“1923” season 2 is one of Taylor Sheridan’s most critically acclaimed outings to date, with the Western boasting a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing. Mind you, the latest installment isn’t flawless, as the season premiere continued an unnecessary trend and channeled one of “Yellowstone’s” most controversial moments, showing that Sheridan has a tendency to repeat himself. What’s more, one of the series’ current storylines is also lifted straight from the “Yellowstone” playbook, as Elizabeth Strafford (Michelle Randolph) is following in the footsteps of Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille).
Like Monica, Elizabeth doesn’t feel at home on the Dutton family’s ranch — in fact, there are times where she’s equated it to being in prison, and her frustrations reach boiling point in episode 2, “The Rapist Is Winter,” after she’s attacked by a wolf and subsequently forced to receive a rabies injection, which she fears will harm her chance of having a baby. This also comes after her miscarriage in season 1, similar to the unfortunate incident that led to Monica losing her baby in “Yellowstone” season 5.
However, that isn’t the only similarity in regard to both characters’ stories in the franchise. In many ways, Elizabeth and Monica are cut from the same cloth, and if “1923” continues making that apparent, the former probably won’t become a fan-favorite character any time soon.
Monica hates the ranch life on Yellowstone
As previously mentioned, Elizabeth believes that the “Yellowstone” ranch is a prison, and she isn’t happy living there. “1923” season 2 episode 2 even sees her vow to leave and move back home, only for Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren) to plead with her to stay until the spring, as the scenery will make all of the suffering she’s endured feel worth it. However, this place has made people unhappy for generations.
On “Yellowstone,” Monica frequently begs her husband, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), to leave the ranch behind, especially after danger befalls their family. Their son, Tate Dutton (Brecken Merrill), almost dies on the property, which only justifies Monica’s concerns and proves that it isn’t safe. Monica also compares the ranch to the Alamo and regularly voices her desire to leave until Kayce finally agrees, and it looks like the relationship between Elizabeth and Jack Dutton (Darren Mann) is set to follow a similar trajectory.
Despite Monica having understandable reasons for wanting to leave the ranch on “Yellowstone,” the storyline received some flak from fans, with the most vocal naysayers deeming the character “annoying” and even calling for her to be killed. As it stands, Elizabeth is showcasing many of the same concerns and fears as her “Yellowstone” counterpart, but it remains to be seen if her protests will be met with the same scorn from fans when “1923” is all said and done. For now, though, it seems that the prequel series is treading well-trodden ground, as this story feels very familiar.