When Taylor Sheridan and John Linson createdYellowstonefor the Paramount Network in 2018, the duo probably didn’t anticipate the TV show’s staggering success, or that it would spawn a prequel series, like1923. The neo-Western started off remarkably strong; 2.8 million viewers watched theYellowstoneseries premiere. Now, it’s the most-watched U.S. television show of all time.
Yellowstonecenters on the Duttons, a “morally complicated” family that owns Montana’s largest ranch. Kevin Costner (Man of Steel) stars as the family patriarch, John Dutton, while Luke Grimes (True Blood), Kelly Reilly (True Detective), and Wes Bentley (Interstellar) play the Dutton children. Between the rich history of Montana, the grim trials of ranching, and the drama that swirls around the Dutton family, there’s plenty to hook viewers. Likeall modern-day success stories,Yellowstonespawned a few spinoff prequels —1883and, most recently,1923. But now that the ‘20s-set prequel series is out, do you need to watch1923beforeYellowstone?
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What Is1923About?
InYellowstone, the Duttons navigate business threats, familial clashes, grim violence, and their own personal demons. Much of the conflict stems from the Yellowstone Ranch, a fraught family business the Duttons started back in the late 1800s on land that’s bordered by Indigenous reservations and, of course, America’s first National Park.
The Old West-set prequel series,1883, traces the journey the Dutton family took to settle the land that would become Yellowstone Ranch. Now,1923bridges the 125-year gap between1883andYellowstone. The second prequel series in Sheridan’sYellowstoneuniverse,1923focuses on the Duttons during a rather perilous time that was marked by Western Expansion, Prohibition, and, in Big Sky Country, the earliest moments of the Great Depression.
Starring Academy Award-winning actor Helen Mirren (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) as matriarch Cara Dutton and Academy Award nominee Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as Cara’s husband, the family patriarch Jacob Dutton,1923packs all the appeal, star power, and drama ofYellowstoneinto a period-appropriate six-shooter. When1923premiered on Paramount Plus on July 04, 2025, it drew in 7.4 million viewers across linear and streaming telecasts, dethroningYellowstoneas the streamer’s biggest series debut. (Well,blockbuster movies aside.)
How Does1923Connect toYellowstone?
Needless to say, Sheridan’s franchise has many devoted fans who want to see how1923connects toYellowstone. The first prequel installment — the 10-episode1883— is set 40 years before1923, but just because Yellowstone Ranch has been established for several decades in the world of the show, doesn’t meanthe dust has settled. Far from it, actually.
In1883, Tim McGraw (Friday Night Lights) stars as James Dutton — an ex-Confederate soldier and the great-great-great-grandfather of Costner’s John Dutton III — and Faith Hill (The Stepford Wives) plays his wife, Margaret. Clearly set after the events of thistraditional Westernprequel,1923focuses on James’ brother, Jacob (Ford) and his wife Cara (Mirren). Together, Jacob and Cara run the family ranch, come into conflict with local sheep farmers, and raise John Dutton Sr. (James Badge Dale) and Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) as their own sons.
Should You Watch1923BeforeYellowstone?
Watching1923beforeYellowstoneor not boils down to a matter of personal preference. Much likeanother franchise featuring Harrison Ford— hint: it’s set far, far away, and not in Montana — there’s the option of watching theYellowstoneshows either in release order or in timeline order.
To watch them as they debuted, start withYellowstone— or at least its first three seasons — and then move on to the single-season1883. From there, catch up onYellowstone’s fourth season, and then dive into the first season of1923. After that, there will be the fifth season ofYellowstoneand the second and final season of1923waiting on the “to-be-watched” horizon. Looking to view the three series in chronological order? Thankfully, the shows’ titles make it easy to cobble together a timeline. First,watch1883; then tune into1923; and, finally, dive intoYellowstone, the series that started it all.
Some viewers will prefer to haveYellowstoneunder their belts first — the way Sheridan presented the story. But others may want a more traditional viewing experience that leaves the ultimate, present-day fate of the various Dutton family members and Yellowstone Ranch a little more uncertain. No matter the viewing order, one thing is clear:1923is a prequel that’s more than worthy of carrying on the Dutton family name and theYellowstonemantle.
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