The development of the land where the Yellowstone Ranch sits on was a consistent plotline in the flagship Yellowstone series. Now it’s one for its prequel, as 1923 season 2 episode 4 depicts.
Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) hosts a group of investors to pitch them his big idea — a ski resort (along with an airport and a road going through Paradise Valley). When Banner (Jerome Flynn) reminds him that his plan goes through the Dutton’s land, Whitfield tells him it’s time to build their army to take down the Duttons.
Even as the Duttons finally get some good news in this episode, this looming threat and narration from Elsa (Isabel May) about how the hope of spring/summer always gets hit again with another devastating blanket of snow warns us there’s always something coming for this family at some point. But for now, here’s what happened in 1923 season 2 episode 4.
First, the good news
As foreshadowed in the previous episode, Alex (Julia Schlaepfer) was indeed robbed in the women’s bathroom, with the thief taking her money and her friend’s bracelet. Though this is clearly awful and could cause some problems if Alex needs money on the rest of her journey, she at least doesn’t compound the issue by missing the train, as she rushes and leaps on just at the last minute to ensure she continues her journey to Montana.
Speaking of the ranch, Dr. Miller (Mark Daneri) performs the procedure on Zane (Brian Geraghty), having to knock him out with chloroform and strap him down so he can drill into his head. Unfortunately, the chloroform doesn’t last long enough and Zane wakes up screaming in pain. While that complicates things, Dr. Miller is able to complete the procedure and bandage Zane up. When Zane sits up the pain he was feeling has eased, he’s even able to get up and walk, meaning the procedure was a success. He quickly asks Jacob (Harrison Ford) if they’re going to go after who did this to them? Jacob confirms that’s the plan.
Of course, Dr. Miller still has one other patient in the Dutton house, Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph). When Jack (Darren Mann) tries to tell Elizabeth what happened with Zane, she says she doesn’t want to see him unless it’s about her getting her rabies shot, allowing her to be one step closer to leaving.
Jacob decides to talk with Elizabeth to see if he can help the situation. He understands her situation, admitting this winter has been extremely hard and that even he's tempted to leave and come back in June. But he tells her Jack couldn’t accept her request to leave the ranch with her, as that would mean abandoning his family and his way of life while they’re under attack. He hopes she understands that and that she will choose to come back to Jack when the winter is over. Elizabeth thanks Jacob for his understanding.
It’s then time for Elizabeth’s next shot. It causes her intense pain still, which alarms Cara (Helen Mirren). It turns out there’s a reason Elizabeth is having these reactions — she’s pregnant. With this news her spirit is lifted and she has a renewed reason to stay. Jack is of course enthusiastic when he hears.
Cara, happy but cautious after Elizabeth’s previous lost pregnancy, asks Dr. Miller if there’s any threat to the baby from the vaccines, but the doctor assures Cara there is no risk with the vaccine impacting the pregnancy.
Blackmail
Checking in with Spencer (Brandon Sklenar), he is walking along the roadside to Fort Worth when a police car pulls up alongside him. The sheriff tells Spencer to get in the car, telling him he can be arrested for vagrancy or simply be driven to the train station. Turns out the deal is worse than that.
The sheriff takes Spencer into the woods where other officers are waiting with the truck he and Luca were transporting the booze in. The sheriff tells him that Luca spilled all the beans before he died, so Spencer’s choice is spend the next five years in jail for bootlegging or help them run a sting operation by delivering the truck to its destination, after which Spencer would be free to go. That not being a real choice, Spencer agrees, driving the truck once again with an officer in the front and others hidden in the back.
When they get to the drop off, one of the other bootleggers asks where Luca is? The officer says he killed him and then shoots and kills the bootlegger too. The other officers bust out of the truck and attack the criminals, while the rest of the officers arrive to help. As chaos goes on around him, the sheriff reneges on his deal and cuffs Spencer to the steering wheel of the truck. Spencer is able to grab his things and shoot the handcuffs off. He drives the truck into the police cars to make them unusable and then takes off for the train station.
Though the sheriff gives chase, Spencer is able to hop onto a train. Unfortunately, there are other vagabonds in the boxcar he chose, two men and a young girl, who demand a train tax. Even though Spencer has no food or money, they warn he’ll have to pay something. Spencer takes out his rifle to stave them off, but the man who calls himself the Tax Collector, says sooner or later Spencer will fall asleep, and that’s when they’ll get him.
Escaping the law
Banner returns home to tell his wife of the opportunity that lay at their feet if they work with Whitfield, but that it also means they would have to destroy another family (the Duttons) to take it. He is clearly conflicted, but his wife tells him that is how wealth has been built throughout history. Now it’s their turn to, as they say, “steal a castle.”
Returning to discuss things with Whitfield, the scheming businessman reveals a new detail to use in their plans. He shows Banner there’s a county on the border of Montana and Wyoming that consists of no town, has no sheriff or population, meaning no trial, no jury. However Banner gets rid of the Duttons, this is where to drop them. And thus, the “train station” was born.
We also learn the first body dumped there, as Lindy (Madison Elise Rogers) reveals she accidentally killed Christy (Cailyn Rice) in their "rough housing." Whitfield tells Banner to dump Christy’s body at the train station, calling it practice.
Meanwhile, in Texas, Teonna (Aminah Nieves), Runs His Horse (Michael Spears) and Pete (Jeremy Gauna) help the cowboys herd cattle. When they’re done they eat at the fairgrounds where a rodeo is going to take place. While checking out the arena, Teonna sees a wanted poster with her face on it. They’re all over the place, meaning they will have to be on the run again
The train tax
After staying up all night, Spencer appears to have outlasted the Tax Collector. Unable to keep his eyes open any longer, Spencer gives in and nods off. However, the Tax Collector was just faking, as he quickly wakes up and gets the others.
They slowly approach Spencer, with the young girl placing a blade at his knife while the Tax Collector moves to grab Spencer's rifle. This wakes Spencer, but the Tax Collector thinks they have him dead to rights. Spencer removes that idea as in a flash he grabs the girl’s hand and pulls the blade away from him, then pushes the gun in the direction of the Tax Collector and fires, killing him. Spencer is then able to kill the other man and knock out the young girl.
But that’s the end of the train for him. He jumps off and continues his journey home on foot once again.
New episodes of 1923 premiere Sundays on Paramount Plus.
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