Brandon Sklenar teases a season of “1923” filled with beauty, poetry, and redemption. He praises Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren’s down-to-earth nature on set. Plus, hear about the grueling Texas shoot in wool gear.

If you thought the world of the Duttons had already taken you to the emotional brink, brace yourself. According to Brandon Sklenar, the storm gathering over the ranch in Season 2 of 1923 isn’t just another chapter in the saga—it’s a sweeping, soul-stirring reckoning that promises to leave audiences shattered, healed, and utterly transformed. And if the actor’s words are any indication, what’s coming next may be one of the most poetic and devastating arcs in the entire Yellowstone universe.

Sklenar, who plays Spencer Dutton in the gripping prequel to Yellowstone, hints that the new season elevates everything fans have come to expect: the romance, the violence, the harsh beauty of the frontier, and the unbreakable ties of family. But this time, there’s something deeper coursing beneath the surface. Season 2, he reveals, leans heavily into themes of redemption—earned, painful, and profoundly human. It’s not just about survival anymore. It’s about reckoning with the cost of that survival.

Spencer’s journey, already marked by trauma and longing, intensifies in ways that feel almost mythic. Sklenar describes the unfolding episodes as filled with beauty and poetry, but not in a soft or sentimental way. Instead, it’s the kind of poetry forged in fire—the stark lyricism of wide-open plains, brutal winters, and the fragile hope that flickers even in the darkest moments. The romance that has anchored Spencer’s arc evolves under extraordinary pressure, testing love against the raw realities of the early 20th-century American frontier.

Yet while the emotional weight grows heavier, so does the grandeur of the storytelling. Season 2 reportedly expands its scope, pushing characters to their physical and spiritual limits. The Dutton legacy—already steeped in blood and sacrifice—faces threats that strike at its very foundation. Every decision feels monumental. Every loss reverberates across generations. And every small act of grace carries seismic emotional power. 

Sklenar’s reverence for his co-stars is impossible to ignore. Working alongside screen legends like Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, he says, has been nothing short of transformative. Despite their towering status in Hollywood, both Ford and Mirren reportedly bring an unpretentious, grounded energy to set. There are no egos in the bunkhouse, no barriers between generations of performers—just artists committed to telling a story that matters.

Ford’s portrayal of Jacob Dutton continues to anchor the series with quiet authority. According to Sklenar, Ford approaches the role not as a legend stepping into a Western epic, but as a craftsman serving the character. There’s an authenticity to his performance that filters through every scene—weathered, restrained, and deeply felt. Meanwhile, Mirren’s Cara Dutton remains a force of nature, radiating strength and vulnerability in equal measure. Sklenar suggests that the emotional currents between the older and younger Duttons intensify this season, weaving a tapestry of generational struggle and devotion that feels almost Shakespearean.

But for all the beauty on screen, bringing Season 2 to life was no easy feat. The production reportedly endured grueling conditions, particularly during an extended shoot in Texas. Clad in heavy wool costumes designed to reflect the era’s harsh realities, the cast faced sweltering heat that made every take a test of endurance. Sklenar jokes that while the audience will see frostbitten landscapes and biting winds, the reality was sweat-soaked layers and relentless sun. The physical discomfort, however, only deepened the cast’s immersion into the world of 1923.

That authenticity bleeds into the emotional performances. Sklenar hints that several sequences required him to dig deeper than ever before, confronting Spencer’s internal demons in ways that felt raw and exposing. There are moments, he teases, that may leave viewers reaching for tissues—not because they’re manipulated into sadness, but because the characters’ pain feels achingly real. Redemption, after all, isn’t handed out freely in this world. It must be fought for, clawed back from despair.

And despair is never far away.

Season 2 reportedly pushes the Dutton family to the edge of collapse. External enemies close in, but the more devastating battles unfold within. Questions of loyalty, legacy, and love fracture even the strongest bonds. Spencer’s odyssey becomes a crucible—one that burns away illusion and forces him to confront who he truly is. The sweeping romance that once felt like an escape now becomes a lifeline, fragile yet fiercely defended.

Fans of the larger Yellowstone saga will recognize the thematic throughline: land as identity, family as destiny, sacrifice as inheritance. Yet 1923 distinguishes itself through its almost elegiac tone. Sklenar describes scenes that feel like moving paintings—sunlight breaking across endless plains, quiet conversations heavy with unspoken fear, the stillness before violence erupts. The show’s visual poetry underscores the emotional stakes, making every triumph feel hard-won and every tragedy profoundly intimate.

What may surprise audiences most, however, is the thread of hope woven through the turmoil. For all its brutality, Season 2 reportedly dares to believe in the possibility of redemption. Not the neat, fairy-tale kind—but the messy, human kind born from accountability and sacrifice. Characters who have stumbled under the weight of pride or anger must decide whether they can rise again. Some will. Some won’t. And those choices will ripple far beyond a single season.

Sklenar’s excitement about what’s ahead is palpable. He speaks of scripts that left him stunned, scenes that felt almost sacred in their emotional intensity. There’s a sense that the creative team has aimed higher than ever, determined to deliver not just spectacle but substance. The result, if his hints are to be believed, is a season that doesn’t merely continue the story—it transforms it.

The dynamic between Spencer and the rest of the Dutton clan reportedly takes on new urgency. Distance—both physical and emotional—has defined much of his journey so far. But Season 2 edges him closer to the heart of the family’s struggle. The convergence of storylines promises explosive confrontations and deeply cathartic reunions. Tears, Sklenar implies, will be unavoidable.

Even amid the hardship of filming, there were moments of levity and camaraderie that sustained the cast. Sklenar recounts how Ford’s dry wit and Mirren’s warmth created an atmosphere that balanced the show’s intensity. Despite the heavy themes, the set remained a place of collaboration and mutual respect. That spirit, he believes, translates onto the screen, infusing even the darkest scenes with a sense of shared humanity.

As the Dutton saga barrels forward, 1923 continues to carve its own distinct path within the larger universe. It’s not just a prequel—it’s a meditation on endurance. Season 2 appears poised to deepen that meditation, confronting viewers with the cost of ambition and the fragile beauty of forgiveness. In Sklenar’s words, it’s a season defined by beauty and poetry—but also by heartbreak.

So prepare yourself. The winds sweeping across the Montana plains are about to carry more than dust and danger. They’ll bring revelations, reckonings, and perhaps the kind of emotional catharsis that lingers long after the credits roll. If Sklenar is right, Season 2 won’t just entertain—it will move you. It will challenge you. And yes, it just might leave you in tears.