‘1923’ Answers One Grisly ‘Yellowstone’ Mystery

Yellowstone fans are getting an answer to a grisly Dutton family mystery in this week’s episode of 1923 as we finally learn the origin of the “train station” that holds so many secrets. But there are more mysteries to come — and a whole lot of misfortune.  Spoiler-filled recap ahead for 1923 Season 2, Episode 4 “Journey the Rivers of Iron.”

Let’s start with the train station’s unexpected origins. If you need a refresher, the train station is a remote canyon on the Montana border where the modern-day Duttons like to dump their enemies on Yellowstone — but it turns out it wasn’t actually the Dutton ancestors who founded it at all! It was none other than the villainous Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton).

If you missed Whitfield’s scheming ways last week, he’s back in full force in episode 4, pitching a new ski resort to a group of businessmen that may or may not be in the middle of the Dutton ranch. When Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) points this out though, Whitfield only tells him, “Time to build that army you promised me.”

Banner does feel a little guilty, but he starts building his army against the Duttons as he prepares for war. Meanwhile, Whitfield shows him a piece of land that is publicly held but has no population — and most importantly, no law! It’s there, Whitfield says, that Banner is to dump the Duttons when they’re killed. And Banner gets a chance to practice by getting rid of the body of the dead sex worker Whitfield has at his house — blech.

The train station origin may be solved, but there’s another Dutton mystery that gets new life back on the ranch when Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) learns she’s pregnant with husband Jack’s child! Yellowstone fans have long wondered who John Dutton’s parents are, and now Elizabeth and Jack (Darren Mann) are back in the running alongside Spencer and Alexandra.

Speaking of Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer), she cannot catch a break during her pregnancy. The man who followed her into the bathroom at the end of last week’s episode attacks her and robs her of everything, even the watch her friend Jennifer gave her in case of emergency. But Alex really has toughened up this season, she wakes up after getting knocked out and sprints to make her train, despite having lost everything along the way.

Meanwhile, Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) is also having a real-time of it after he gets picked up by police who want him to finish his bootlegging run so they can use him as a pawn in their sting — which doesn’t go well. Spencer is trying to save himself as a shootout breaks out, and when the cop handcuffs him to the wheel – not cool – he shoots the chain and flees — very cool.

From there, Spencer flings himself onto a passing train, but he’s not safe yet, especially from this one unsavory character demanding a train tax and threatening to take what he says is his once Spencer inevitably falls asleep. When Spencer succumbs to the lull of the train, he’s attacked, and while he comes out on top in the fight, he knows he’s got to get off this train. But when he makes his unexpected exit, it’s unclear where exactly he’s landed. It’s not even snowy where he’s ended up, which isn’t a good sign when it comes to getting home to Montana.

And things aren’t looking good for Teonna (Aminah Nieves) either after she, Pete (Jeremy Gauna) and Runs His Horse (Michael Spears) successfully help with the cattle drive — only to find her wanted poster everywhere at these fairgrounds. An ominous end to an illuminating episode.

This article was adapted from the latest episode of PopCulture Social Call, streaming weekdays on PopCulture.com’s YouTube channel. You can now watch this episode, which is embedded in the above article.