1923 Fans Were Cheering Loud For Teonna's Long-Awaited Escape During Episode 5
It's been a rough and tragically bumpy road for Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) during the first few episodes of "1923," with Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone" prequel not treating the "School for American Indians" assimilation student so kindly — that is, until Episode 5.
Before ending on an intense cliffhanger that left "1923" fans reeling, Guy Ferland's "Ghost of Zebrina" episode provided viewers with one of the most rewarding moments of the entire show so far: Teonna's escape from her brutal Montana boarding school. As shown throughout the series, Teonna was one of numerous Native American teens who got abducted and sent to the state's government-run School for American Indians as a way to forcefully assimilate Indigenous people into society. From the very first episode, we see Teonna and other girls being horribly abused and treated by the school's nuns and priests.
In addition to being beaten, the character is also tortured with steel wool and forced to spend time in a wooden hotbox. During Episode 2, "Nature's Empty Throne," Teonna is sexually assaulted by a nun named Sister Alice (Kerry O'Malley). She's also being menaced by another nun named Sister Mary (Jennifer Ehle), who gets served up a deadly dish of revenge in Episode 4, "War and the Turquoise Tide." It isn't until Episode 5, though, that we finally get to see Teonna escape the assimilation school for good following the murders of Mary and Alice by her very own hand — with fans loving all of it.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
'Teonna got her revenge'
It's been a long time coming for Sister Mary and Sister Alice following all the abuse they've dished out at the School for American Indians on "1923." So when it came time for Teonna to finally get them back for everything and escape for good in Episode 5, fans of the Taylor Sheridan show were ecstatic.
"Teonna got her revenge, murdered a few evil abusive nuns," boasted Twitter user @vetmed11. "Come on Teonna Rain Water!" tweeted @lovnights. "Teonna Rainwater went for a twofer! Now, it's time for the priest to get his comeuppance," said @djsoapbubble. Another user, @kidlightyear, declared: "Long live Teonna Rainwater!"
As for what's next for Aminah Nieves' character, the last few episodes of "1923" are sure to help tell the rest of Teonna's story. And it's a story that, according to Nieves and her castmates, needs to be heard. "Accountability needs to be had," she told Paramount+ in a YouTube preview video posted on February 3. "These traumas are something that indigenous peoples face day to day," Nieves said. "So expect all the feelings because the journey is just beginning."
Actor Mo Brings Plenty, who plays Mo in "Yellowstone," explained to Paramount+ that the franchise was ultimately shining a spotlight on something that's very important to not just Indigenous people, but our entire history. "This show is bringing to light not just the Native issue," Brings Plenty said, "It's a human being issue."