Beyond the original Paramount Network series, Taylor Sheridan has worked on various Yellowstone spinoff shows as well as other titles like Mayor of Kingstown and Landman. With multiple TV seasons coming out each year and new shows on the way, his filmography is expanding rapidly.

1923 Is Still Taylor Sheridan’s Best Show

Now that it’s all said and done, I believe 1923 is Taylor Sheridan’s television magnum opus. The first season, in particular, is a fantastic demonstration of his ability to combine entertaining storytelling with intelligent themes, capturing a compelling era of US history.

I went into the show excited to see Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, but I left astonished by the performances by Brandon Sklenar and Julia Schlaepfer, whose romance I found to be written with a surprising degree of sensitivity and enchantment. To add, Jerome Flynn made for an excellent antagonist, going from hated to sympathetic throughout the two seasons.

I’ll admit that 1923 season 2 wasn’t as compelling, but there are still some daring choices and fantastic moments that made for high-quality television. While many criticized the season for being slow-paced, I felt that it offered a degree of maturity in its narrative, requiring audiences to be patient and reckon with emotional challenges before getting to see what they wanted.

I’ve always known Helen Mirren could do anything, but Harrison Ford is one of those movie stars who’s rarely gotten to demonstrate his acting chops, aside from films like Witness and Blade Runner. Taylor Sheridan brought out something entirely original from an actor who’s starred in six decades’ worth of films.

1923’s Length Is Its Greatest Asset

One of my biggest critiques of Taylor Sheridan’s writing is redundancy, and this was a particular problem with Yellowstone. The benefit of 1923 and 1883 is their short length, and the former particularly excels with a 16-episode sweet spot. That’s not to say shorter shows are necessarily better, but there’s something to say about compact, sharp writing.

I could’ve been happy with 1923 ending with just one season, but the additional episodes allow for more fluidity in the broader story of the Dutton family. This show feels like an integral piece for a growing franchise, but it also stands out on its own as a brief but beautiful story about love and grief.