Radio Times
type: channel
link: https://www.radiotimes.com
date: 2025-04-06T10:34:18.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: 1923 season 2 ending explained: Which Duttons survive the Yellowstone prequel?
items: 1923's new episode makes Taylor Sheridan's most harrowing plot line even worse
items: 1923 just put fan-favourite characters on a collision course that changes Yellowstone forever
items: 1923 just gave fans Yellowstone's most gruesome scene since 1883
items: 1923 just revealed the origins of an infamous Yellowstone location
items: Why Yellowstone's Taylor Sheridan didn't visit 1923 set, according to Game of Thrones star
items: 1923's Brandon Sklenar purposely avoided watching co-star Harrison Ford’s Shrinking
items: 1923 season 2 episode 1 just confirmed fans' worst fears
items: Yellowstone spin-off 1923 just hinted at the answer to a major John Dutton mystery
items: Don't worry Yellowstone fans, 1923 season 2 will inevitably fix the first season's biggest flaw
items: 1923's Brandon Sklenar teases season 2 finale: 'One of the best things I’ve ever read'
items: 1923 star reacts to Yellowstone ending and following in Kevin Costner's footsteps
items: Who is the Dark Wizard in The Rings of Power? Theories on Ciarán Hinds's mysterious character
items: Rings of Power season 1 recap: What happened in first season?
items: The Rings of Power season 2 review: Splendid storytelling redeems series - but it still has flaws

1923 season 2 ending explained: Which Duttons survive the Yellowstone prequel?
type: item
date: 2025-04-06T10:26:44.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: The Yellowstone prequel draws to a close in brutal fashion.
encoded: The grand finale to 1923 has just landed on Paramount+, bringing not just the season, but the whole series, to a close. It marks the end of another chapter in Taylor Sheridan’s sprawling Yellowstone franchise - and an incredibly intense one at that. It’s the second finale to a Yellowstone series in a handful of months, with the main show having concluded back in December. The penultimate episode was a shockingly bloody affair that cleared the way for a fraught finale as events in Montana finally reach boiling point. But what happened at the end of it all? 1923 ending explained With all roads leading to the Dutton house, here’s a rundown of the 1923 season 2 ending, and what it means for the future of Yellowstone. Alex and Spencer reunite After the two helpful Brits froze to death in episode 6, Alex is left stranded in their car, herself battling the ice. She starts a fire to try and find some reprieve from the bitter cold, warming herself by burning anything she can find. A train comes past the car - which Alex has now set ablaze to try and flag the train down - and lo and behold, it’s carrying Spencer (they were both headed in the same direction, after all). He catches a glimpse of her from the carriage, and leaps from the train to meet her. Finally reunited, they embrace and Alex tells her husband that she’s carrying their baby - and has been now for six months. The train stops to let them back aboard, and Alex is rushed to a doctor who immediately tries to treat her exhausted body, attempting to bring some semblance of life back to it as she clings to survival. Spencer looks on as the doctor undresses her, revealing extensive, deep frostbite spreading across her limbs, causing her extremities to turn necrotic. Thankfully, the train isn’t far from their destination: Livingston. But even there, the couple is far from safety. The Livingston shootout Waiting at the Livingston station is Jacob Dutton and his crew, with support from Sheriff McDowell, awaiting the arriv…

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1923's new episode makes Taylor Sheridan's most harrowing plot line even worse
type: item
date: 2025-03-23T05:00:19.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: Could things possibly get worse in the Yellowstone prequel?
encoded: Contains description of sexual assault that some readers may find upsetting. 1923 might be the darkest entry in Taylor Sheridan’s ever-expanding Yellowstone TV franchise. Set during a grim and unrelenting Montanan winter, none of its characters can ever catch a break and malice lurks around every corner, with everyone seemingly at constant risk of death - or worse. It’s not a series for the faint-hearted. But even by the show’s own standards, Alex’s ongoing plot line - as she journeys across America to reunite with Spencer in Montana - has taken things to a whole new level, and the latest episode just made her harrowing story even worse. So far, since confirming her pregnancy at the start of the season and beginning her voyage to Montana from her family’s home in England, Alex has suffered horrific humiliation and abuse at the hands of the American immigration, followed by a violent physical assault in New York (during which all her money was stolen), taking her right to the brink. Now, in the latest episode of 1923 season 2, Alex finally found herself on a train and moving in the right direction. Desperate for money and food, she quickly signed up for work aboard the train. But things took a turn when Alex encountered a particularly malevolent passenger, who quickly decided to turn her into his victim. After she accidentally poured a hot drink onto him, he forced her hand onto his crotch. Then, in a subsequent incident, he ran his hand up her leg and sexually assaulted her, before she responded by attacking him and leaving him severely injured. Alex was then swiftly detained by the security aboard the train, and very nearly arrested by the Chicago police. Thankfully, she was saved by a kind pair of fellow Brits who stood up for her and corroborated her version of events. Nevertheless, Alex was left incredibly shaken, no doubt traumatised, by her experience. In a season that has subjected Alex to some incredibly difficult moments (often making for uncomfortable view…

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1923 just put fan-favourite characters on a collision course that changes Yellowstone forever
type: item
date: 2025-03-23T05:00:16.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: Let's break it down.
encoded: With 1923 serving as a prequel to a series that concluded only recently, it’s not difficult to work backwards from Yellowstone to broadly predict how 1923 will wrap up. We know, for instance, that Donald Whitfield won’t succeed in his bid to wrest the Yellowstone ranch from Jacob and Cara Dutton. We also know that either Spencer and Alex, or Jack and Elizabeth, will become the parents of the father of John Dutton. By its very nature, then, 1923 is a character-driven series where the journey, rather than the destination, is the true focus – because that destination is already well established. Yet, the finer details remain intriguing, as the prequel continues to fill in the historical gaps of Yellowstone, raising a host of compelling questions. One of the most significant among them is when and how the Dutton and Rainwater families first cross paths. The latest episode of 1923 appears to bring us much closer to an answer, as Spencer Dutton (possibly John Dutton’s grandfather) and Teonna Rainwater (possibly Thomas Rainwater’s grandmother) come tantalisingly close to meeting. With both characters now in Texas – Spencer heading north, Teonna travelling south – it seems their paths are set to intertwine. When they do, the consequences for the Yellowstone saga will be immense. In fact, their journeys nearly intersected already, when Marshal Mamie Fossett, in search of Teonna, instead stumbled upon Spencer. Read more: New Yellowstone spin-off rumoured with fan favourite set to lead 1923 star responds to character's demise: "It's a tough one" 1923 just gave fans Yellowstone's most gruesome scene since 1883 Now, if Father Renaud succeeds in recapturing Teonna – a possibility that has just become significantly more likely with the latest episode – she will be taken back to Montana. That would mean both she and Spencer will be in Texas, heading in the same direction, making their eventual meeting feel inevitable. Both characters have emerged as fan favourites and, at various p…

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1923 just gave fans Yellowstone's most gruesome scene since 1883
type: item
date: 2025-03-16T09:22:09.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: This just took things to a whole new level.
encoded: Spoiler warning for 1923 season 2 episode 4 'Journey the Rivers of Iron' Whether it’s in his various movies or his TV series, screenwriter and director Taylor Sheridan has never shied away from brutal displays of violence on screen. Yellowstone has been no exception, and from its first episode until its last, death and violence have been ever-present in the series. That said, the Yellowstone TV franchise has never been especially gory and gruesome, and for the most part, there haven’t been too many occasions where viewers have had to avert their eyes - until now. 1883, the first prequel series to the Kevin Costner-led Western, probably featured the bloodiest moment to date with the amputation of Josef’s leg using a saw. However, the latest episode of 1923 (itself another prequel to Yellowstone while also being a sequel of sorts to 1883) has now indisputably taken that crown and undoubtedly holds the record for the most gruesome moment in Yellowstone history. In 1923 season 2 episode 4 titled 'Journey the Rivers of Iron', we saw a flurry of plot developments, with both Spencer and Alex making headway in their journey to Montana, where the rest of the Duttons - hunkering down at the Yellowstone ranch - are still reckoning with an especially harsh and brutal winter. Even within that context, it’s arguably the loyal ranch foreman Zane who’s had to deal with the worst situation of all the characters after being diagnosed with a subdural hematoma, leaving him close to death. Thankfully, with a doctor to hand, the good news for Zane was that there was one viable path to survival for the cowboy. The bad news was that it involved his head being manually drilled into. With Jacob and Jack Dutton both holding Zane down, the doctor used chloroform to temporarily sedate Zane, before cutting into his scalp and using a hand-cranked drill to create a hole in his skull to relieve the pressure caused by a build-up of blood: all shown to the audience in explicit detail, with blood spur…

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1923 just revealed the origins of an infamous Yellowstone location
type: item
date: 2025-03-16T09:17:20.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: When Yellowstone’s Duttons need to hide a body, there’s only one place they go.
encoded: It’s unarguable that the Duttons’ Yellowstone ranch - with its massive house dominating the landscape and its rugged fields nestled within the crook of the mountains - is the most iconic location in Taylor Sheridan’s immensely popular TV franchise. In fact, the whole story of Yellowstone so far, across the main series and its prequels, has centred around the founding of the ranch and the protection and preservation of it. But regarding the battle for second place, the ‘Train Station’ is the strongest contender. A remote canyon situated at the State boundary lines of Montana and Wyoming, the ‘Train Station’ is a location that featured prominently across Yellowstone’s five seasons, serving as the place where the Dutton family would dump the bodies of their enemies. And now, with the latest episode of 1923, Yellowstone fans finally have some crucial details about its origins. The ‘Train Station’ gets its first canonical reference in the new episode of 1923 (albeit not by its nickname) when Donald Whitfield - enemy of the Duttons - instructs his lackey Banner Creighton to dispose of an inconvenient corpse at a spot that straddles the border between Montana and Wyoming where: “There is no judge, there is no sheriff, which is to say, there is no crime… you dump them here.” Clearly, this is the origin of the ‘Train Station’, which precisely matches Whitfield’s descriptions, and is where the cowboys were able to reliably leave dead bodies without worrying about triggering the attention of police or rousing any suspicions. Now, thanks to 1923, Yellowstone fans know who discovered the location and who came up with its use as a spot to hide bodies - with the prequel also confirming that the spot has been in use for a century by Yellowstone’s conclusion. As the seasons of Yellowstone went by, the ‘Train Station’ became an increasingly prominent feature, and the bodies quickly piled up. In the final season, Jamie Dutton uses his knowledge of its whereabouts as blackmail against …

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Why Yellowstone's Taylor Sheridan didn't visit 1923 set, according to Game of Thrones star
type: item
date: 2025-03-09T08:00:45.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: As Yellowstone prequel 1923 continues, Game of Thrones alum Jerome Flynn shares Taylor Sheridan’s approach to working on the Western.
encoded: Writer, director, producer and actor: Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan is a man deeply involved with his creative projects. However, according to Game of Thrones star Jerome Flynn – who features in a leading role in the ongoing Yellowstone prequel series 1923 as sheep farmer Banner Creighton – Sheridan never actually felt the need to visit the set of his latest TV series while filming was underway. The second prequel series to the incredibly successful Yellowstone, 1923 tells the story of the Dutton family in Prohibition-era Montana struggling to retain their expansive ranch as encroaching age, bleak winters, and the whims of the evil Donald Whitfield all apply pressure to their stark difficulties. Now on its second season, 1923 has proven to be a massive hit, and Sheridan felt so confident in the team working on the series that he was able to step back and not worry about checking in, said Flynn, speaking to RadioTimes.com. “He’s so close to Ben [Richardson] the director – who directed every episode – that they work together as a team, and he trusts him implicitly,” said the actor, who previously starred in Game of Thrones as fan-favourite character Bronn. "Taylor’s so busy working on the plethora of other stuff that’s coming through him. No, we never saw him on set." Read more: 1923 season 2 episode 1 just confirmed fans' worst fears 1923's Brandon Sklenar teases season 2 finale: 'One of the best things I’ve ever read' 1923 star responds to character's demise: "It's a tough one" Flynn is certainly right in pointing out that Sheridan is one of the most prolific screenwriters in the current Holywood landscape, working on a vast array of Yellowstone-related projects (including a range of Yellowstone spin-offs) – something he might not be able to do if he was regularly visiting the sets of his projects. The trust he has in his relationship with close members of his team, such as director Ben Richardson, to take his writing and bring it to life, is evidently a cruci…

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1923's Brandon Sklenar purposely avoided watching co-star Harrison Ford’s Shrinking
type: item
date: 2025-02-24T07:00:56.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: The actor explains why he wanted to keep the legendary Star Wars actor strictly in Dutton mode.
encoded: 1923’s Brandon Sklenar, who stars in the Yellowstone prequel series as the continent-hopping Spencer Dutton, has revealed that he has deliberately refused to watch Harrison Ford’s recent performance in the Apple TV Plus series Shrinking because he wanted to preserve his image of Ford as Jacob Dutton. Speaking to RadioTimes.com ahead of the release of the second season of 1923, Sklenar explained the ways in which he tried to stay immersed in his 1923 character, even when it came to separating his fellow members of the series’ star-studded cast from their other roles. "I haven’t even seen Shrinking because Harrison Ford needs to be Jacob [Dutton] for me," he said. "I try to stay in my story." Ford, who plays the ragged patriarch of the Dutton family in 1923, has been balancing multiple roles recently, including his critically acclaimed performance in the Apple TV+ comedy series Shrinking, and his role as President Thunderbolt Ross in the newest addition to the MCU, Captain America: Brave New World. Beyond Ford’s recent work is, of course, his immense back catalogue of iconic roles such as Star Wars’s Han Solo and the titular adventuring archaeologist in the Indiana Jones films. Clearly, Sklenar was trying to put those performances out of his mind when working with Ford in the second season, which sees Spencer attempting to reach the rest of his family, led by Ford’s Jacob Dutton and Helen Mirren’s Cara Dutton, at their ranch in Montana. The upcoming second season will conclude the 1923 story, and therefore mark the end of Ford’s Yellowstone journey. Whether or not his character makes it through to the end of the finale dead or alive is another question, and Yellowstone mastermind Taylor Sheridan has plenty of form when it comes to staging big deaths in his Yellowstone finales so far. Read more: 1923's Brandon Sklenar teases season 2 finale: 'One of the best things I’ve ever read' New Yellowstone spin-off confirms Hollywood icon as lead and show title The odds look sli…

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height: 4000

1923 season 2 episode 1 just confirmed fans' worst fears
type: item
date: 2025-02-23T08:00:26.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: The second season of the Yellowstone prequel could leave some frustrated with one big story decision.
encoded: When 1923, the second prequel to Yellowstone and a sequel to 1883, debuted in 2022, two characters instantly emerged as new fan favourites: Brandon Sklenar and Julia Schlaepfer's Spencer and Alexandra. Though their story took place primarily in Africa, an entire ocean away from the Dutton ranch, it acted as the emotional centre of the show. The pair’s quickly deepening relationship (despite their conflicting personalities and disparate backgrounds) was top-tier Taylor Sheridan romance alongside the likes of Beth and Rip, and their daring adventures provided some of the Western’s best action. Beyond that, whether or not the duo would make it back to the ranch in time for Spencer to help his family fend off the threat posed by Donald Whitfield was one of the show’s most gripping plot points, and fans couldn’t wait to see Spencer reunited with his family, with his new wife in tow. Read more: Yellowstone spin-off 1923 just hinted at the answer to a major John Dutton mystery 1923's Brandon Sklenar teases season 2 finale: 'One of the best things I’ve ever read' Indeed, across social media, Yellowstone fans have been incredibly vocal about their hopes for the new season of the TV franchise’s second spinoff, 1923. Namely, they wanted Spencer and Alexandra to reach the ranch, together, as soon as possible. Unfortunately for anyone hoping for that outcome, the first episode of 1923 has seemed to confirm that not only will Spencer and Alexandra not be arriving at the Dutton ranch for some time, but their journeys will be taking place separately. Instead, Spencer will be hoping to arrive on the shores of North America before trekking across the vast country alone, while Alexandra makes the journey to Montana all the way from London. Based on the show’s first season, that’s not something that Sheridan is going to rush through, clearly enjoying the sense of jeopardy that comes with putting his characters on these dangerous journeys. Disappointed fans will argue that taking what w…

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Yellowstone spin-off 1923 just hinted at the answer to a major John Dutton mystery
type: item
date: 2025-02-23T05:00:55.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: Yellowstone’s Dutton family tree has never been simple, but one massive question might have finally got an answer.
encoded: The main Yellowstone series recently ended, and Kevin Costner's grumbling and gravelly John Dutton III died (in an incredibly controversial fashion, thanks to off-screen drama) along the way. But that doesn’t mean his influence isn’t still looming large throughout the broader TV franchise, and with the release of 1923 season 2 episode 1, a major mystery relating to the character might just have been answered. Continuing on from the first season, which debuted in 2022, 1923 season 2 sees the return of Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren’s Jacob and Cara Dutton as they try to prevent the Dutton ranch from falling into the hands of the calculating and cruel Donald Whitfield. Ending his time in Africa to lend his assistance is their nephew, Spencer Dutton, who is racing from continent to continent to return to the valleys of Montana as quickly as possible. Similarly, Montana-bound is his wife Alexandra, who was separated from her husband at sea, finding herself temporarily stranded with her family back in England. Read more: 1923 star reacts to Yellowstone ending and following in Kevin Costner's footsteps 1923's Brandon Sklenar teases season 2 finale: 'One of the best things I’ve ever read' The couple’s separate journeys, albeit with the same destination, look set to play a crucial role throughout at least the opening episodes of 1923 season 2, not least because Alexandra revealed in the opening episode of the new season that she’s pregnant, providing extra impetus for her to be reunited with Spencer. The reveal will no doubt add some extra emotional heft to Alexandra’s journey, compounded by the fact that Spencer is in the dark about the revelation. But, beyond that, it also could confirm the lineage of Costner’s deceased Dutton patriarch – the biggest lingering mystery about the character. Since 1923’s debut, fans have attempted to piece the ambiguous Dutton family tree together by figuring out how exactly the Duttons seen in the 1923 prequel connect to the dysfunctional f…

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Don't worry Yellowstone fans, 1923 season 2 will inevitably fix the first season's biggest flaw
type: item
date: 2025-02-22T19:00:09.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Comment
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: Yellowstone prequel series 1923 might not have been Taylor Sheridan's finest hour, but the show's final season is poised to stick the landing.
encoded: 1883, Taylor Sheridan’s first Yellowstone prequel, incontrovertibly stands as the writer's greatest TV achievement. Forgoing the soapy (and often plain silly) tendencies of his flagship Western series, the period piece told a single, cohesive story across its 10-episode run, anchored by some unusually sensitive, mature and nuanced storytelling from Sheridan and his creative team. While Yellowstone was still at the height of its power, the prequel elevated the franchise to the next level – but the same couldn’t be said for 1923. A sequel to 1883, and another prequel to the Kevin Costner-led main event, 1923 arrived at a time when Yellowstone still felt bulletproof. And, it proved to be an eminently watchable new entry for the franchise while undoubtedly scratching the Yellowstone itch. 1923 tells the story of the Dutton ranch, led by the stewardship of Harrison Ford and Dame Helen Mirren’s sturdy Jacob and Cara Dutton, under siege from multiple angles. In a sprawling plot, Sheridan’s writing journeyed from the snow-covered peaks of Montana, down to the dusty southern states, and then across to the vastness of Kenya and back again But, unlike 1883, 1923 had a major flaw. While telling a story spanning multiple continents, 1923’s first season was left too nebulous, too disparate and too disconnected. Read more: 1923 star reacts to Yellowstone ending and following in Kevin Costner's footsteps New Yellowstone spin-off rumoured with fan favourite set to lead Regardless of the many other ways in which it certainly succeeded, 1923's great weakness was that it failed to coalesce its characters and their stories together into one interconnected whole. It often felt like three different TV series arbitrarily stitched into one, battling for control. The brutal story of Teonna fleeing from her Catholic-run Indian boarding school distracted from Jacob and Cara’s defence of the ranch, which, in turn, distracted from Spencer and Alex’s riotous adventures in Africa. They existed as …

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1923's Brandon Sklenar teases season 2 finale: 'One of the best things I’ve ever read'
type: item
date: 2025-02-22T07:00:43.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: The It Ends With Us actor hints at an emotional and action-packed conclusion to the Yellowstone prequel.
encoded: As 1923 inches closer to its imminent return for its second and final season, Brandon Sklenar, who stars in a leading role in the series as the gruff Spencer Dutton, has teased an “emotionally profound” finale, describing it as one of the best scripts he has ever read. 1923 is the second Yellowstone prequel from the prolific Oscar-nominated screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. Telling the story of the Dutton family’s struggles in prohibition-era America as they struggled to establish and hold onto their ranch (a familiar theme for anyone who has also seen the main show), the Western series was met with broad acclaim from fans upon its release in 2022 – even if it didn’t quite match the heights of its two predecessors. But, as the grand finale for the 1923 story nears with the upcoming conclusion of season 2, audiences ought to expect the show to hit new heights, and should possibly be bracing for some emotional blows, according to Skelnar. Speaking to RadioTimes.com ahead of the release of the second season, Sklenar praised Sheridan’s writing for the finale, singling it out as the best script he’s ever worked on, and maintaining that the season as a whole is "on another level". “This season, Taylor’s writing is on another level," he said. "And it’s so poetic and poignant and beautiful, so badass but so vulnerable. And just filled with so much love." The actor went on to focus on the season 2 finale as a moment that fans should look ahead to, admitting that even reading the script was an emotional experience, and one that was difficult to prepare for. “This finale is one of the best things I’ve ever read in my life… It was hard to prep for the finale because of how emotional I got just reading. It’s profoundly beautiful what he does.” Read more: Will there be a Yellowstone season 6? Why American Primeval is the anti-Yellowstone Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe has built a reputation for incredible twists and deeply personal storytelling, with the finales in particular being …

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1923 star reacts to Yellowstone ending and following in Kevin Costner's footsteps
type: item
date: 2025-02-21T10:52:52.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Drama
subject: TV
subject: Exclusive
subject: News
subject: On demand
subject: Paramount Plus
description: Brandon Sklenar reflects on entering the Dutton home and connecting with Costner's Yellowstone legacy.
encoded: With 1923’s return now imminent ahead of its second and final season, series star Brandon Sklenar, who plays Spencer Dutton, has shared his unique perspective on the franchise’s timeline, and what it means to follow in the footsteps of Kevin Costner. As 1923 season 1 concluded, Spencer had left Africa to return to the under-siege Dutton family ranch in Montana – a central location in the recently-concluded main series – to help protect it from the cunning plans of Timothy Dalton’s Donald Whitfield. Now, speaking with RadioTimes.com about the second season, Sklenar admitted that setting foot in the iconic Dutton ranch - and walking in the steps of Kevin Costner - was a surreal experience, especially knowing how the family’s legacy eventually unfolds in Yellowstone. “Seeing the [Dutton] house; it was crazy shooting in the house," he said. "I was like, 'Woah, I’m in the house.' [You’re] imagining Costner in the same house, and then you’re like, 'Woah, OK, this is weird.'” Even for audiences, seeing Yellowstone’s Dutton house with its instantly recognisable interior (decked out in dark timber with its immense open fireplace) in the different context of 1923 is a strange enough experience. Clearly, that’s a feeling that Sklenar could relate to when filming in the location, imagining Costner’s John Dutton III inhabiting the same space. Reflecting on how Yellowstone's recent finale intersects with 1923’s own legacy, Sklenar went on to react to the end of the series and share how he’s attempted to avoid being influenced by his own personal knowledge of what happens – with the Dutton family ultimately losing their ranch, and the house being dismantled. “[The ending of Yellowstone] is kind of a trip," he said. "I try to stay in my story, you know… So I haven’t seen much of what happened in the culmination of Yellowstone. But I’m hyper-aware of it.” Read more: Yellowstone star reveals spin-off he’d like to see happen New Yellowstone spin-off confirms Hollywood icon as lead and…

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Who is the Dark Wizard in The Rings of Power? Theories on Ciarán Hinds's mysterious character
type: item
date: 2024-10-03T08:10:31.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Fantasy
subject: TV
subject: Amazon Prime Video
subject: On demand
subject: The Lord of the Rings (franchise)
description: Rings of Power season 2 introduces a new enemy for The Stranger and the Harfoots to deal with.
encoded: *Warning: Spoilers for The Rings of Power season 2 episodes 1 to 8 ahead.* With The Rings of Power season 2's epic finale answering plenty of questions, one still remains - the identity of The Dark Wizard, played by Ciarán Hinds. We've learnt a fair bit about him throughout the season during his search for The Stranger (Daniel Weyman), but the finale episode didn't quite end that mystery once and for all. In season 2 episode 6, Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) tells The Stranger: "Sauron rises in the West, the Dark Wizard in the East. Every soul in Middle-earth is in danger." However, when the Dark Wizard finally approached The Stranger in the finale episode, he attempted to get him onside, suggesting their only way of defeating Sauron was together. When The Stranger said he'd rather walk nameless forever than become Sauron's successor alongside The Dark Wizard, the Istar turned and wrought havoc on the Harfoots, reasoning that The Stranger must feel the suffering that will come to Middle-earth if Sauron is not defeated. Sent down to Middle-earth by the Valar to counter the threat posed by Sauron, wizards — known as the Istari — are rare, making the appearance of one incredibly notable. That makes the identity of the Dark Wizard a complicated puzzle: which of the Istari, if any, is he? And if not an Istari, who else could the Dark Wizard really be? We wouldn't be surprised if he returns in a potential season 3 but, for now, here are the biggest theories. Who is the Dark Wizard in The Rings of Power? Saruman? Based on all the evidence, the most likely scenario is that the Dark Wizard is Saruman. The most obvious clue is that Ciarán Hinds is delivering a first-rate Christopher Lee impression. Donned in white robes and equipped with a threatening staff, Hinds embodies his character with a voice like distant thunder, a sharp nose, heavy bags under his eyes, and black hair flecked with grey and white. There are subtler hints, too. He has a clear disdain for Hobbits — not quit…

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Rings of Power season 1 recap: What happened in first season?
type: item
date: 2024-08-30T11:00:44.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Fantasy
subject: TV
subject: Amazon Prime Video
subject: The Lord of the Rings (franchise)
description: Catch up on the events of the first season while as the epic series returns.
encoded: After a sprawling and ambitious debut, Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has returned for its second season, continuing the story of Sauron’s rise in Middle-earth before his eventual fall. Set in the Second Age (thousands of years before the War of the Ring and Bilbo and Frodo’s adventures), The Rings of Power focuses on Sauron’s ascent to power, exploring figures and events that shaped the history of Middle-earth. Weaving together a story of Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, Númenóreans, Istari and Orcs, the first season featured an expansive narrative filled with mystery, action, and awe, all against a familiar Tolkienian backdrop. With The Rings of Power season 2’s arrival, the story has already started to unravel new mysteries, exploring fresh parts of Middle-earth and will introduce long-awaited characters – such as Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) – to the tale. But, amid the excitement of a new season approaching, it feels like it’s been an eternity since the show made its debut. Who was Sauron? Who was the Stranger? And what was the significance of the mithril? If you need a refresher ahead of Rings of Power’s return, here’s a full recap of the first season. Alternatively, check out our review of season 2! Rings of Power season 1 recap: What happened in first season? Galadriel, Halbrand and the Númenoreans The first season begins with Galadriel, a renowned Elven warrior, on a quest for vengeance. During the Elves’ battle against the malevolent Morgoth, her brother Finrod was killed by the elusive and powerful Sauron, and Galadriel remains convinced that Sauron still poses a threat to Middle-earth despite Morgoth’s defeat. Driven both by a desire to avenge her brother, but also to snuff out the threat she (correctly) believes that Sauron continues to pose to Middle-earth, Galadriel leads an expedition to find Sauron. However, her mission to hunt down Sauron reaches a dead end. With no further leads, the Elven King Gil-galad orders her to return to the…

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The Rings of Power season 2 review: Splendid storytelling redeems series - but it still has flaws
type: item
date: 2024-08-28T13:00:57.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Fantasy
subject: TV
subject: Review
description: Season 2 delivers a tighter narrative with a fantastic central focus, while sometimes succumbing to the same challenges that beset season 1.
encoded: The Rings of Power’s debut season was a fascinating spectacle. Loosely based on the rich tapestry of head-spinning background detail that Tolkien wove for Middle-earth, it was touted as a pseudo-prequel to Peter Jackson’s genre-defining and endlessly beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy. With an engaging cast, staggering visuals, an evocative score, and a grand story of awe-inspiring scope, on nearly every level, the series was a wonderfully crafted piece of precision engineering. It seemed to have all the ingredients to be a unanimously praised instant classic. But its story was a mess. Attempting to emulate the scale of Middle-earth that audiences have come to expect, it employed a sprawling and meandering narrative under the assumption that more — more characters, more locations, more plotlines, more lore — was more ‘epic’. That instinct, firstly, was incorrect, and secondly, left the series severely lacking in depth and focus. It displayed how the potential can be held back by just one flaw, when that flaw is something fundamental. Upon its return, The Rings of Power’s second bite at the apple has just one task. With all that potential and such otherwise glistening foundations, it needs to find a better narrative. Here’s the bottom line: across its eight-episode run, The Rings of Power season 2 retains everything that was brilliant about the first season while, crucially, also significantly improving its storytelling. But there are caveats. Season 2 picks up in the immediate aftermath of 2022’s finale. Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) has been unmasked as Sauron, and the first inklings of his plan are unveiled after the creation of the three fortuitous rings. Now, the core focus is Sauron’s next steps as he weaves a web of deception to create further Rings of Power (the instruments of his desired domination of Middle-earth) and the ensuing battles — both interpersonal and military — that follow. Meanwhile, Middle-earth’s struggles continue elsewhere as the Dwarves of Kha…

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