The Best Western Series of All Time Is Taylor Sheridan’s Ambitious Effort on Paramount+

2 days ago 12

Spencer and Alex standing close together looking into the distance with mountains behind in 1923.

Published Oct 7, 2026, 12:45 AM EDT

Liam Gaughan is a film and TV writer at Collider. He has been writing film reviews and news coverage for ten years. Between relentlessly adding new titles to his watchlist and attending as many screenings as he can, Liam is always watching new movies and television shows.

In addition to reviewing, writing, and commentating on both new and old releases, Liam has interviewed talent such as Mark Wahlberg, Jesse Plemons, Sam Mendes, Billy Eichner, Dylan O'Brien, Luke Wilson, and B.J. Novak. Liam aims to get his spec scripts produced and currently writes short films and stage plays. He lives in Allentown, PA.

Taylor Sheridan is renowned as the creator who has helped revitalize Westerns on television, but a majority of his recurring shows are at least partially set in a different genre. Yellowstone is as much a drama about family infighting in the vein of Succession as it is a neo-Western, and the same could be said about The Madison and Dutton Ranch. Mayor of Kingstown, Landman, and Tulsa King are all crime shows with Western influence, and while 1883 is a truly classical frontier epic, it exists as only a short miniseries. 1923 is Sheridan working within a historical context that explores the end of the “frontier era,” as it was by the end of the decade that America was consumed by the Great Depression, Prohibition, and the period of political uncertainty that led to the controversial election of President Herbert Hoover. 1923 is set at a time in which individual states still felt isolated, making “frontier justice” the law of the land. It’s a poignant farewell to an era that also gives Sheridan an opportunity to tell an emotional, generational story that serves as a prequel to his existing universe.

1923 is set after the establishment of the Yellowstone Ranch that had been alluded to in 1883, and the show picks up with members of the Dutton family when their domain is under threat. Cara (Helen Mirren) and Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) do not have any children, but they have raised their nephew John Sr. (James Badge Dale) and protected his wife Emma (Marley Shelton) and son Jack (Darren Mann). John’s brother, Spender (Brandon Sklenar), is a veteran of World War I who aims to return home to Montana, but falls in love with the British woman Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer). While a traditional Western might be focused on settlement or manifest destiny, 1923 charts the Duttons as they preserve the last remnants of individualism through their land, which represents an old-fashioned symbol of idealism and honor. 1923 isn't only the Sheridan show that is the most thematically layered and ambitious in scope, but the one that becomes the most satisfying because of how well it works as an ensemble piece.

‘1923’ Is a True Historical Epic

Sheridan has been accused of hijacking current political or social controversies for the sake of creating inflammatory content, but 1923 succeeds because it is completely committed to its historical context. The series captures the unusual place that a family like the Duttons were in during an era in which America had been exposed to the terrors of a world war and seen a revolution in the development of technology, despite not being afforded protection from the rising power of greedy capitalists. Instead of making the Duttons the embodiment of privilege and generational power, 1923 sees them as being a beneficial player within the society of Montana during a period of drought and locusts. The series' most ruthless villains, such as Timothy Dalton as the cruel business tycoon Donald Whitfield, strive for the same level of independence, but do not use their power to institute any semblance of chivalry.

Although prior Sheridan shows have been dominated by the presence of a major movie star who essentially runs the production, 1923 has a well-defined ensemble cast in which the characters have an equal amount of screen time and presence. Seeing Ford and Mirren reunited almost 40 years after they worked together in the Peter Weir classic The Mosquito Coast is a treat for cinephiles, and it's impressive to see that they have matured to the point that they can play reverential, experienced family leaders who have earned the trust of their entire community. It’s interesting to see Dalton, an actor who was once 007, play such a nasty, unforgivable character, but Donald sadly doesn't feel that unrealistic when looking at the practices of business magnates at this time in American history. 1923 also serves as a response to critiques that Sheridan hasn’t done enough with his characters of color, as Aminah Nieves has a powerful role as Teonna Rainwater, a Crow woman who fights against the malevolent practices of the Catholic Church and ultimately strives to secure her own future.

‘1923’ Is Taylor Sheridan’s Most Layered and Emotional Show

1923 might be the most dazzling show on a visceral level that Sheridan has ever put together thanks to the gorgeous production design, practical location shooting, and beautiful score from Brian Tyler and Breton Vivian, composers who have experience in film. 1923 also has the most compelling romance of any of Sheridan’s shows with Spencer and Alexandra, as the strong chemistry between Sklenar and Schlaepfer makes it all the more heartbreaking when they are separated and forced to go to the ends of the Earth to find one another. It’s also a show with room to flesh out characters beyond what would seem like a caricature; Jerome Flynn’s Banner Creighton is initially introduced as another insipid enemy of the Duttons, but by the end of the second season, he is revealed to be a man of principles.

1923 shows Sheridan at his best when he is working within parameters, as the series serves as both the perfect sequel to 1883 and captures a particularly interesting moment in American history that offers more than a few lessons worth remembering today. Two seasons are just enough time to capture the most defining moment in this era of the Dutton family’s history, but 1923 is so successful as a standalone Western that it doesn't require any existing knowledge of the Yellowstone universe to be enjoyed.