Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for 1923 season 2, episode 2.The rabid wolf in1923season 2 called back to one of Kayce Dutton’s (Luke Grimes) best lines fromYellowstone. Theending of1923season 2, episode 2saw the same rabid wolf that attacked Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) return for more blood. Though it bit her and likely gave her rabies, the wolf also burst through the doors of the Dutton ranch and killed a nurse who was there to treat Elizabeth. It was a very dark and violent moment for1923, but it also included a subtle callback to Kayce Dutton inYellowstone.
Though they take place a century apart,1923continuesYellowstone’s story and the generation-spanning tale of theDutton family tree. As such, everything that happens to thecast of1923serves as a prelude to the modern-day Duttons, including Kayce. One moment in1923serves as an almost direct callback to Kayce’s story inYellowstone, and it highlights how the Duttons have been fighting the same enemy since the firstYellowstonespinoff show,1883.
1923 Season 2’s Killer Wolf Calls Back To Kayce In Yellowstone
1923season 2 was far from the first time wolves have played a major role in the Dutton family’s story.InYellowstoneseason 3, Kayce saw a wolf while out camping with Monica (Kelsey Asbille) and he told it “I am not your friend. I’m your enemy, whether I like it or not,“and some ofKayce’s visions inYellowstoneseason 4also prominently featured the wild predators. Wolves have always represented danger for the Dutton family and the Yellowstone ranch, and1923’s rabid wolf was the perfect callback to Kayce’s complicated relationship with them inYellowstone.
1923 Season 2, Episode 2 Review: I Need A Bit More Urgency When It Comes To The Story As The Duttons' Fates Hang In The Balance
1923 season 2’s latest episode continues to show both the wonders and dangers of winter in the Yellowstone prequel, culminating in shocking events.
Kayce asserted that he and the wolf were natural enemies, and1923proved him right.By attacking Elizabeth and killing a nurse in the Dutton lodge,1923showed once again that nature is one of the many enemies the Duttons faced throughout the generations. Duttons and wolves had been battling for a hundred years by the time Kayce encountered them inYellowstone. The wolf in1923was just an extreme example of how both sides of that battle took losses over the years.
What 1923 Season 2’s Wolf Symbolizes For The Duttons
The Wolves Are The Natural Order Of The Yellowstone & Nowhere Is Safe From Winter
Thereal meaning of the wolf in1923speaks to the entire story of the Duttons and their ownership of the Yellowstone ranch.The wolf - and themountain lion in1923- symbolizes nature, winter, and the danger they pose to the Duttons. The Duttons may own the Yellowstone, but the land it’s on belongs to the natural world. When the wolf burst through the doors of the lodge and killed a nurse, nature was essentially showing the Duttons that they could never be truly safe from winter, not even in their own home.
When the wolf burst through the doors of the lodge and killed a nurse, nature was essentially showing the Duttons that they could never be truly safe from winter, not even in their own home.
The wolves also highlight just how precarious the Duttons' hold on the Yellowstone really is, something that1923has been trying to emphasize. Between Donald Whitfield’s (Timothy Dalton) use of tax law and Banner Creighton’s (Jerome Flynn) physical attacks, the Duttons have almost lost everything in theYellowstoneprequel.The wolf attack shows that when the Duttons leave their guard down for even a moment, they invite danger into their home. They’ll be able to keep the ranch untilYellowstone, but1923may have more danger in store.
1923
Cast
1923 is a series following the Dutton family during the early twentieth century. It explores the challenges they face amidst pandemics, the end of Prohibition, historic drought, and the Great Depression, as they struggle to maintain their home in the mountain west.
Yellowstone
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton, as they defend their expansive ranch against external threats from land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park. Released on June 19, 2025, this series examines the complex dynamics and violent conflicts surrounding the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.
