1923

Muscular and absorbing, this Yellowstone spin-off is a worthy successor to its origin story, and an enjoyable extension of the Taylorverse. Showrunner Taylor Sheridan chose wisely with the setting of 1923: The Montana of the era was facing challenges from numerous quarters, including a looming drought, a literal plague of locusts, and a steadily worsening financial picture that the rest of the world would begin calling the Great Depression in just a few years. Caught between all these circumstances, patriarch Jacob Dutton is wary but already worn out, and the younger Duttons certainly don't seem prepared to weather the coming circumstances.

Meanwhile, the drama is deepened immeasurably by the inclusion of a storyline about a disgraceful chapter of America's history: the "Indian schools" of the Westward Expansion era. These boarding schools aimed to forcibly erase Native culture and language, and in some of 1923's most unbearable scenes, we see a young woman, Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), cruelly punished by Catholic priests and nuns intent on beating her identity out of her. It's hard to watch, because it's easy to imagine the real-life schools that doled out similar treatment, but viewers will root for Rainwater. They'll root for the Duttons too, despite their privilege, as 1923 shows how all its characters struggle in a difficult time. Viewers definitely won't want to live in 1923 Montana, but it's gripping to visit.