Sumith Prasad
The third episode of the second season of Paramount+’s Western series ‘1923,’ titled ‘Wrap Thee in Terror,’ revolves around the challenges Alexandra “Alex” Dutton suffers after setting foot on American soil. She tolerates atrocious and condemnable immigration procedures for the sake of reuniting with her husband, Spencer Dutton, who witnesses a tragedy on his way to Montana from Texas. The Duttons’ war against the harsh winter continues, as it threatens the harmony within the family. They are also concerned about Zane, who confronts death at a short distance after getting beaten up by the authorities for marrying Alice! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Elizabeth Gives Jack Dutton an Ultimatum
‘Wrap Thee in Terror’ begins with Jacob Dutton trying to protect Zane and the ranch foreman’s family from the freezing winter. The latter tells him that he will be able to complete the journey on horseback, irrespective of his physical state, which allows the Dutton patriarch to burn down the wagon for heat. Back at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, Cara Dutton and Dr. Miller remove the remains of the dead nurse, killed by a rabid wolf, from the house. Since they confirm that Elizabeth “Liz” Dutton will get rabies if they do not move ahead with the preventive injections, Cara buries her love for the girl to treat her.
When Elizabeth refuses the injection, Cara slaps her to bring her senses back. The Dutton matriarch adds that there is no other way for her to live. As far as she is concerned, Jack Dutton’s wife hasn’t become a “woman” who is strong enough to face the challenges and hardships life throws at her. The young woman eventually agrees to take the injection, but her decision to move from the ranch remains in her heart. Jacob ultimately leads his group to the ranch. Jack is welcomed by the sight of his wife packing her bags to leave the property as soon as her injections are over. Elizabeth then makes it clear that she does not love him enough to tolerate the life-threatening conditions and hardships at the ranch.
Elizabeth only wants to be Jack’s wife if he can be her husband in Boston instead of Montana. He tells her that he has a commitment to his family and the land of his ancestors, but she does not care. She even makes him watch her suffer with pain while getting an injection. Meanwhile, Dr. Miller clarifies that Zane is suffering from a hematoma in his skull, which warrants the extraction of liquid from the same. He can perform the procedure with a drill, but the physician does not have an anesthetic, which means that the foreman will be awake and in immeasurable pain while undergoing the same.
Alex Deals With Humiliation After Reaching the United States
After an exhausting period aboard a ship, Alex finally reaches New York City. Since she embarks on the journey without any adequate paperwork, she has to collect the necessary documents and get them approved by immigration officers on Ellis Island. When an officer in charge fails to make sense of her full name, “Alexandra of Sussex,” she changes her surname to “Dutton.” The procedure becomes nearly intolerable when a doctor asks her to strip naked for inspection. Even though she fights the requirement, the Englishwoman eventually undresses to reunite with Spencer in Montana.
The immigration process only becomes worse as the doctor asks Alex to keep her legs apart to inspect her vulvar region. The humiliation pushes her to tears, but she decides to overcome the same for the sake of Spencer. Since the officers have been sending pregnant women back to their home country, the Englishwoman hides her pregnancy, only for the doctor to find out about it sooner than later. Alex is forced to deal with similar procedures under two more doctors. After the medical inspection concludes, she is interviewed by a racist officer who looks down upon the ones who arrive in the United States seeking better opportunities.
The prejudiced officer thinks that Alex is a woman without an address who has arrived in the United States to find a living as a sex worker. He also refuses to believe her when she says that she is going to Montana to reunite with her husband. The official adds that he regularly meets women who cook up stories to enter his country. Alex then stuns him by reading a book by Walt Whitman, revealing her reading ability. She even chooses a chapter targeting people like the officer to prove her intellectual abilities and knowledge, which convinces him to give her the approval to enter the mainland.
Luca Walks Into His Death Despite Spencer’s Warning
While the Duttons deal with a harsh winter in Montana, violence continues to be unleashed in the Southern United States. The loved ones of the Comanche boys killed by Marshal Kent and Father Renaud share their grief together beside the remains of their kids. The men of the tribe soon arrive at the scene of the mass murder and proclaim to exact vengeance on the killers of their children. Marshal Mamie Fossett wants to intervene and bring the murderers to justice, but the Comanche men don’t want to wait for it since what they want is different from what the former wishes to ensure.
After leaving behind several dead bodies on the Comanche land, Kent and Renaud continue their journey. Meanwhile, Runs His Horse meets a group of cowboys to seek permission to camp on the Texan ranch. The Native American offers to help the gang deal with the strays in return for permission, and he joins hands with a senior cowboy. Elsewhere in Texas, Spencer and Luca are on their way to Fort Worth to deliver the consignment of whiskey. When they come across a group of officers, the World War I veteran decides to end their journey with bootlegged liquor. He clarifies that he does not want to die protecting whiskey and asks Luca to prioritize himself over his cousins.
However, Luca replies that he will do anything for his family and gets back on the road with the liquor. He asks Spencer for the gun his cousin, Sal Maceo, gave them to deal with the officers, much to his friend’s disappointment. The war veteran ultimately hands the gun over. Soon, a shootout occurs between the officers and Luca, resulting in the latter’s death. While Spencer processes his companion’s death, his wife, Alex, reaches Grand Central Terminal to embark on a journey to Montana. While buying a ticket, she displays her stack of cash and gets warned that she should be mindful of the pickpockets in the station. The episode then ends with a man, possibly a thief, following Alex to the women’s room.
Read More: What is Teonna’s Native American Tribe in 1923? What Language Does She Speak?
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