Name: 1923 season 1 episode 6
Director: Guy Ferland
Released: 2023-02-12T17:20:14

In the sixth episode of 1923, Spencer marries Alexandra after being rescued, and Jacob promises to make Banner suffer for what he has done to his family. The episode is now streaming on Paramount+.

Recap

Hanks gives Teonna his son’s clothes, intending to disguise her as a boy, and names her Joe. He will send his son to Teonna’s father once he returns. Hanks burns everything that Teonna was given at the school, except the Bible because he fears that the Christian God might punish him.

Men reach Teonna’s house to arrest her but do not find her there. One of them roughly pushes her grandmother, who hits her head and dies. The man then claims that she attacked him and that he pushed her in self-defense.

Spencer and Alexandra survive the accident. After helping Alexandra, Spencer goes underwater to collect their belongings. He saves Alexandra once again from drowning, and the two sit on the overturned tugboat.

Jacob can now walk on his own. He wants Zane to find and hire cowboys; most of them have left for California.

Cara has started interviewing livestock agents, but it proves to be a difficult task as men do not want to be questioned by a woman. She hires a promising candidate from Chicago, but she needs more men.

Spencer and Alexandra get surrounded by sharks. Alexandra refuses to be scared if this is her last moment, and Spencer refuses to give up on their lives.

Jacob tells Cara that a road is being cut on the side of the mountain. Banner and Whitfield are blasting a mine right above this ranch’s main water supply. Whitfield now owns the property to the north and the south, and he wants to squeeze them in the middle.

Cara goes against his wishes and informs the Sherrif about Banner’s attack. The Sherrif comes to the ranch and warns Jacob not to start a range war. He is angry that Jacob kept this from him, but he says that he will arrest Banner in the morning.

Jacob is furious with Cara, who tells him that the women of the house suffered when he was injured. She believes that he does not seek justice but vengeance. His pride will not allow the Sherrif to deal with Banner because he wants to kill him for revenge.

Later, Jacob thanks her for taking care of him. He clarifies that it is preservation that is motivating his actions, not vengeance. Men who build cities always send men like Banner first.

For the sake of his family and Cara, he will not let them build a city here and turn this place into a concrete desert. He promises her that Banner will suffer now.

At night, Spencer and Alexandra see a ship passing by and manage to draw the attention of the crew. The two are rescued and given clothes and food on board. The ship is headed to Marseilles, and the captain instructs them on how to reach the US.

As it takes months for an immigrant to gain entry, Spencer asks him to marry them on international waters, not just for citizenship but because he truly wants to marry Alexandra. The captain agrees to do it.

The captain also gives them the rings of dead sailors and asks them to take their pick for their ceremony. He even offers the ring of his wife, which he carries with him when he is at sea, to Alexandra.

After getting married, Alexandra asks Spencer about his dreams. He confesses that the universe has given him several signs, pointing out that it was wrong to take her with him, but he was too selfish to leave her behind.

His dream is to see the universe proven wrong. Alexandra tells him to choose another dream, as she will follow him wherever he goes.

Review

This episode was not as thrilling as the last episode. There was much less drama and action involved as compared to the other episodes of the show. However, it was not dull by any means.
The episode highlights the difference between the colonizers and the colonized when it comes to acceptance and tolerance. The natives believe in their gods, but they do not disregard the beliefs of others. They fear that the God of the colonizers might punish them if they do him wrong.
The natives do not completely understand the new laws that have been forcefully imposed on their land. Teonna is a fugitive now, but her grandmother does not even understand the meaning of the word.
The episode depicts that the lives of the natives are not as valuable as the lives of the colonizers. Teonna is being hunted down for killing the nuns who hurt her, but no one even blinks an eye when her grandmother is killed for no reason in her own house.
Helen Mirren once again stole the spotlight in this episode. She leaves a long-lasting impact when she fiercely highlights the suffering of women, which often goes unacknowledged, and when she asserts herself while interviewing men.
The show manages to make Spencer and Alexandra’s unconventional wedding look beautiful. Everything about it would have been considered morbid, but the writers skillfully made it suit the characters and made it satisfying for the viewers as well.