1923 season 2 episode 6 recap: a mass extinction event

1923 season 2 episode 6 begins at a familiar place for Yellowstone fans — the Dutton dinner table. Jacob (Harrison Ford) notes this is the first time since before Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) left for World War One the table has been full. It’s a brief moment of peace in an episode that features some shocking moments sure to rock fans.

Let’s start right off the bat with where 1923 season 2 episode 5 left off, with the standoff between Pete (Jeremy Gauna) and Kent (Jamie McShane). Unfortunately, Kent is the winner of this shootout. When Renaud (Sebastian Roche) catches up to the scene, he is none too pleased to find Kent has killed another man rather than finding Teonna (Aminah Nieves). While Kent is confident Pete was with Teonna, Renaud calls Kent a murderer and refuses to continue with Kent. When Kent tells the priest to “go f**k” himself, Renaud surprisingly kills him.

That is the first of a few shocking deaths in 1923 season 2 episode 6. Read on for our full recap.

Amassing forces

Sheriff McDowell (Robert Patrick) tells Jacob about Spencer impending arrival. However, the news will likely soon be known by Whitfield thanks to the loose lips of telephone operators (talk about lack of privacy). While they don’t know exactly where or when Spencer is coming in, Banner (Jerome Flynn) and Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) will send men to take Spencer out as soon as he arrives. Jacob won’t let that happen, so he readies his own forces to ensure his nephew’s safe arrival.

Sure enough, Banner tells Clyde (Brian Konowal) to get to the train station when he hears about Spencer. Banner then informs Whitfield about Spencer, arriving as Whitfield and Lindy (Madison Elise Rogers) are introducing the new girl, Mabel (Virginia Gardner), to their bedroom antics. Whitfield isn’t overly concerned about one man, but he agrees they should kill Spencer and then take care of the rest of the Duttons. Banner does note the sheriff is on the side of the Duttons, but Whitfield says he has the courts. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter, because history is not facts, it’s stories the victors choose to tell.

Back at the ranch, Jacob takes three men with him to the train station and tasks Zane (Brian Geraghty) and Jack (Darren Mann) to guard the ranch. Jack wants to come with Jacob, but the elder Dutton reminds Jack the two most precious things they have are Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) and Cara (Helen Mirren), so it’s important Jack stay there.

Before he leaves, Cara reminds Jacob he has never broken his word to her in 56 years, so she makes him promise that he’ll come back from this. Jacob promises.

Not long after Jacob leaves, Jack decides to head off on his own to join him in Livingston.

Travel plans

We get a quick check in with Spencer on the train. He hears that a snow drift is going to cause him to rework his travel plans. We also get a little more back story on Spencer’s service during the war. A train worker asked where Spencer served? Spencer tells him Argonne, which was one of the key battlefronts of the war that saw some of the largest losses of life in American history. Spencer is one of the few survivors, as he references that practically his whole battalion was lost in the battle.

Things are a bit cheerier when we catch up with Alex (Julia Schlaepfer), as she entertains Paul (Augustus Prew) and Hillary (Janet Montgomery) with her and Spencer’s story up to that point. They are enthralled and decide to help her reconnect with her lost love, offering to drive her to Montana.

Their trip gets off to a good start, with them all enjoying themselves as they drive across the country. When they reach Wyoming they start to hit some snow and decide to stop at a gas station to put chains on their tires. As happens, a woman who works at the station tells Alex they’ll never make it to Montana by car, as there are no more gas stations between there and their destination; better she take the train. Nevertheless, once their car is ready they head back out on the road.

The fight begins

Jacob arrives at the Livingston station early in the morning, with Sheriff McDowell already on site. McDowell expects Spencer to be on the train arriving in two days, but they can’t confirm with the conductor because sending a wire will let everyone know the details. As Jacob scouts out the station, he figures Banner’s men will attempt to take Spencer as he is getting off the train, using the crowd for cover, because that’s what he’d do. But in the meantime they can only wait, with the hope that more men are coming to help them.

Jack sure is trying to make it as reinforcement, but as he rides in the woods to Livingston he hears something and hides in the woods. Sure enough, Clyde and another cowboy ride up on the road. Spotting someone in the trees, they announce they’re Livestock agents and tell Jack to come out. Confident they’re on his side, Jack comes out of the woods. But Clyde is loyal to Banner, so he shoots and kills Jack, getting a head start on their plans to get rid of all the Duttons.

It’s a sad moment, yet surprisingly unceremonious as it comes half way through the episode. Feels like Jack’s death could have been played for a little more effect, but the ramifications will certainly be felt as this season barrels toward the finish line. And there’s still more drama to come in this episode.

Where does Teonna go next?

Checking back in on Teonna’s storyline, the next day she and Runs His Horse (Michael Spears) go look for Pete. They soon spot vultures circling overhead and find Pete’s body. Teonna weeps, asking what will they do now? Runs His Horse tells her Pete gave his life for Teonna’s freedom, so now they can go home.

This does little to help Teonna, who is losing sight of what life has that is worth fighting for. Runs His Horse says they need to survive so one day, when white men have covered the world in concrete and the world revolts, their descendants will be there to teach people how to live with the land. But Teonna wonders why they should bother to teach the ones that are responsible for destroying everything?

These larger, existential questions get put on the backburner when Renaud finds Teonna and Runs His Horse. As they sleep he approaches, but Runs His Horse wakes up and tries to shoot Renaud. But the priest gets the better of him and kills Runs His Horse.

Renuad, at gun point, prays for Teonna and commands her to ask for God’s forgiveness for her sins. But Teonna is not sorry. Instead, she says it’s Renaud who needs to beg for forgiveness for all that he has done. That is not of interest to Renaud, who says since she renounces salvation, he will send Teonna to the Devil. But when he pulls the trigger Renaud’s gun is empty.

This allows Teonna to grab some embers from the fire and smush them in Renaud’s face. She then stabs him multiple times before grabbing Runs His Horse’s gun and killing the priest.

Now Teonna is truly free, but she is also all alone as she sobs over Runs His Horse’s dead body.

Frozen

Not listening to the gas station lady, Paul, Hillary and Alex continue to drive through the night and the heavy snow. Paul tells Alex she’ll be warmer if she sits on the car’s floorboard. Meanwhile, Paul and Hillary say they’ll keep themselves warm “the Irish Way,” drinking some liquor. All the while, their car is down to about a quarter of a tank.

Alex wakes the next morning to realize the car is stopped, the windows are covered in snow, they’re out of gas and Paul is missing. She goes to ask Hillary where Paul is only to realize that Hillary has frozen to death. When Alex opens the car door she sees Paul is also dead a few hundred feet away, leaving her alone in the middle of the frigid mountain valley somewhere in Wyoming (presumably).

While the events of 1923 season 2 episode 6 don’t take everyone off the board like a mass extinction event like narration from Elsa (Isabel May) details as the episode ends, a lot of key characters have met their demise, and with how things are shaping up more could be on the way.

New episodes of 1923 season 2 premiere on Paramount Plus on Sundays.