The Killing Season

Taylor Sheridan presents a Darwinian view of the world in the second season opener of "1923", graphically depicting how difficult it is to survive. Though facing different challenges, all the characters seem to be up against this reality.

On the home front, Harrison Ford leaves for a trial being held in Boesman, and Helen Mirren must handle matters without him. Including dealing with a large mountain lion who's taken to squatting on their front porch.

The marshal accompanying the evil priest proves to be vicious and lethal to any Native Americans as they search for the fugitive girl Aminah, who has a budding romance in Texas on the run with Pete (played by a new actor following the death of the original Pete).

Spencer is working in the boiler room of a freighter on his trek back to America to help his family, and after he saves a young Italian man who's being sodomized by a burly crewmate, he becomes a prize fighter below decks, earning plenty of dough bare-knuckled with the boy acting as his manager.

The simulated sodomy scene won't be shown on CBS when the second season is eventually broadcast, nor will a scene of Dalton and his two prostitutes which besides nudity contains rather awful footage of the one girl treated as a sex slave.

It's an in-your-face approach that has considerable shock value and provides enough of the "forbidden fruit" content that continues to distinguish less regulated cable/streaming shows from the legacy networks' output.

First 10 minutes in, left questioning is this really how they are going to start the season off!? Hypersexualized drama, for what reason!? Many of the 1883 and 1923 fans are not fans of Yellowstone for this reason! If you can tell a great story without meaningless filth, you know you have good writers otherwise, it just looks like desperate fillers.

The show after the first 10 minutes, a little slow. The range wars, love stories between all of the couples while fighting the harshness of the time is what we are tuning into see. The season trailer will have us waiting for the second show hoping it continues to unite the Duttons while telling a great Wild West story!

Its been so long since the season 1 finale, the recap didnt feel like it gave me much recollection but it comes back to you once the episode unfolds.

Brutal scenes with the natives which turn your stomach, and it feels like ots going to take another season for the prodigal son to return, given their current plight.

There is one scene with a character looking for stray cattle, its like someone one a competition to guest as the acting is as bad as it gets when you've got such high quality across its wealth of cast members.

Harrison Ford seems to have plenty left in the tank with his volume of releases, which isnt a bad thing. I just hope hes in more scenes as its spread out across so many different stories, its probably why the recap didnt shed enough light.

1923 is back and it's up to its old bad habits.

The central story that takes place in Montana, and focuses on Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, as well as, Timothy Dalton, is fantastic. The story should stay there.

But, then the story switches to 'Out of Africa' and the absolutely interminable journey to get to Montana that focuses on 'Spencer' Brandon Sklenar and 'Alex' (Julia Schlaepfer).

Then, we have a story line that doesn't interest me at all, involving the Crow runaway, Teonna Rainwater.

I strongly suggest getting Alex and Spencer to Montana as fast as possible, but that's clearly not going to happen, because it appears she has just boarded 'The Titanic.'

Glad the show is back, but this is more of a recap than anything. The brief scenes with Ford and Mirren remind us why they are the protagonists. We are drawn to them immediately, just as we are repulsed by Dalton and Flynn.

There is a brief scene with Sheriff McDowell (Robert Patrick) and Father Renaud (Sebastian Roche) to remind us of the mindless cruelty used in dealing with Native Americans. And Spenser Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) is making his way home working on a cargo ship, while his pregnant wife is trying to leave England and travel to America.

If these episodes keep moving at the current glacial speed, we likely won't see the families reunited until the last episode. What we all want is the final showdown between Jacob Dutton and Donald Whitfield. If viewers don't see the possibility of that then there is chance viewership will drop off. Two years is a long time to wait between seasons, and I for one want to see action.