When we dive into storytelling, especially when it comes to the weighty tapestry of American history, it’s tempting to gloss over the tough stuff, to paint everything with a shiny, sugar-coated brush. But then, there’s Taylor Sheridan—a man who doesn’t shy away from the bitter, the painful, and the uncomfortable.
Sure, he’s earned his stripes with Yellowstone, but it’s his unflinching, gut-punching portrayal of America’s history in 1923 that really digs in deep, grabs you by the collar, and won’t let go.
If Yellowstone is Sheridan’s crowning glory, then 1923 is his unvarnished masterpiece, the kind of truth-telling that knocks you sideways. It pulls no punches, peeling back the layers of history we’d rather forget, shining a light on the dark corners we’ve conveniently swept under the rug.
The violence, the forced assimilation, and the cultural erasure faced by Native Americans are all served up raw in 1923, showing a stark contrast to the glossy tales of the past we’re often fed.
Yellowstone may divert, but 1923 delivers Taylor Sheridan’s promise of truth
Before Taylor Sheridan became a household name for Yellowstone and the world of the Duttons, he was exploring themes of frontier life and cultural clashes in movies like Wind River. He has always had a purpose: to bring forth the untold stories of marginalized communities—especially Native Americans.
And in 1923, Sheridan’s promise to tell the story of Native Americans doesn’t just linger in the shadows—it confronts viewers head-on. The series begins with a gut-wrenching scene at a Catholic boarding school, where Teonna Rainwater (played by Aminah Nieves) is punished mercilessly by Sister Mary O’Connor for failing to memorize soap-making procedures. It’s brutal. It’s raw.
And it’s an incredibly accurate depiction of the systematic abuse Native American children endured in these institutions designed to ‘civilize’ them.
The pain these children felt, the trauma they carried, and the oppressive systems that forced them to abandon their identities are not stories we often hear in school textbooks. Yet, Sheridan had the courage to show us these uncomfortable, ugly truths.
He isn’t here to make you feel comfortable; he’s here to make sure you face what’s been swept under the rug for too long. It’s something that resonates with viewers, even if it’s tough to watch. One viewer put it perfectly:
The act of showing Native American stories with such emotional depth isn’t easy, and it’s not a safe bet. But Sheridan takes that risk—and 1923 reaps the rewards. Fans understand that, and many feel 1923 is a raw, personal take that honors the spirit of those lost in the tides of history. As fans put it:
Ergo, while Yellowstone may have captured the world’s attention with its powerful Duttons and their sprawling ranch, it’s 1923 that delivers the real gut punch—a series that doesn’t only tell a story, but forces you to question your understanding of the past.
Taylor Sheridan’s commitment to revealing Native American Truths
When Taylor Sheridan created Wind River, his mission was clear: he wanted to expose real, raw truths about the world that most people didn’t even know existed. He himself summed up his vision perfectly when he said (via Screen Crush):
For me as a storyteller, I think one of the great things our job can do is introduce people to a world they don’t know exists that’s right beside them.
However, as Sheridan’s career progressed and Yellowstone came into play, the focus seemed to shift. What started as an exploration of rural America and its complex relationships with land, legacy, and power soon veered into soap opera territory, with a heavy emphasis on the Dutton family drama.
While Yellowstone captured the essence of Western conflicts, it gradually lost the sharp focus on cultural and social issues that defined Sheridan’s earlier work. The show began to revolve more around family politics and power struggles, and less about the real-world issues it initially hinted at—issues like land theft and the marginalization of Indigenous people that should have been a central theme.
Sheridan himself even acknowledged this shift, sharing in an interview with THR:
I thought I had tricked people by showing a world worth protecting. But when the show is over, that notion will go away and there will be a new shiny penny everyone watches. So I felt like I didn’t accomplish anything — which, for me, is really important.
The irony here is practically dripping, isn’t it? Sheridan who started by showcasing the unseen struggles of Native American communities and the harsh realities of the American frontier with films like Wind River, has found himself in the world of Yellowstone, where the focus on real-world issues has become secondary to family feuds and corporate battles. In a way, Yellowstone lost its original mission.
Sheridan might have wandered a bit in Yellowstone, but in 1923, he circled back to his roots with the kind of fearless storytelling that first made Wind River such a gut-wrenching experience.
