1923: Heated Yellowstone Fans Label It As The Worst Series In The Franchise
Paramount+'s "1923" is the second of two prequel series to Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone" following "1883," and with Harrison Ford (Jacob Dutton) and Helen Mirren (Cara Dutton) in the lead roles, it is arguably the most star-studded of the trilogy. The Western series has been renewed for Season 2, which is sure to please fans of the second prequel.
But some fans are not as receptive toward the show. Given how many of them enjoyed both "Yellowstone" and "1883," these fans have effectively labeled "1923" the worst series in the franchise on a r/unpopularopinion subreddit. Redditor u/HenryJames70 shared, "1883 was great 1923 absolutely sucks. Jumping all around, makes no sense. [DISMAL] FAILURE."
This was followed by a wide range of opinions about the show's quality. Prequels often have a hard time matching the caliber of a later story, with the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy being a benchmark for divided fan responses in a franchise. But some commenters reacting to "1923" have not held back on what they find to be wrong with the show. Here are some of their complaints.
Bad writing, unnecessary plot filler, and excessive violence are among fan complaints
"1923" explores the trials and tribulations of the Dutton family in the turbulent era of the 1920s when several hardships hit those living in the American West hard. Just like "Yellowstone's" portrayal of contemporary issues and "1883's" journey through the old American West, Jacob and Cara Dutton's plight is no different. Redditor u/Wavenstein1 stated, "I'm late here but I agree. The side story with the nuns is bordering on torture porn too. Where is this show going and what points is trying to make?"
The tone of the program was also brought into question, with u/Mertreeaz talking about the nihilistic nature of the show in its non-stop depiction of recurring brutality, despair, and a hopeless atmosphere that hovers around the actions of the characters. u/Valmont 77 described the sequel to "1883" as being similar to a soap opera with episodes that go nowhere along with repellent characters.
Amongst the critiques, Redditor u/Einherjaren97 was not as heavily critical. They commented, "Got some good parts (the ranch/harrison ford scenes), Africa [scenes] are ok, but the school scenes are really meh and over the top." For the most part, all of the replies throughout the subreddit highlighted the negative attributes of the show that took away from what viewers enjoyed about "Yellowstone" and "1883."