Paramount’s ‘Yellowstone’ Delivers Massive Payoff for Fans After Years of Waiting

Fans have had no shortage of Dutton stories to follow over the last several years.

Paramount has steadily expanded Yellowstone into a much larger television universe, exploring different generations of the family while introducing new conflicts and time periods. Each addition has faced the challenge of living up to the popularity of the series that started it all.

One prequel has now reached an especially impressive milestone.

Nearly four years after making its debut, its critical standing has become difficult to overlook. And when compared with another major Yellowstone prequel, the numbers make the achievement even more notable.

One Prequel Has Climbed Into Impressive Territory

1923 is the series at the center of the latest update.

The historical drama premiered on December 18, 2022, and takes viewers several generations before the events involving Kevin Costner’s John Dutton and his immediate family in Yellowstone.

Harrison Ford leads the series as Jacob Dutton, alongside Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton. Their story follows an earlier generation of the family as they attempt to protect their land during a particularly difficult period in American history.

Critics responded well from the beginning. The first season currently holds an 88% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes.

But Season 2 managed to go even higher.

The second season has earned a perfect 100% Tomatometer score from critics. Across both seasons, 1923 now has an average critics’ score of 94%.

That puts the prequel ahead of 1883, another historical chapter in the Yellowstone universe, which currently has an 89% score.

Nearly four years after 1923 first arrived, those numbers give fans a clearer picture of how successfully the series has performed. Rotten Tomatoes also includes it among its Best Western TV Shows, alongside Yellowstone, 1883, Dutton Ranch, Deadwood, and Lonesome Dove.

Season 2 Pushed the Story Even Further

That critical standing comes after 1923 returned for its second season in early 2025.

Season 2 premiered on Paramount+ on February 23, 2025. New episodes followed weekly until the finale arrived on April 6.

The story continued following an earlier generation of Duttons through a period shaped by Western expansion, Prohibition, and the Great Depression. As with other stories throughout the franchise, protecting the family’s land remains at the center of the conflict.

Those struggles also help connect 1923 to what viewers eventually see generations later in Yellowstone.

Season 2 increased the challenges facing its characters, and its critical response ultimately surpassed the first season’s already strong score. While Season 1 sits at 88%, Season 2’s perfect 100% gives the series an unusually strong critical record across its two-season run.

For viewers who became invested in the Dutton family through Yellowstone, 1923 has continued offering another piece of the family’s larger history.

And the franchise isn’t stopping there.

More Dutton Stories Are Already Taking Shape

Paramount has continued expanding the universe beyond 1923, including stories set much closer to the present day.

Dutton Ranch premiered May 15, 2026, on Paramount+ and Paramount Network, bringing Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser back as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler.

This time, Beth and Rip are attempting to start over in South Texas rather than remaining in Montana.

The series quickly made an impact. Dutton Ranch attracted 12.9 million viewers globally during its first seven days, becoming the biggest original series debut in Paramount+ history.

Its story isn’t finished, either. Paramount+ officially renewed Dutton Ranch for a second season in June 2026.

Meanwhile, another potential trip into the family’s past remains on the table. 1944 has been reported as still being in development and would extend the historical timeline established through 1883 and 1923.

However, one of the previously discussed projects won’t join them.

Taylor Sheridan has said the long-discussed 6666 spinoff isn’t moving forward because he doesn’t want to fictionalize the real Four Sixes Ranch.

1923 Has Built a Legacy of Its Own

Every Yellowstone spinoff inevitably faces comparisons with the series that launched the franchise.

Nearly four years after its debut, though, 1923 has built a strong identity of its own.

An 88% first season followed by a perfect 100% second season leaves the series with a 94% average critics’ score. Its place among Rotten Tomatoes’ Best Western TV Shows further demonstrates how well the prequel has been received.

Meanwhile, the wider universe continues growing through Dutton Ranch and other projects in development.

That leaves 1923 occupying an important place in the Dutton timeline. Rather than simply extending Yellowstone, the prequel has become one of the franchise’s most critically successful stories.