Snow blankets the Yellowstone Ranch as Paramount+’s 1923 season one episode seven begins. The season’s penultimate episode opens with Jack (Darren Mann) giving Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) a good morning kiss and promising to be careful.
Jacob (Harrison Ford) is getting around better, and he briefly comes inside to warm his hands by the fire. He promises Cara (Helen Mirren) they’ll be back by supper, and Cara responds, “Just come back.”
Outside, the cowboys saddle up and head out with Jacob in the lead.
In town, the snow makes it difficult for motorcars to get around, but horses don’t have any problem. Three sheriff vehicles fall into place behind Jacob and his men as they head to Banner’s new home (courtesy of Donald Whitfield).
Banner (Jerome Flynn) is smoking a cigar as he returns to his bedroom where two naked prostitutes are sprawled in bed. He pours champagne into a glass and onto a hooker’s stomach. But before the orgy goes any further, the doorbell draws his attention.
He’s greeted at the door by Sheriff McDowell (Robert Patrick) and placed under arrest for two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder. Jacob approaches the door and Banner’s stunned to see him alive and well. Banner demands Sheriff McDowell arrest Jacob too since he strung his men up from a tree. Sheriff McDowell believes Jacob was justified since the sheepherders were trespassing.
The Sheriff won’t allow Banner to get dressed as he takes him away in handcuffs.
Banner’s still putting on a good show as he’s led to the car, warning Jacob that he’ll need all his men to stay alive. He also warns Jack that he may have cheated death twice but he won’t cheat it a third time.
Sheriff McDowell points out that sounds like a confession.
Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) supervises as dynamite clears the way inside a mine. He watches as dozens of men get to work in the mine but is distracted when word arrives that Jacob was spotted in town. He’s informed by the recently hired red-headed livestock agent that Jacob accompanied Sheriff McDowell to arrest Banner. (Cara was right to be hesitant in hiring him.)
No sooner is Banner brought to jail than his lawyer arrives for a visit. The lawyer orders Banner not to speak to anyone and reveals that bond will be set, even though that’s not the normal procedure. The lawyer’s certain Banner will be released after his arraignment in the morning.
The lawyer joins Donald in his car and tells him the name of the judge. Donald orders the lawyer to make sure the judge knows how important Banner is to his operation, and the lawyer promises to take care of it.
Donald will handle the two prostitutes currently at Banner’s place himself.
Donald shows his sadistic side by ordering one prostitute to spank the other with his belt. He watches, drink in hand, making sure the beating is harsh and the one on the receiving end doesn’t cry out.
Night falls and Cara writes a letter to Spencer. Elizabeth wonders how she’ll send it to him, given that he’s on his way home. Cara admits she can’t and the letter’s more for herself than for Spencer.
Cara describes Spencer as a quiet boy, deliberate in all his actions. He was an observer and a good listener, and writing to him is her way of journaling.
Cara admits she’s more like Jack and has a hard time dealing with waiting. Elizabeth claims she’s the same way, but writing isn’t an option. She thinks she’d like to bake a cake to fill the time, and they’re busy in the kitchen when Jacob arrives home. Cara pulls him in for a hug, relieved to have her husband back.
Jacob confirms Banner’s locked up and Cara’s relieved to hear that.
Elizabeth rushes out to greet Jack in the living room and his face lights up n a huge smile. She plops into his lap and they kiss. Jack jokes he can’t wait to see how he’s welcomed back after a week if this is what he gets after being gone for just a day.
They relax around the dinner table as Jack reads the headlines. There’s one about Coolidge bringing two grizzly bears to the White House and another about unemployment being at historic lows. But the headline that gets the Duttons worked up is an article that says the CEO of Anaconda Copper Mines has been appointed chairman of a commission to regulate mining. Donald Whitfield is the vice chair. The bosses of the mining companies are in charge of regulating the mines, and Jack thinks that’s ridiculous.
Jacob says that’s the way politics works; it’s a corrupt system. Jack points out that Jacob’s a politician too. He’s a cattleman in charge of regulating cattle. (Jack’s not wrong.)
Jacob created the commission to protect the land and his family. Whitfield’s doing the same thing, but what he wants goes against what the ranch needs. Jake asks about right and wrong, and Jacob insists you can’t think that way.
“You can only think about what’s good for this ranch… what’s good for your family. That’s it. Then you use their rules to do it,” explains Jacob.
Cara reminds them they don’t talk politics at the table. Elizabeth leaves the table with Cara and Jack wonders why they’re in trouble. Jacob explains putting Banner in jail didn’t solve anything. Cara’s not mad, she’s scared.
Days have passed since Issaxche was murdered by lawmen searching for Teonna. Her body’s finally discovered by Teonna’s father, Runs His Horse (Michael Spears), who spots hoofprints outside. Hank’s son, Pete Plenty Clouds (Cole Brings Plenty), arrives minutes later and they determine, based on the fact only the government shoes their horses, that it wasn’t thieves that killed Issaxche.
Pete Plenty Clouds passes on the news that Teonna left school and is with his father. Pete adds that Teonna’s in trouble and Runs His Horse suggests that he take a different way back and avoid the road. He’s not joining him yet but will soon.
Runs His Horse buries Issaxche before returning to his home to retrieve weapons and supplies.
Later, Pete is warming himself by a fire, surrounded by rocks, when the three priests searching for Teonna ride up. They try to get information from him, including his age, and threaten to drag him back to school if he doesn’t answer them.
Pete gets in the first blow but soon the three priests overpower him and deliver a beating. His hands are tied with rope and one priest volunteers to take him back to the school while the other two keep searching for Teonna.
Pete’s forced to walk beside the horse as they make their way back to the school.
Runs His Horse finds Pete’s horse and grabs the reins. The horse wandered away from Pete’s campsite but Runs His Horse finds it and the fire’s still burning. Pete’s hat is on the ground and Teonna’s father picks it up and continues searching for clues. He finds the hoofprints of three horses and Pete’s footprints.
The priest and Pete have stopped for the night, and as they sit around a fire the priest lectures Pete. He suggests Native Americans don’t need schools; they need exorcisms. Pete points out that the priest kills and that he stole the land he sits on, which means he’s breaking the laws of the God he claims to follow and obey. If he can break those laws, then he must believe his God doesn’t really exist.
The priest is enraged and kicks Pete in the face. He thinks the world would be better off without Pete (or any Native Americans) but before he finishes Pete off, he recites the Lord’s Prayer. Runs His Horse comes up behind the priest and scalps him. He slits his throat and the priest dies in a pool of blood.
Pete confirms two more priests are looking for Teonna, and he knows where they’re heading. The priests would have stopped to rest but Pete and Runs His Horse won’t. Runs His Horse eats the priest’s soul before they head out.
Morning arrives and the two priests spot Teonna (Aminah Nieves) by a creek. They initially believe Teonna’s a boy and ask about a 15-year-old girl. They don’t answer her questions as Hank watches from his doorway, hidden from view. One priest becomes suspicious and approaches Teonna on foot. She takes off running, but the priest still on horseback knocks her down.
She’s able to blind the priest in one eye and he punches her repeatedly in the face. He’s about to kill her when Hank shoots him in the back. He also shoots the other priest before he can get back on his horse.
Teonna’s face is bloody and looks painful, and Hank lifts her up and carries her back to his home.
Unfortunately, one of the priests isn’t dead and he shoots Hank in the back, killing him. Teonna picks up a large rock as the priest tries to reload and bashes his head in.
She crawls to Hank and her cry becomes a scream.
The ship’s heading toward the port when Captain Shipley (Joseph Mawle) tells Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) he’ll have a skiff take them the rest of the way to shore. He doesn’t want to be boarded by Customs. Spencer says he’s in his debt, but Captain Shipley believes the sea is the last place where men do the right thing just because it’s the right thing. However, if he’s ever in the company of leopards he’d appreciate Spencer having his back.
Spencer didn’t tell Shipley he was a hunter, and Shipley points out he’s famous. They shake and Captain Shipley jokingly compares Alex to a wildcat, saying, “You’ve got the tiger by the tail with your new bride.”
They make it to land and Spencer suggests they locate a hotel. Alex (Julia Schlaepfer) reminds him he’s not in control. First, they need to find a café because she wants pasta and wine.
“Deep down, you love being told what to do. There’s a freedom in it. We all know how you Americans feel about your freedom,” says Alex, walking ahead of her new hubby.
Spencer catches up and says that while he’ll follow her, he won’t walk behind her. She teases that it’s a good view from behind and Spencer hangs back, smiling.
They grab a table at a restaurant and Spencer confirms he booked passage for Thursday. He also confesses this is the first time he’s been in a restaurant since he left Montana.
Spencer claims he’s not hungry, but Alex takes a seat on his lap and forces him to try new food. When she suggests he eat some rice, he’s understandably confused when it’s in a ball. She explains it was rolled in flour and fried. She knows this because she’s British and all Brits do is travel the world and become experts in the places they visit. (Her words, not mine!)
Spencer thinks that doesn’t make sense and describes her culture as pretending to be experts in things you know nothing about. She corrects him. “No, baby, that’s the French.”
They both laugh. Spencer tries the rice ball and admits it’s good.
Spencer and Alex’s public display of affection is interrupted when someone calls out her name. Talk about your coincidences, Alex’s abandoned wedding party just happen to have shown up at this restaurant.
- Recap of 1923 Episode 1
- 1923 Season 1 Episode 2 “Nature’s Empty Throne” Recap
- 1923 Season 1 Episode 3 “The War Has Come Home” Recap
- 1923 Season 1 Episode 4 “War and the Turquoise Tide” Recap
- 1923 Season 1 Episode 5 “Ghost of Zebrina” Recap
- 1923 Season 1 Episode 6 “One Ocean Closer to Destiny” 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”
