1923 may be centered around The Great Depression but one thing it doesn’t lack is love. Throughout the emergence of Yellowstone, we have seen some great love stories from Beth and Rip in the present Dutton era to James and Margaret in1883, but the one relationship that raised the bar in eternal love was the patriarch and matriarch of 1923.
The chemistry shared between Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford is unmatched. You can feel the deepness between their characters in every scene. They stand as a power couple for the ages.
One of the greatest things about Taylor Sheridan’s writing is how he can make these tough cowboys become ruthless warriors for their families during the day and come home to their wives and be as warm and sweet as a slice of fresh apple pie. We see that consistently throughout each of his spinoffs. The women they love are always their weakness, and that’s just the way it should be.
If you thought Beth Dutton was a trailblazer you will be even more impressed with Cara Dutton in1923. Cara is not your typical rancher’s wife of the twentieth century. Always standing up for what’s right and not holding her tongue for any man, she’s tough as nails with an intelligence to match, and a heart as big as the state of Texas.
When Margaret and James passed, she came to raise her two sons like they were her own. Having no children of her own, she became the mother and biggest support system they had. Spencer Dutton was very young when he lost his mother so he and Cara have a miraculous bond. She also carries a wisdom and class to her that is unlike any other character you will see in the Yellowstone universe today.
Jacob Dutton takes over the reins of the Dutton ranch from his deceased brother James Dutton. He carries on the family’s legacy and namesake for future generations to come, and with what James started he one day creates an empire. Side by side he runs the Dutton ranch with his nephew John until his very sad and untimely passing.
The torch Jacob carries for Cara is still flaming wildly. They may be older but the love they share is so deep and beautifully connected. Everything they do is for each other. And it is even more beautiful to see a couple of this age not only being stars of the show but to have their love highlighted on full display. There’s far too much rampant ageism in television today, so seeing a couple like this center stage of an epic love story in a disenchanting time is compelling and groundbreaking in itself.
“I do it for you. So that when you’re laid to rest under the aspens no one cuts them down and builds a city over you.” -Jacob Dutton
1923: What is Jacob Dutton’s biggest motivation?
The reason Jacob Dutton fights so hard against the evil that tries to come to take the land is his family, his home, and the future of his family, but mostly it’s for Cara. Because one day when she’s gone she deserves to rest in peace with pure beauty in a land untouched where they have made a home. Not just a home but a legacy.
His driving force is always his wife. They share such an affectionate bond even after all these years. Two characters who give a lot of hope to the rest of us. It’s what growing old is supposed to look like.
Cara and Jacob had a hand in raising both John Sr. and Spencer as well as John and Emma’s son Jack. For that, they have spent all their lives being influenced by the man Jacob is and how he treats his wife. You can sense that mightily when you see how each man treats the woman they love. It’s sheer passion and love like these women walk and water and hung the moon. A rancher’s life is never easy and never stops but marriage is the one happiness these cowboys get in life and they never take it for granted.
As deep as their connection remains what’s even stronger is their fierce desire to protect each other. After a gunfight with Banner Creighton over the range war, Jacob was shot multiple times and it didn’t look like he had a shot to pull through. However, Cara nursed him back to health and even took over his job as the livestock commissioner while he was laid up.
It was truly fascinating to see a woman of this time bossing men around like she’d been doing it all her life. She’s a nurturer, loving protector, and teacher to all that need it. Cara helped save many lives in the war and continues to be the hero and every other thing the family needs. She may not have had her own children at a time when that was mainly a woman’s purpose, but the woman is full of purpose. Without her, the Dutton family would not be what they are today. There may not be a bloodline between her and Beth Dutton but they are both trailblazers in their own right.
The Dutton men have always had a profound way of respecting women. They would never “put a woman in their place” as every single one of the women the Dutton boys find is very strong, sure of themselves, severely loyal with strong independence. And you see this pattern continue the longer down the line you go.
The dynamic duo of Cara and Jacob is the centerpiece of 1923. Sharing such an intensely romantic relationship when we live in a world today where older couples are scrutinized for it or it’s just not shown at all. They encompass the definition of what a truly happy ending is. Season 2 of 1923 will begin filming once the SAG-AFTRA strike is over and we can’t wait to see more of this love story unfold!
