While Spencer faces off against maneaters in Africa, Jacob must deal with human predators.
Here are some random thoughts prompted by “The War Has Come Home,” Episode 103 of 1923, which premiered early New Year’s Day on Paramount+. Please keep in mind: There will be scads of spoilers here, so consider yourself warned.
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- My first thought: “OK, Jacob has to survive! Taylor Sheridan wouldn’t dare kill off Harrison Ford in the third episode!” My second thought: “On the other hand, Sheridan did kill off Kyle Chandler in the first episode of The Mayor of Kingstown.” So even though Jacob appeared to still be alive at the Episode 103 wrap-up… Well, everything’s up for grabs, right?
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- A freakin’ tommy gun? Holy Moley! Banner Creighton isn’t messing around, is he? I suppose the resort to heavy-duty weaponry shouldn’t have come as a surprise – nearly getting hanged can drive a man to consider extreme measures while plotting retaliation. But at this rate, the Duttons may have call in Elliott Ness and The Untouchables for reinforcements.
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- As much as I love Helen Mirren, I could have lived a very long time without imagining her with unshaven legs and armpits during Cara’s early-morning conversation about razors with Jacob.
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- Speaking of Cara: We didn’t have to wait long to see her delivering the coup de grâce to that guy like she did in the Premiere Episode flashforward, did we? And you know what? I bet this won’t be the last time we see her drop the hammer on someone.
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- Did you see what I saw? The cutaway to a reaction shot when Jacob started to dismount from his horse, and then the cut-back after he was standing on the ground? Geez. No offense, Harrison Ford, but did you need, like, a stepladder?
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- Isabel May is still narrating. And yes, it’s still a little… weird..
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- I wonder how many people watching this episode were profoundly shocked to learn hyenas actually kill people, and don’t just laugh all the livelong day.
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- The African locations are so beautiful, Spencer and Alexandra engage in so much witty and sexy give and take, and the perfectly matched Brandon Sklenar and Julia Schlaepfer generate such potent chemistry… yeah, I’ll go ahead and say it: I would enjoyed at least two more episodes dedicated entirely to this fun couple and their adventures in the wild. (“You Americans are brutes!” “Yes, ma’am.”) But I guess we’ll have to settle for them drawing closer and coping with possibly greater danger in Montana. Aunt Cara has summoned — inconveniently, perhaps, but at just the right time.
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- First, a trip to a spirited speakeasy. Then, a tender scene of late-night lovemaking. Jack and Liz certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves. So, naturally, bad things happened to them the very next day. In The Taylor Sheridan Universe, no one gets to savor long stretches of uninterrupted happiness.
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- No sign of Teonna this week. Hope nothing bad has happened to… Scratch that. Hope nothing worse has happened to the poor girl.
Photography: Emerson Miller/Paramount+
