Spoilers for the first two episodes of 1923’s second season are ahead! If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the Yellowstone prequel with a Paramount+ subscription and catch new episodes on Sundays.
Wolves play an important role in Yellowstone, specifically in Kayce Dutton’s story. Throughout the flagship show, and specifically in the last two seasons, whenever we saw the animal, it also came with Luke Grimes’ character pondering his paths as he decided whether to embrace the Dutton legacy or abandon it. Now, in 1923, Elizabeth has faced a wolf too, and I asked Michelle Randolph about the impact a moment like that will have on Season 2 as it continues airing on the 2025 TV schedule.
What Michelle Randolph Told Me About Elizabeth Facing A Wolf And A Cougar In 1923
Before we get into the parallels between the two Yellowstone shows, let’s talk about what happened to Elizabeth first. In the premiere, Michelle Randolph’s character faced a cougar, and then, in Episode 2, she was attacked by a rabid wolf in a chicken coup. Eventually, the wolf gets into the Dutton house and kills a nurse. Then Cara kills it.
It’s a deeply traumatic set of events, and it leads Elizabeth to a breaking point, as she claims that she’s going to leave. So, when I interviewed Randolph, I asked her about the significance of these events, and she told me:
Man, yeah, it just seems like bad things follow her a little bit. But, it's just a really stark introduction to what life is like on the ranch and what it's like to be a Dutton. And it almost just feels like she's getting a crash course this winter, and ultimately seeing that Cara is the rancher's wife, and that's what she is going to become. So, I think that's pretty important for the script.
Winter has most definitely hit 1923 hard, and the evil beings are coming out of the woodwork, testing the entire family's strength and devotion.
However, on top of this moment with the wolf (and the cougar) signifying a breaking point and a sign of bad luck for Elizabeth, it also harkens back to a major struggle Kayce faced throughout Yellowstone’s run.
Why I Can’t Stop Thinking About These Comments In Relation To Kayce’s Relationship With Wolves On Yellowstone
Now, in the past, I’ve compared Kayce to Spencer, and I still think the youngest Dutton siblings have a lot in common. However, I also think it’s worth considering how the Yellowstone character’s struggle with his place on the ranch relates to what Elizabeth is going through in 1923.
In this case, the wolf relates to the two paths Kayce is presented with. In his vision quest involving the animal at the end of Season 4 (you can stream it with a Peacock subscription), he’s told he can choose the ranch or his family (meaning Tate and Monica). And that choice haunts him for the rest of the show.
Meanwhile, it seems like 1923's wolf signified a breaking point that officially put Elizabeth at a similar crossroads of either staying on the ranch or leaving it and Jack for good.
Like Kayce, she’s unsure about her place on the ranch – as evidenced by her many conversations with Cara. And the violence she’s faced has caused her to understandably question her priorities and loyalties, much like the Dutton who lives on this land 100 years after her.
The wolf is a potent symbol, and this rabid one that attacked Elizabeth not long after she also faced a cougar seems like a bad omen, a major breaking point and a crossroads. So, as Michelle Randolph said, it will be a very important moment to remember as Season 2 of 1923 continues.
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