he can talk, he’s going to live.
Jacob tells Cara that Spencer must come home now.
The doctor and nurses arrive, and the doctor orders Cara to leave the room and let them work.
Cara steps outside and writes a letter to Spencer. Her hand shakes as she writes to inform Spencer his brother’s been killed and it’s possible Jacob will die, too. Jack was wounded.
She writes: “This ranch and your legacy are in peril. War has descended upon this place and your family. Whatever war you fight within yourself must wait. You must come home and fight this one.”
- Recap of 1923 Episode 1
- 1923 Season 1 Episode 2 “Nature’s Empty Throne” Recap
- 1923 Episode 4 “War and the Turquoise Tide” Recap
- 1923 Episode 5 “Ghost of Zebrina” Recap
- 1923 Season 1 Episode 6 “One Ocean Closer to Destiny” Recap
- 1923 Season 1 Episode 7 “The Rule of Five Hundred” Recap
- 1923 Season 1 Episode 8 “Nothing Left to Lose” Recap
- 1883 Season 1 Episode 10 Recap: “This Is Not Your Heaven” Season Finale
- Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 1 Recap: “One Hundred Years is Nothing”
