The new western starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, 1923, is the latest series in the Yellowstone craze that you can watch all at once. In fact, 1923 is the third show in the Yellowstone series and the second prequel. But do you have to watch the other shows to enjoy the new one?
If you’re unfamiliar with Yellowstone and its variations, here’s a fast guide to all the shows, what you need to know to see 1923, where you can watch Yellowstone, and why it’s not available online in the same location as 1923.
The Yellowstone Event, in a Nutshell
Taylor Sheridan is a very successful writer and producer who is riding a wave of success. Yellowstone, a modern Western, was the show that started it all. In this current series, Kevin Costner plays John Dutton, the head of The Dutton Family and the owner of America’s biggest ranch. Nearby residents, Native Americans, developers, politicians, members of his own family, and so on all want a piece of the beautiful Montana land.
1883, a prequel to Yellowstone starring Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill, is about the Dutton family’s travels and troubles before they moved to Montana. Yellowstone just ended its fifth season, and the limited series 1883 just finished its run.
Also Read: No New ‘Yellowstone’ Episode Will Air On Christmas Day!
What is 1923?
The first episode of 1923, called “A Yellowstone Origin Story,” came out on December 18. It is meant to be a limited series, just like 1883. The story takes place in Montana. The Duttons are having a hard time. Money is tight, and Prohibition doesn’t make things any better, even on good days. Harrison Ford plays Jacob Dutton, the father of 1883’s main character, James Dutton.
This is Harrison Ford’s first regular role in a TV show (McGraw). Cara, Jacob’s Irish wife, is played by Helen Mirren. After James dies, they take care of his boys, Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) and John, as a team (James Badge Dale, assuming the role of young Audie Rick of 1883). Jacob wants to set up a ranch in Montana and is also the Commissioner of the Livestock Agency.
This puts him in conflict with a number of people, like the angry Scottish sheep farmer Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) and the powerful businessman Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton). It’s hard to imagine a better cast. Marley Shelton, who plays John’s wife Emma, is criminally underrated. Fanboys can geek out when the show’s former Indiana Jones and James Bond sneer at each other.
Do I Have To Watch Yellowstone or 1883 Before I Can Watch 1923?
The simple answer is no. The longer answer is that Sheridan is creating a Yellowstone multiverse, or at least a Yellowstone family tree, and there are enough linkages between the three shows – including flashbacks, name drops, attitudes, politics, and even narrators – that it is recommended that you watch Yellowstone and 1883 before viewing 1923.
There are plans for more spin-offs, so now is a good time to jump in before you have to binge-watch for weeks to catch up.
Also Read: Yellowstone: An Analysis of The Extremely Popular Show!
What is The Right Order For Watching The Yellowstone Shows?
Here is what this writer thinks: I started with Yellowstone because the other shows didn’t exist when Costner and his crew started almost five years ago. Now, 1883 and 1923 have added to the experience and made it better. Even though it might make more sense to watch 1883, 1923, and then Yellowstone in order, I think you should watch it the way I did.
I like that there are several seasons of Yellowstone to think about. The characters and situations are fully developed and explored in the first two seasons, 1883 and 1923. In many ways, they are their own shows, with their own dramatic situations, settings, characters, etc. So, I’ll say it again: I think you should start with the fully realized Yellowstone saga and then go to 1883 and 1923.
Where Can I Watch 1923 and Yellowstone Online?
Yellowstone is on Paramount Network, and there you can watch all five seasons. (Just to be clear, the Paramount Network is not a streaming service. It is a cable channel.)
Yellowstone can’t be streamed on Paramount+, which is a bit confusing. Instead, you can watch Seasons 1-4 of Yellowstone on Peacock, and Season 5 is likely to come soon after. For a fee, you can also stream Yellowstone on iTunes, Vudu, and Amazon Prime Video.
On the other hand, 1883 and 1923 can only be watched on Paramount+.
