I finished with season 1 of 1923 and I'm pleasantly pleased with what I got for entertainment.
First of all, there is less propaganda in this series than there was in 1883. There are some harrowing scenes of Indian torture involving the authorities at a Catholic boarding school. But other than that, I did not spot any feminism being pushed to the viewer, nor mixed-race couples appearing in a time where this would be met with more than a raised eyebrow.
It was interesting to see Harrison Ford in this type of role, but he plays a rancher quite well. Even more impressive is Helen Mirren who plays his wife. But maybe the most impressive presence onscreen comes from Brandon Sklynar, the Dutton who wants nothing to do with the ranch and has gone from WWI soldier to a big-game hunter in Africa.
And that brings me to the scope of this series. Unlike 1883 where things just happen on the Oregon trail, 1923 has 3 different stories going on at the same time. In addition to the range war happening on the Montana ranch, there is also the story of an Indian girl in a boarding school nearby. I'm still not sure how this ties in with the main story, but the storyline is interesting nonetheless, albeit hard to watch at times because of the physical abuse in these scenes.
Then there is Spencer Dutton, the big-game hunter previously mentioned. It's maybe the most fascinating of all the storylines and it really gives the series a sense of epic scope since we travel across the world to meet him. The actor who plays him has a charismatic presence onscreen and does a good job with his character. Plus, we are treated to this African safari to watch how this man operates along with a chance encounter with a woman who will change his life.
While the 10 episodes we are given doesn't yet wrap up the series, it's got me looking forward to season 2. While I really liked 1883, I think I like 1923 even more. So far, an 8.5/10