1923 season 2 ending explained: Which Duttons survive the Yellowstone prequel?
The Yellowstone prequel draws to a close in brutal fashion.
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 arrival of Spencer - all armed to the teeth. But why? Donald Whitfield’s goons also know that Spencer is due to arrive, and they aren’t planning to let him out of the station alive. A huge crew of them amasses at the station, ready to kill Spencer - and anyone else who gets in their way. Banner, too, is in the crowd, with his family. But he’s not there for the fighting; he’s decided that he’s had more than enough of working for Whitfield, and he intends to escape to Portland with his family. The train pulls in, and before Spencer’s even stepped onto the platform, the shooting begins. It’s utter chaos, and seemingly no one escapes without wounds. Whitfield’s henchman fall one by one, including Banner, who - in a fleeting moment of bravery - defends Jacob and takes a bullet himself. Crucially, Spencer - after a brief reunion with his uncle Jacob (also bloodied) - manages to disembark the train, and then makes his way onward to the Dutton ranch. What of his wife, Alex? She continues on her way, through Livingston, toward the hospital at Boseman. But she’s not alone: Jacob, himself wounded, accompanies her on the onward journey. The Dutton house under siege Duttons’ cohort of cowboys speed from Livingston station to the Dutton ranch, knowing that more of Whitfield’s men will also be attacking the house and its inhabitants. And they’re right. The house has been subject to a siege for hours. Cara is holed up in a high window with a rifle, taking precise headshots at the assailants. Meanwhile, it’s the trusty Zane who’s leading the defence on the ground, while the house is encircled by aggressors who continue to arrive in waves. Cara and Zane have held them off for the most part, but as night arrives, the attackers smash their way into the house. Thankfully, not far behind is Spencer, who cuts through Whitfield’s mob with ease. He takes them out one by one, in rapid succession, proving why his return to the ranch was so anticipated by Jacob and Cara in the first place. The cacophony of gunfire ends, and the Dutton house settles into quiet stillness again. Spencer reunites with Cara (who makes for one of the most impressive snipers TV has ever seen, frankly), and in the gloom of the house, Liz calls out for Jack - who, having left the house to join the shootout at the station, should have returned with Spencer. But, of course, Jack never made it to the station, having been accosted and murdered en route, in the episode previous. Cara (clearly cognisant of Jack’s death) sends out a search party, who find his body in the woods. Tragedy at Boseman hospital While Spencer was busy blasting his way through Whitfield’s men, Alex and Jacob made it to the hospital in Boseman. Jacob was fine (his bleeding torso was simply due to the reopening of an old wound) and goes in search of Alex, who he finds in labour. She’s giving birth to her son - albeit prematurely. The baby is born and (somehow) is healthy enough to survive, despite all that Alex has been through on her journey to Montana. The newborn is John Dutton Jr, the father of Yellowstone’s John Dutton - that makes Alex and Spencer the grandparents to John. But while the baby survives the ordeal, Alex has simply been through too much to hold on. Having now had the satisfaction of reuniting with her husband - however briefly - she’s utterly sapped of life. Refusing to be operated on (the surgeons want to amputate her necrotic limbs) she holds her baby and accepts death. Spencer arrives at the hospital and sleeps by her side. When he wakes up, she’s dead. Yes, after all that: Alex dies in the finale of 1923. It’s a grim end to a grim story, which has been nothing but unflinchingly brutal to Alex ever since she was separated from her husband. And it’s another taste of Sheridan’s penchant for absolute nihilism. There’s no such thing as a purely happy ending in Sheridan’s Yellowstone, and Alex is just the latest example of that. If his writing has a central thesis, it’s that life, really, isn’t fair. Jacob and Spencer get their revenge Spencer passes his newborn son onto Cara for safekeeping, and with his uncle Jacob at his side, they go to exact their long overdue revenge on Whitfield. The duo arrive at Whifield’s doorstep and force entry. They find Whitfield having his breakfast and, without any hesitation, Spencer shoots him dead with a bullet through the head. Jacob notes that Whitfield’s demise will be an example for any of the vulture-like businessmen who come looking to take the Duttons’ land. 1923’s closing moments In the aftermath of all the violence, Liz finally leaves the ranch to rebuild her life elsewhere: she's had nothing but hellish experiences since her arrival. It makes for an interesting comparison to Alex, who has similarly journeyed through despair since coming into the Duttons’ orbit, but had the constitution to endure it (until the very end). The remaining Duttons bury Jack and Alex in the family graveyard. And, from then on, Spencer takes on the ranch as his own, allowing Jacob to begin his overdue retirement; he and Cara will look after Spencer’s son while Spencer looks after the Yellowstone ranch. And what of Teonah? Having killed the priest, she’s captured, finally, by Marshall Fossett. Fossett takes her to trial, but the prosecution has no witnesses, and the case is dismissed. Teonah can now walk free. She makes her way West, toward California, seeking a new life, and a break from the brutality she’s been forced to live through for the past year. Elsa Dutton narrates the closing moments, recounting how Spencer dies of old age, with Alex always on his mind, preserved by his memory. The final scene is of Spencer and Alex, in one of those memories of his, dancing at a ball - reunited in death. Where does the Yellowstone story go after 1923? 1923 ends conclusively, and there won’t be a season 3. Like 1883 and the main Yellowstone series before it, it’s done for good. However, the Yellowstone story more broadly is far from over. Like 1883 was followed by 1923, 1923 is due to be succeeded by 1944, which is supposedly being developed by Sheridan. In theory, that could tell the story of an older Spencer and his son, John Dutton Jr. Meanwhile, a slew of sequels (rather than prequels) to the main series is also in the works: The Madison, 6666, a Beth and Rip show, and a Kayce show, are all in various stages of development (Sheridan is a very busy man) and even with 1923 now done, there’s plenty more Yellowstone coming down the tracks. Hopefully, at least one of them will give us characters as good as Jacob, Cara, Spencer, and Alex, and stories to match. Read more: 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" 1923 seasons 1-2 are available to watch on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
1923's new episode makes Taylor Sheridan's most harrowing plot line even worse
Could things possibly get worse in the Yellowstone prequel?
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 viewing), this series of painful events made Alex’s story even worse, and since being separated from Spencer, the character has gone through hell and back. Read more: 1923 star responds to character's demise: "It's a tough one" 1923 just put fan-favourite characters on a collision course that changes Yellowstone forever This all, of course, seems to be leading to a great moment of catharsis when Alex will finally reach the Duttons’ ranch on Montana to be reunited with her husband - making her horrific journey worth it. But, that doesn’t make the scenes any easier to watch in the moment, especially as they’re so incredibly relentless. It’s difficult to see a character like Alex - a fan-favourite character who’s often served as the emotional centre of the series - endure such persistently awful treatment. Hopefully, things begin to get better for Alex from here on out. 1923 season 2 launched on Sunday 23rd February 2025 on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
1923 just put fan-favourite characters on a collision course that changes Yellowstone forever
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 points, have served as 1923’s central focus, despite being physically distant from the main storyline in Montana. Their coming together would signal the convergence of the series’ many narrative threads as 1923 approaches its finale. More importantly, it would mark the moment the Dutton and Rainwater families first intertwine – a moment that will echo throughout the Yellowstone timeline. The relationship between these families is one of Yellowstone’s most complex dynamics, shifting between rivalry and reluctant alliance. The families’ fates are inextricably linked, and seeing how that entanglement first takes shape will make for fascinating viewing. 1923 season 2 launched on Sunday 23rd February 2025 on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
1923 just gave fans Yellowstone's most gruesome scene since 1883
This just took things to a whole new level.
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 spurting out from under the chipped bone and torn skin. To make matters worse, the chloroform wasn’t enough to keep Zane under, and he woke during the process, screaming and kicking. Yellowstone fans will be incredibly familiar with casual violence by now, but the gruesome gore of the medical procedure took things to the next level, seriously putting audiences’ squeamishness to the test. 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 revealed the origins of an infamous Yellowstone location Thankfully, Zane made it through, and the treatment was successful. It put an end to a long-running story arc in the show after a period of uncertainty as to whether the character would survive his injuries or not. Now, back in action, his first request to Jacob was to pursue revenge against the cruel Donald Whitfield. And, as 1923 hits the midway point in its second and final season, it looks like a confrontation between the Duttons and their enemies isn’t far away. 1923 season 2 launched on Sunday 23rd February 2025 on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
1923 just revealed the origins of an infamous Yellowstone location
When Yellowstone’s Duttons need to hide a body, there’s only one place they go.
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 his father, John Dutton and his sister Beth - before ultimately himself there after his death. Read more: New Yellowstone spin-off rumoured with fan favourite set to lead 1923 season 2 episode 1 just confirmed fans' worst fears 1923 star responds to character's demise: "It's a tough one" Precisely who ends up at the bottom of the canyon by 1923’s eventual conclusion - now only a handful of episodes away - remains to be seen. But, if the main series is anything to go by, the Duttons’ enemies, including Whitfield and Banner Creighton, are likely in a lot of danger. 1923 season 2 launched on Sunday 23rd February 2025 on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Why Yellowstone's Taylor Sheridan didn't visit 1923 set, according to Game of Thrones star
As Yellowstone prequel 1923 continues, Game of Thrones alum Jerome Flynn shares Taylor Sheridan’s approach to working on the Western.
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 crucial part of his formula for success. Continuing to discuss Sheridan’s skills as a writer, Flynn also commented on 1883 – the Yellowstone prequel that preceded 1923. “When I saw 1883 I was blown away actually," he said. "You could tell that he had a deep appreciation [for the history behind the series] and the impact of that on the First Nations people. "There are layers and layers to it, and it opens the story up to a very mainstream popular audience to witness some very hard home truths in a way that hasn’t been done in such a way." As for where Sheridan’s writing will lead 1923 as it draws to a close, Flynn outlined what it was like to shoot the show’s finale. "Emotionally raw and poignant? I’d say so… The whole crew, we were collectively conjuring this story. There are times where it felt like I didn’t need to act." New episodes of 1923 arrive on Sundays on Paramount Plus, with Yellowstone seasons 1-5 also available to stream on Paramount Plus – you can sign up for Paramount Plus now. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
1923's Brandon Sklenar purposely avoided watching co-star Harrison Ford’s Shrinking
The actor explains why he wanted to keep the legendary Star Wars actor strictly in Dutton mode.
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 slightly better for Skelenar’s Spencer, who could, in theory, still yet feature in one of the many planned further spin-off stories being worked on by Sheridan. 1923 season 2 will launch on Sunday 23rd February 2025 on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
1923 season 2 episode 1 just confirmed fans' worst fears
The second season of the Yellowstone prequel could leave some frustrated with one big story decision.
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 was arguably season 1's greatest asset (the Spencer and Alexandra duo) and splitting them up across the whole season removes one of the strongest story threads. However, if there’s one thing that Sheridan is good at, it’s grand emotional story beats, and the promise of Spencer and Alexandra reuniting in Montana could provide an even more compelling story than having them together in the first place. That is, if they can make it to Montana alive. In the brutal world of Yellowstone, nothing’s ever certain, and heartbreak lurks around every corner. 1923 season 2 launched on Sunday 23rd February 2025 on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Yellowstone spin-off 1923 just hinted at the answer to a major John Dutton mystery
Yellowstone’s Dutton family tree has never been simple, but one massive question might have finally got an answer.
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 family of the main series. What we do know for certain is that Costner’s John Dutton III is the son of John Dutton II (seen in the main Yellowstone series during a flashback), but we don’t know who John Dutton II himself is the son of – a key piece of the puzzle. However, based on what we do know for certain about the family tree, Costner’s character is most likely either the grandson of Jack and Elizabeth, who lost a pregnancy as the first season ended, or Spencer and Alexandra – now confirmed to be pregnant. And that makes Spencer and Alexandra the current leading candidates to be the grandparents of Coster’s now-famous John Dutton. Admittedly, it’s nothing definitive: Jack and Elizabeth could yet have a child who ends up being John Dutton II. But, for now, it’s the most conclusive evidence the prequel series has presented. That is, for now. Writer Taylor Sheridan is well-known for unveiling inevitable twists, and there might yet be another one coming down the tracks. 1923 season 2 launched on Sunday 23rd February 2025 on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Don't worry Yellowstone fans, 1923 season 2 will inevitably fix the first season's biggest flaw
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.
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 diversions from each other. Yellowstone’s final batch of episodes struggled with this too, persistently detouring to inspect a shiny-looking object on the horizon, only to find that it was nothing noteworthy. So, when 1923 imminently returns, is there any hope that the sequel might hit the heights of its two predecessors, or is it doomed to always be the outing that was just adequate, and nothing more? Thankfully, Yellowstone fans should be optimistic: 1923 season 2 has greatness within its reach. In establishing its globetrotting cast of characters throughout its first season, and by giving (nearly) all of these characters a clear sense of onward direction, it seems like an inevitability that Sheridan will unite his story together in a way that will address 1923’s former issues and let the series flourish. For the Duttons in Montana and their villains, and for Spencer (and Alexandra not far behind), all roads now lead to the Yellowstone ranch: this will be the epicentre of 1923 season 2's story, whereas season 1 had no such focus. Bringing these characters and their respective stories together should fix the issue that most damaged the first season. And in turn, it’ll almost certainly make for a circus of brilliant chaos and essential viewing. Admittedly, getting these characters to the famous Dutton house might require some patience. Spencer has leagues of ocean to cross before he reaches the shores of America, let alone Montana, while his beloved Alexandra was London-bound when the first season ended. Meanwhile, Teonna, still on the run from her relentless persecutors, is headed south toward Texas rather than north toward Montana. In other words, her story is leading away from the Duttons, not approaching them. However, slowly but surely, the various threads of the 1923 story are steadily being pulled together rather than apart. They’re finally all beginning to share a united focus – for the series’ all-important sense of direction, that counts for a lot. Besides, it can’t be forgotten that after a wobbly final batch of episodes with the end of the recent main series, Sheridan did prove once again that he’s more than capable of crafting conclusions. It might well be his greatest talent as a writer. 1923 didn’t begin its life as a lesson in perfect storytelling: it ebbed and flowed and struggled to hit a groove. But, by the time the series comes to its grand conclusion, don’t be surprised if you find yourself overwhelmed, once again, by Sheridan’s ability to stick the landing with his own unique brand of emotionally satisfying gruff poeticism. His ability to tug at the heartstrings is an unexplainable law of the universe, and he hasn’t let us down yet. 1923 season 2 will launch on Sunday 23rd February 2025 on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
1923's Brandon Sklenar teases season 2 finale: 'One of the best things I’ve ever read'
The It Ends With Us actor hints at an emotional and action-packed conclusion to the Yellowstone prequel.
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 brutal and emotional affairs. 1883 featured heartbreaking deaths, and the recent ending of the main series saw some shocking moments of catharsis. Sheridan has proved his knack for crafting an ending to these series, and Sklenar’s comments suggest that 1923’s own ending will very much maintain that tradition. 1923 season 2 will launch on Sunday 23rd February 2025 on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
1923 star reacts to Yellowstone ending and following in Kevin Costner's footsteps
Brandon Sklenar reflects on entering the Dutton home and connecting with Costner's Yellowstone legacy.
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 show title He continued: “It’s a trip from my character’s perspective to get a glimpse of the future and see where does my lineage go… it’s kind of wild. Yellowstone is also tonally different, it’s a different vibe.” With Yellowstone now over and 1923’s own grand finale coming down the tracks, how the Dutton story will continue to expand over future spin-offs (including the reported Beth and Rip sequel) remains to be seen. 1923 season 2 will launch on Sunday 23rd February 2025 on Paramount Plus. Get a seven-day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Who is the Dark Wizard in The Rings of Power? Theories on Ciarán Hinds's mysterious character
Rings of Power season 2 introduces a new enemy for The Stranger and the Harfoots to deal with.
*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 quite the older Saruman’s outright contempt, but a visible lack of care and concern, nonetheless. And, crucially, Tolkien’s canon states that upon arriving in Middle-earth, Saruman travelled eastward into the lands of Rhûn and beyond prior to making Isengard, and Orthanc, his home. What Saruman did during his time in the East is unclear. View oEmbed on the source website These factors are immediately persuasive, and are arguably enough to set Saruman as the likeliest true identity of the Dark Wizard. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably a duck. Still, there are some flaws with this theory. First of all, with his envy, lust for power, and arrogance, Saruman’s descent into evil might have been inevitable, but prior to the War of the Ring and his corruption, he was wise, mighty and benevolent. While cold and aloof, as the leader of the White Council (a group made up of Saruman, Galadriel, Elrond, Círdan and Gandalf), Saruman was a driving force for good in Middle-earth, helping to keep the threat of Sauron at bay for much of the Third Age. Conversely, the Dark Wizard is precisely as his name implies: unambiguously dark, callous, and malignant. The second mark against this theory is that the events of Rings of Power take place during Middle-earth’s Second Age, and Tolkien’s lore states that the Istari — the five wizards — arrived in the Third Age. But, in the end, while these are both decent arguments against the suggestion that the Dark Wizard is — or will become — Saruman, they’re not bulletproof. Rings of Power has demonstrated time and time again that it’s more than happy to contort Tolkien’s lore to suit the narrative. The fact that the Istari don’t come to Middle-earth until the Third Age is something that the show is already almost certainly going to ignore, given that The Stranger seems so likely to be Gandalf. Regarding the disparity between the Dark Wizard’s evil disposition and Saruman’s originally (but admittedly finite) good nature, Rings of Power loves to create backgrounds and origin stories where they’re previously left vague. Tolkien’s writing explicitly doesn’t state Saruman’s objectives and manner prior to his position as the leader of the wizards and the White Council. Therefore, it’s theoretically possible that he was originally evil, temporarily turned towards the forces of good, and then reverted to evil again to unite with Sauron. It might raise some eyebrows – and it redefines Saruman’s entire arc – but it isn’t an overt contradiction of lore. So, where does that leave us? Clearly, all the clues support the working assumption that the Dark Wizard is Saruman. But, this is Rings of Power, which loves to string out a mystery, and these clues could, in theory, be red herrings intended to trick the audience. A Blue Wizard? The Dark Wizard is, obviously, a wizard, and if he’s evidently neither Gandalf nor Radagast, and potentially not Saruman, that leaves only one option: he’s a Blue Wizard. The Blue Wizards are the most enigmatic of the Istari. The pair strayed from their task to defend against Sauron when they travelled to the East alongside Saruman. But unlike Saruman, they didn’t return. And that’s pretty much all we know about the two Blue Wizards. Otherwise, Tolkien left the lore surrounding the pair completely ambiguous. Nothing is known about their individual missions, their successes or failings, or their fate, aside from the fact that they help to demonstrate that Gandalf was the only Istari who stayed true to his purpose rather than straying completely into distraction and self-indulgence. Now, this lack of established lore would give Rings of Power ample opportunity to craft a story for a Blue Wizard without having to be concerned about the restrictions of Tolkien’s writing. Really, in this case, those restrictions are non-existent. The elephant in the room, of course, is a simple one. The Dark Wizard isn’t blue, and the Istari are heavily associated with their given colours. Saruman the White wore white, Gandalf the Grey wore grey, Radgast the Brown wore brown, and it therefore follows that the Blue Wizards wore blue. On the contrary, the Dark Wizard wears pale white robes, and his black staff is set with a red gemstone. Further, the Blue Wizards would in theory come as a duo, and the Dark Wizard seems to be a lone operator. Those flaws with the theory aren’t totally fundamental, but they do make this outcome less likely, at the very least. Khamûl? If the name Khamûl doesn’t ring any bells, don’t be alarmed. It’s not a name that many Tolkien fans will immediately recognise. Formerly an Easterling, Khamûl was given one of the nine Rings of Power gifted to mortal men, and therefore transformed into a Ringwraith. This makes him one of the nine Black Riders: Sauron’s most powerful and terrifying lieutenants. Not only that, but Khamûl was the Ringwraiths’ second-in-command, behind the Witch-king. Like the Dark Wizard, Khamûl is associated with the East, and most likely had a degree of innate darkness to him that Sauron sought to exploit with his magic rings. And, with Rings of Power’s emphasis on those titular rings, the Dark Wizard being Khamûl could help to tie various threads together as Sauron’s plan coalesces. Clearly, there’s one big hole here. The Dark Wizard is quite explicitly one of the Istari, while Khamûl was a mortal man, and most likely a king or warlord from the East: not an Istari. That alone essentially discounts this theory. Khamûl wasn’t a wizard, and the Dark Wizard is one. However, don’t completely reject the idea that Rings of Power might introduce Khamûl later down the line. An original character? It’s just about possible that the Dark Wizard is an entirely new character; a creation of the show’s imagination. Therefore, it’s currently impossible to entirely discount this option, despite the fact that it’s also extremely improbable. Unless Rings of Power is willing to create a sixth Istari — a major alteration to Tolkien’s canon — then it’s hard to see how the Dark Wizard could be a new character, or, really, any character other than Saruman. That said, Rings of Power has been keen to inject original characters and ideas into the story wherever it can, and it would certainly add some unpredictability to proceedings if the Dark Wizard ended up being none of the main suspects. How could the Dark Wizard be defeated? Thanks to Tom Bombadil, we now have some sense as to how the Dark Wizard could be defeated - using The Stranger and Secret Fire. Currently, not much is known about Secret Fire, other than it being a mysterious heavenly power in Eä and Arda. But we do know it's been giving The Stranger visions, including a terrifying premonition involving his Harfoot friend Nori. While The Stranger is desperate to save Nori from impending doom, Tom Bombadil tells him if he does that, he can't return to this path and that Middle-earth needs him. So, is it Nori or the whole world? View Affiliate Playlist on the source website The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is streaming on Prime Video. Sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial. Check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on, or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Rings of Power season 1 recap: What happened in first season?
Catch up on the events of the first season while as the epic series returns.
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 Elven homeland of Valinor. However, Galadriel is far from ready to give up her quest. In a moment of defiance, she leaps from the ship bound for Valinor, choosing to swim back to Middle-earth. Her life is saved by a ragged mortal man named Halbrand, and together, on his raft, they are carried by the currents to the island kingdom of Númenor, ruled by Queen Míriel. In Númenor, Galadriel continues her search for Sauron, discovering that the Southlands in the southeast of Middle-earth may be central to his plans. She convinces Queen Míriel to send an army to aid the Southlands, where a great battle looms. The Númenórean forces, led by General Elendil and his son Isildur, set sail for Middle-earth. Meanwhile, the relationship between Galadriel and Halbrand shifts and twists. Galadriel is drawn to the mystery of Halbrand’s background and his charisma. Similarly, Halbrand is enamoured by Galadriel’s sense of purpose. This friction – with the potential to turn romantic – both pulls them closer and pushes them apart as each discovers the complexities within the other. They too sail across to Middle-earth with the Númenorean forces to defend the Southlands. Bronwyn, Theo and Arondir The Southlands and its inhabitants are central to the story of the first season of Rings of Power, not least because they serve as the magnet that draws the disparate plot lines together as the story evolves. The region’s inhabitants were once aligned with Morgoth, and after his defeat, a detachment of Elves, including Arondir, was stationed there to monitor the population. But while the other Elves grow complacent, the watchful Arondir notices signs of a resurgence of evil. While investigating, Arondir is captured by Orcs, now led by a figure named Adar, and forced to work on an expansive underground tunnel system. The Orcs use these tunnels to launch attacks across the Southlands, including on Bronwyn’s village, where she lives with her son Theo. Bronwyn rallies the villagers to abandon their homes and take refuge in a nearby abandoned fort. As they flee, Theo discovers a broken hilt of an ancient sword and takes it with him. The season’s central battle unfolds as Adar’s forces besiege the fort. The Southlanders manage to hold out until Galadriel, Halbrand and the Númenóreans arrive, defeating Adar’s army. However, Adar’s true objective is achieved: the hilt Theo found is a key, which, when activated, unleashes a chain of events that culminates in the eruption of a dormant volcano. The ensuing eruption transforms the Southlands into a volcanic wasteland of darkness, ash and fire: it becomes Mordor, Sauron’s great stronghold, with Mount Doom at its heart. All the key players survive the eruption, though Isildur is left missing, presumed dead. Bronwyn’s folk leave to establish new lands (presumably what will become Gondor), while the remaining Númenóreans return home, albeit with a vow to return to help continue the fight against Sauron in Middle-earth. While Bronwyn survived the eruption, the first episodes of season 2 reveal that she actually died off-screen. During episode 2, Arondir reveals: "I failed to stop Adar, I failed to protect her. I thought she was getting better. There is a foulness in Orc arrows not easily forgotten by human flesh." This is down to actress Nazanin Boniadi exiting the show due to personal reasons. In the aftermath of the eruption, Galadriel brings the gravely injured Halbrand to the Elven city of Lindon, where she realises, to her horror, that he is the enemy she’s been hunting for so long: Sauron, in the guise of a man. Galadriel rejects Sauron’s proposal to join him as his queen, and he escapes from Lindon to Mordor, while she plots her next steps to defeat him, reeling from the betrayal, but vindicated. Elrond, Prince Durin and the Mithril Rings of Power’s first season showed that Middle-earth’s greatest bromance, that of Legolas and Gimli, was preceded by an equally unconventional relationship: Elrond and Durin IV. However, as the season begins, the friendship between Elrond and the Dwarven prince of Khazad-dûm has been fractured by time. The two haven’t seen each other for 20 years: the blink of an eye to the eternal Elrond, but a long and eventful eternity to Durin. Knowing that the Elves need the Dwarves’ help to construct a great forge, Elrond seeks to mend the damaged friendship, requiring humility and patience (and, the assistance of Durin’s wife Disa). However, it’s Durin’s father, King Durin III, who ultimately needs convincing to help the Elves. Unbeknown to the Elves, King Durin’s Dwarves have discovered a precious resource deep within the mines of Moria: mithril. This rare ore is a substance that has the power to restore the Elves’ fading magical light, and therefore preserve Elven influence over Middle-earth. So, King Gil-Galad tasks Elrond with manipulating the Dwarves to access the precious material. Though King Durin refuses to bend to Elrond’s requests, Prince Durin does share a small thumb-sized piece of mithril with Elrond, who takes it back to Lindon for study, giving it to Celebrimbor. Celebrimbor The Elven smith Celebrimbor becomes a key figure as the season nears its end. Tasked with forging a crown for Gil-galad from the mithril, he instead, with guidance from Halbrand and encouragement from Galadriel, creates three rings. These rings are intended to preserve the power of the mithril and are worn by Galadriel, Elrond, and Celebrimbor himself. The Harfoots and The Stranger <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/08/RPAZS1200219ROTBEN00188R1-795533f.jpg" width="3000" height="2000" alt="Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow, Markella Kavenagh as Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" title="Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow, Markella Kavenagh as Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" /> The Harfoots, an ancestral branch of The Shire’s Hobbits (in a time long before The Shire ever existed) are a nomadic people subsisting through foraging and moving from one lush place to another: it’s a peaceful and simple, albeit tough, existence. Their peace is punctured when a blazing ball of fire streaks through the nearby night sky, crashing to the ground to create a circle of flame. Nori, a curious young Harfoot, investigates the crash site and discovers a disorientated man at the centre of the fire. This Stranger, as he becomes known, possesses mysterious and powerful abilities, and Nori takes it upon herself to care for him, hiding him from the rest of the Harfoots. As the Stranger slowly regains his unfathomable magical powers he leaves the Harfoots, only for Nori to realise he’s being tracked down by mysterious agents of evil. Speeding to warn him, Nori catches up with the Stranger as he’s under attack by this mysterious white-robed trio, leading to a dangerous battle where he gains control over his magic to defeat them. But, the Stranger and the Harfoots can’t co-exist: he attracts a danger they aren’t equipped to deal with. Feeling a pull to the east, the Stranger prepares to leave, and Nori, eager for adventure, joins him. Together, they head to the eastern lands of Rhûn, as he tells her to “always follow your nose”. His connections to Hobbits, his links to fire, his power over magic, and many other small details, all point to the idea that the Stranger isn’t so unknown after, but may actually be... Gandalf. The board is set for Rings of Power season 2 With the titular Rings of Power now forged and Sauron unmasked, the second season of the fantasy series is poised to establish further sweeping action and drama across Middle-earth and the prospect of many more mysteries. How will Sauron manipulate the creation of the One Ring? Will Galadriel continue her hunt for him, or reconsolidate with the Elves? What will the Stranger find in Rhûn? Expect more battles and more twists as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Read more on The Rings of Power: Rings of Power bosses tease 'most ambitious battle in TV history' in season 2 How to watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies in order What is the Second Age of Middle-earth? Rings of Power timeline explained The Rings of Power season 2 will launch on Prime Video on 29th August – you can sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial. If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Rings of Power season 2 review: Splendid storytelling redeems series - but it still has flaws
Season 2 delivers a tighter narrative with a fantastic central focus, while sometimes succumbing to the same challenges that beset season 1.
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 Khazad-dûm deal with the lingering terror beneath their feet, Númenor struggles with its position in the order of the world, and the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) journeys to Rhûn to discern his purpose and discover his identity. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/07/Rings-of-Power-season-2-Arondir-Isildur-Estrid-3042400.jpg" width="3000" height="2000" alt="Close-up shot of Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir, Maxim Baldry as Isildur and Nia Towle as Estrid in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. They are wearing armour and looking into the distance." title="Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir, Maxim Baldry as Isildur and Nia Towle as Estrid in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." /> The Rings of Power season 2’s greatest feat is that, out of all the sprawling strands of the story, the central thread — Sauron’s manipulation of Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) — is by far the strongest, serving as a powerful anchor. Unlike in the first season, this compelling core narrative stands on its own two feet, propelling the story onward rather than melting away into a vague cacophony of disconnected plotlines all fighting for supremacy. Talented, intelligent and charismatic, Celebrimbor is also blinded by his pride, his ego and his hubris — something that Sauron so delicately, and maliciously, exploits. The resulting relationship between the two is magnetic: an engrossing and finely balanced dance that spans all eight episodes, progressing steadily to its inevitable conclusion. Of all the characters of Middle-earth to be brought to the screen, Edwards spins Celebrimbor into one of the most richly complex and unique, lending the second season a dramatic gravitas that continually evaded first. Another relationship that shines is that of the father and son, equally stubborn and obstinate, Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) and King Durin (Peter Mullan). Counterbalancing the journey of Celebrimbor and Sauron, theirs is relatable, heartfelt and earnest. Whenever attention turns toward it, it’s a welcomed tether to reality. It helps that the cast is permanently framed against such a gorgeously splendid backdrop, too. Even more than in the first season, The Rings of Power season 2’s visuals are something to behold. In particular, audiences are given a more detailed window into the Dwarven and Elven kingdoms: both opulent and glittering, but in entirely distinct and fitting ways, almost as if plucked directly from Tolkien’s imagination. And, the diverse variety of creatively ugly orcs are ever-entertaining and wonderfully grotesque, proving once again that Peter Jackson seriously misstepped when he decided to replace tangible costumes and makeup for CGI with his Hobbit trilogy. The level of care poured into this work in The Rings of Power is staggering, and every penny of that famously hefty budget seems put to good use. No matter how long a shot lingers on some incredible backdrop or detail, whether it's Dwarven stonework or some twisting golden-hued Elven tree, you’ll always want more. None of this is merely superficial, either. Tolkien paid just as much attention to creating the grand landscapes of Middle-earth as he did the characters that inhabit it. Bringing that to life authentically and faithfully will always be a laudable achievement, and not one that should be taken for granted. With a tighter — better — narrative driving force and permanently spectacular visuals, these glimmers of greatness all mean that this time around, it's easier to put aside The Rings of Power’s underlying issues, many of which remain unchanged. While the show’s sense of focus is much improved (something that greatly helps in allaying the first season’s sluggish pacing), there is still a huge disparity in the quality of the many plotlines. As well-rendered as the Elven and Dwarven story beats are, the primarily political Númenórean subplot is eye-rollingly tedious. The Stranger’s continued quest to uncover his identity isn’t much better, either. View Green Video on the source website Equally, the coherence of geography and time (such integral, painstakingly detailed components of Tolkien’s writing) are still sore casualties, as characters traverse back and forth across mindboggling distances in the blink of an eye. The progression of the plot is still occasionally determined by noticeable contrivances. The excessively florid and portentous dialogue can still stick in the ear. Most frustratingly, ‘What is the real name of this character?’ still remains a primary (and patience-testing) mode of storytelling. Yes, the identity of the Stranger is finally revealed by the end of this season, but it was an artificial mystery that ought to have been resolved at the start of the first season, let alone by the end of the second. By the time it is mercifully resolved, it's overstayed its welcome by an outrageous degree. Worst of all, it’s immediately replaced by another like-for-like mystery, with yet another similarly ambiguously named character. The Rings of Power would almost undoubtedly make for better TV if it had simply jettisoned its weaker storylines, but by this point, it’s clear that unevenness is a part of the show’s DNA; in one moment brilliant, in one moment perplexing. And, it’s a mistake to judge The Rings of Power for what it could be, rather than what it is. Whether or not the second season’s genuine and significant improvements make the continued presence of these flaws more or less frustrating is difficult to judge. In the end, The Rings of Power season 2 is largely so carefully crafted, so creative, and so captivating that it’s incredibly easy to enjoy and appreciate what works, and ignore nearly everything else. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Read more on The Rings of Power: What happened in The Rings of Power season 1? Full recap before season 2 Rings of Power bosses tease 'most ambitious battle in TV history' in season 2 How to watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies in order What is the Second Age of Middle-earth? Rings of Power timeline explained The Rings of Power season 2 will launch on Prime Video on 29th August – you can sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial. If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.