If there's one thing that Taylor Sheridan, the brain behind Yellowstone and 1923, has finessed it's his ability to make each detail — each glass, grave, and gesture in his intricately woven stories — a portal through which the past is never truly past.
A case in point is 1923's second season, in which Sheridan’s penchant for layered storytelling reveals itself through even more intricate, history-laden Easter eggs. Don't be mistaken, though: these are not simply nods to the Yellowstone universe or winks to attentive fans, but thoughtful narrative correspondences and motifs that hint at the show’s meditation on American identity. These are the Easter eggs you may have missed from 1923 season two.
The 'Train Station' Origin Story
Throughout season two of 1923, the Duttons use a remote cliff to get rid of dangerous enemies — a tradition fans may recognise as 'the train station' from Yellowstone.
In 1923, we see earlier Duttons use the exact same spot, hinting at how this dark family 'solution' has been passed down through generations.
Cara Dutton’s Letters
Cara’s letters in season two don’t just serve as narration; some lines are lifted almost word-for-word from the journal entries of Margaret Dutton in 1883 and from voiceovers in Yellowstone. This is a nod to how Dutton women have always shaped and remembered the family’s story.
The Dutton Whiskey Glasses
The set of vintage whiskey glasses — used by Cara and later seen in John Dutton’s hands on Yellowstone — get extra screen time.
One scene even has Cara hiding them during a Prohibition raid, linking the items specifically to the family’s American saga across the decades.
Elsa’s Knife
In season two of 1923, Spencer hands down a knife once belonging to his sister Elsa (from 1883) to another family member. The knife’s journey is a direct, physical link between Dutton generations — and a symbol of the family’s history of survival.
The Dutton Family Cemetery
When new graves are dug in season two, cameras linger on the headstones of 'Margaret' and 'Elsa' — names that may ring a bell with fans of 1883. Cara even whispers lines Elsa once said. Each grave can be interpreted as a historical marker, quietly tying all three shows together.
Historical Feuds
Some of the rancher rivals in season two have family names that pop up as enemies in later in the Dutton's stories in Yellowstone.
Sheridan's delicate weaving of intergenerational trauma hints at the fact that the major feuds don't simply end, instead they're passed on to each generation.
The Seventh Generation Prophecy
A tribal character warns that 'the land will have the seventh,' echoing the legend mentioned in Yellowstone about the Dutton family’s seventh generation being fated to 'return' the land. This subtle secretive undercurrent hints at an unresolved mystery spanning the entire franchise.
1923 is available to stream now on Paramount+.
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Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years’ worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
