1923season 2 premiere sees viewership up 146% compared to season 1. The episode titled “The Killing Season” marked theYellowstoneprequel’s return on Sunday, February 23, kicking off the new season with a letter from Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren) to her nephew, Spencer (Brandon Sklenar), while she awaits his return with her husband, Jacob (Harrison Ford), in their snow-blanketed ranch. After the premiere,a new episode will arrive every Sunday exclusively on Paramount+.
PerDeadline’s report, the streamer shared that the season 2 premiere averaged5.4 million global viewersand outperformed season 1’s 2.2 million viewership in 2023. Based on international data, the series also broke the streamer’s record asthe biggest original premiere in history. The1923season 2 premiere also trumpedLandman’s success, which drew 5.2 million viewers during its debut and was Paramount+’s biggest original premiere in two years.
What This Means For 1923
An Increasing Interest in Yellowstone And Beyond
While1923season 2 premieresaw a huge increase in viewership, it’s still nowhere near the flagship’s success. In 2024,Yellowstone5B’s return garnered 16.4 million viewerson its first night alone, marking the biggest return in the show’s history, while the series finale is the show’s most-watched episode. On the other hand, the original spinoff shows have proven to be record-shattering for Paramount+. The first prequel,1883,opened just under 5 million viewers, setting a premiere record for the channel in 2021.
1923 Sets Up The Next Yellowstone Spinoff That Fans Have Been Waiting 4 Years For
1923 season 2 is already establishing ties to other Taylor Sheridan Yellowstone projects, including one that was confirmed to be in development.
1923season 2’s grand opening sees anincreasing interestin the expandingYellowstoneuniverse. At the same time, withLandman, Taylor Sheridan’s most recent show, becoming Paramount+’s most-watched original series, this also means that the audience’s interest has extended beyond theYellowstoneuniverse toSheridan-created showsin general.
Our Take On 1923’s Debut Success
It’s Good News
There’s no doubt that1923’s debut success serves to pave the way for otherYellowstone-related projectsto come. The next to arrive isThe Madisonwhich takes place in the present timeline. While the project’s filming has wrapped, there’s still uncertainty for the highly anticipated Beth & Ripp spinoff, but the streaming success of1923is certainly good news for the streamers andYellowstonefans. On the other hand, the Harrison Ford-headlined series won’t be renewed,since it’s a two-season show, which means that most characters' arcs and storylines will be wrapped by the end of the eighth episode.
In addition to a surge in viewership,critical reviews for1923season 2resulted ina perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, but the audience is less satisfied with the premiere. Only 49% of viewers left a positive review for the season 2 opening. There’s a chance that1923viewership might drop on Sunday, but the signs are pointing toward a lot more in store in the later episodes.
