Sumith Prasad
The premiere episode of the second season of Paramount+’s Western series ‘1923,’ titled ‘The Killing Season,’ revolves around the aftermath of Donald Whitfield’s efforts to lay his hands on the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, currently owned by Jacob and Cara Dutton. The patriarch of the family is struggling to find a way to repay the tax the businessman has paid in the name of the property, which will allow him to possess the land if the debt remains unsettled. While her husband deals with the matter, Cara awaits the arrival of their nephew, Spencer Dutton, who is getting closer to his home to fight a war! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Jacob Dutton Tries to Get Zane Davis and Alice Released From Police Custody
‘The Killing Season’ begins with Jacob Dutton preparing to leave for Bozeman to take part in a trial involving Zane and Alice, who are arrested for marrying and breaking the anti-miscegenation laws. Cara informs him about a sensational invention called the telephone, which allows one to call someone else from a distance, but he is not too interested in it. As he leaves the house, the Dutton patriarch encounters a mountain lion in his veranda. He asks the beast whether the latter has come to his home looking for shelter or food. The encounter ends with the lion running away to the woods.
After ensuring that the lion is out of sight, Jacob joins Jack Dutton and a couple of men to leave for Bozeman. They decide to spend the night in the city after a routine visit to a speakeasy. Jack does not know the password to enter the establishment, but the Dutton patriarch is too irritated and occupied with more severe concerns to stay outside till one of them remembers the code. He demands the doorman to open the door, which happens the moment his voice is heard. Jacob soon learns that Zane, his incomparably loyal ranch foreman, and Alice are struggling in police custody. The case against the couple will end when they reveal the identity of the religious figure who approved their marriage.
However, Alice does not want to betray the person who helped her marry the love of her life, which prolongs the case’s resolution. Irrespective of the potential verdict, their marriage has been deemed void, casting a dark cloud over their future. Zane and Alice are not the only ones dealing with the authorities’ threat. Teonna Rainwater, Runs His Horse, and Pete Plenty Clouds are still on the run, hiding from Father Renaud and the marshals. They eventually arrive at JA Ranch in Texas, which is owned by Charles Goodnight. As they try to escape from the authorities, Teonna and Pete grow closer, and their love for each other becomes evident to the former’s father.
Runs His Horse asks Teonna about the latter’s feelings for Pete, which she confesses without hesitation. Even though the Native American man does not rejoice in listening to the revelation, he expresses his willingness to eventually give them his permission to marry. However, he wishes Teonna wouldn’t sleep with the young man before the wedding ceremony. She dismisses the wish right away and shares intimacy with her lover. Meanwhile, Renaud and the marshals arrive at a Comanche settlement and ask for the group on the run. When the tribe doesn’t listen to them, one of the marshals even kills some of the tribesmen, showing his brutality.
Donald Whitfield and Banner Creighton Cherish Their Prospects as the Duttons Struggle
While Jacob Dutton struggles to find the money he has to pay Donald Whitfield, the wealthy businessman is celebrating his life with Christy and Lindy, the two sex workers he has brought to his home in the first season. The Dutton patriarch has been able to repay a part of the tax the businessman has paid for the ranch, but he still has to discover a way to settle the next installment. Jacob even sells a lion’s share of his cattle to save his ranch from Donald’s ruthlessness. He has left a few bulls untouched so that Spencer can start working on the ranch and ensure the property’s survival from the family’s adversaries when he returns.
As Donald cherishes the Duttons’ misfortunes, his viciousness surfaces. He asks Lindy to bring their “toy,” Christy, to him so that he can barbarously “play” with the sex worker. The young woman is locked up in a small chamber inside the Whitfield mansion with a collar on her neck. She continues to cry with pain and fear, but an escape seems improbable at this point for her. Donald is not the only one who has been celebrating the turn of events concerning the Duttons’ fall. Banner Creighton has been immersing himself and his family in the fortunes he has garnered from his partnership with the wealthy businessman.
Still, Banner is well aware that Donald is an abominable man. That’s why he prefers to keep his family away from him. When his wife brings up the matter, he reveals that his “partner” cannot be trusted to treat his loved ones respectfully. Regardless of the businessman’s nature, Banner continues to work with him because their partnership allows him to save a fortune for his son.
Spencer and Alexandra “Alex” Dutton Edge Closer to Each Other
After Spencer and Alex’s separation in the first season finale, the former is on a ship to the United States. He works on the ship to earn money that is needed to fight for his family ranch. During the passage, he befriends a young Italian man who has left for Galveston, Texas, to escape the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. The two men grow closer when Spencer attacks the person who has been raping the refugee. Even though the American saves him from his rapist, the unnamed European decides to kill himself. Spencer talks him out of the decision, saving the latter once again.
The Italian and Spencer talk about the purpose behind the latter’s journey to Montana. He proposes arranging fights on the ship to earn money. Even though the war veteran does not wish to make money by fighting other men, he does not have another option before him, as he needs to prioritize saving his ranch from adversaries. The Italian becomes the bookkeeper, and fights ensue, earning quite a lot of money for Spencer, of course, after the former takes a 20% cut. As he reaches his home country, Alex finds a way to return to her husband. She lets her best friend, Jennifer, know that she is pregnant, making the couple’s reunion essential. Her reliable companion sells Alex’s jewelry to buy her a second-class ticket to the United States.
Even though Alex has to travel on a ship among thieves and rascals, the prospect of reconnecting with Spencer kills any sense of hesitation in her. Jennifer bids adieu to her best friend by giving the latter her expensive watch, which may turn out to be useful in the middle of a dangerous journey. As the wait for Spencer progresses, sunshine finally reaches the Dutton Ranch, marking the conclusion of winter. Along with the sunrays, the mountain lion returns to the house, scaring Elizabeth. Cara steps up, kills the beast from the inside, and rescues Jack’s wife. It does not take long for the Dutton matriarch to realize that her family’s fight for survival, from both nature and humans, may continue to burden them.
Read More: Who Are John Dutton Jr.’s Parents in 1923? Is He Adopted? Theories
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