Yellowstone centers on the Duttons, a “morally complicated” family that owns Montana’s largest ranch. Kevin Costner (Man of Steel) stars as the family patriarch, John Dutton, while Luke Grimes (True Blood), Kelly Reilly (True Detective), and Wes Bentley (Interstellar) play the Dutton children. Between the rich history of Montana, the grim trials of ranching, and the drama that swirls around the Dutton family, there’s plenty to hook viewers. Like all modern-day success stories, Yellowstone spawned a few spinoff prequels — 1883 and, most recently, 1923. But now that the ‘20s-set prequel series is out, do you need to watch 1923 before Yellowstone?
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What Is 1923 About?
In Yellowstone, the Duttons navigate business threats, familial clashes, grim violence, and their own personal demons. Much of the conflict stems from the Yellowstone Ranch, a fraught family business the Duttons started back in the late 1800s on land that’s bordered by Indigenous reservations and, of course, America’s first National Park.
The Old West-set prequel series, 1883, traces the journey the Dutton family took to settle the land that would become Yellowstone Ranch. Now, 1923 bridges the 125-year gap between 1883 and Yellowstone. The second prequel series in Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe, 1923 focuses on the Duttons during a rather perilous time that was marked by Western Expansion, Prohibition, and, in Big Sky Country, the earliest moments of the Great Depression.
Starring Academy Award-winning actor Helen Mirren (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) as matriarch Cara Dutton and Academy Award nominee Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as Cara’s husband, the family patriarch Jacob Dutton, 1923 packs all the appeal, star power, and drama of Yellowstone into a period-appropriate six-shooter. When 1923 premiered on Paramount Plus on December 18, 2022, it drew in 7.4 million viewers across linear and streaming telecasts, dethroning Yellowstone as the streamer’s biggest series debut. (Well, blockbuster movies aside.)
How Does 1923 Connect to Yellowstone?
Needless to say, Sheridan’s franchise has many devoted fans who want to see how 1923 connects to Yellowstone. The first prequel installment — the 10-episode 1883 — is set 40 years before 1923, but just because Yellowstone Ranch has been established for several decades in the world of the show, doesn’t mean the dust has settled. Far from it, actually.
In 1883, Tim McGraw (Friday Night Lights) stars as James Dutton — an ex-Confederate soldier and the great-great-great-grandfather of Costner’s John Dutton III — and Faith Hill (The Stepford Wives) plays his wife, Margaret. Clearly set after the events of this traditional Western prequel, 1923 focuses on James’ brother, Jacob (Ford) and his wife Cara (Mirren). Together, Jacob and Cara run the family ranch, come into conflict with local sheep farmers, and raise John Dutton Sr. (James Badge Dale) and Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) as their own sons.
Should You Watch 1923 Before Yellowstone?
Watching 1923 before Yellowstone or not boils down to a matter of personal preference. Much like another franchise featuring Harrison Ford — hint: it’s set far, far away, and not in Montana — there’s the option of watching the Yellowstone shows either in release order or in timeline order.
To watch them as they debuted, start with Yellowstone — or at least its first three seasons — and then move on to the single-season 1883. From there, catch up on Yellowstone’s fourth season, and then dive into the first season of 1923. After that, there will be the fifth season of Yellowstone and the second and final season of 1923 waiting on the “to-be-watched” horizon. Looking to view the three series in chronological order? Thankfully, the shows’ titles make it easy to cobble together a timeline. First, watch 1883; then tune into 1923; and, finally, dive into Yellowstone, the series that started it all.
Some viewers will prefer to have Yellowstone under their belts first — the way Sheridan presented the story. But others may want a more traditional viewing experience that leaves the ultimate, present-day fate of the various Dutton family members and Yellowstone Ranch a little more uncertain. No matter the viewing order, one thing is clear: 1923 is a prequel that’s more than worthy of carrying on the Dutton family name and the Yellowstone mantle.
New episodes of 1923 stream every Sunday on Paramount Plus.
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