1923 Season 2 seems on course for some major Dutton family drama. Star Brandon Sklenar suggests fans should saddle up for a “darker” second season of the Yellowstone prequel.

Speaking with Forbes, Sklenar teases a big tone shift for 1923 Season 2 as he’ll share more screen time with co-leads Harrison Ford (Jacob Dutton) and Helen Mirren (Cara Dutton), who play the Dutton family patriarch and matriarch. He also claimed the series finale would be must-see TV. “The tone shifts a lot and it’s definitely a bit darker. It’s very beautiful. It’s so hard for me to not give away spoilers. I do get plenty of Helen [Mirren] and Harrison [Ford] time, and it’s going to be special. I mean, the finale of the series is probably one of the best things I’ve read in my life,” he said.

Sklenar portrays Spencer Dutton, the younger son of James and Margaret Dutton, a big game hunter struggling with the traumas he witnessed during World War I. Sklenar praised series creator Taylor Sheridan for the trajectory he took his character arc in Season 2 and is “excited” to see Spencer’s story play out. “I’ve kind of known how it was going to end since day one – Taylor [Sheridan] kind of told me. I knew the full arc of Spencer from day one, so in shooting part one, you’re mindful of where he needs to go. I’m really excited,” Sklenar said.

I knew the full arc of Spencer from day one, so in shooting part one, you’re mindful of where he needs to go.

Following lengthy delays caused by last year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, 1923 Season 2 began production in July in Austin, Texas, moving filming from Montana, where Season 1 was shot. Several new cast members joined, notably Dexter star Jennifer Carpenter and New Amsterdam alum, Janet Montgomery. Meanwhile, Robert Patrick, Aminah Nieves, and Michelle Randolph will reprise their roles from Season 1. Production is expected to run until mid-September.

Debuting in 2022, 1923 chronicles the Montana-based Dutton family in the titular year as they endure various hardships, including Prohibition, drought and the early stages of the Great Depression. The series premiere set a viewership record for Paramount+, attracting 7.4 million viewers across linear and streaming telecasts to become the streamer’s biggest debut ever. 1923 Season 1 received a 90% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes and scored two Golden Globe nominations, including one for Mirren.

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