Wait… Is ‘1923’ Set in the Same Universe as the Greatest Western Series of All Time?

A passing comment referencing the city of Deadwood in 1923 Season 2, Episode 6, “The Mountain Teeth of Monsters,” has led sharp-eared viewers to wonder if the Yellowstone spinoff fits within the iconic HBO western series, Deadwood. While the theory is only half-serious, Deadwood, South Dakota, was one of the busiest hubs of westward expansion during the 19th century. It became infamous for its blood-soaked history involving Western heroes and villains like Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, and more.

Given Deadwood‘s monumental success on HBO from 2004 to 2006, it would not be shocking if 1923 creator Taylor Sheridan paid affectionate homage to the groundbreaking David Milch western series. A geographic character in its own right, it’s worth wondering if South Dakota’s notorious city links 1923 to Deadwood or if the shared location is incidental.

‘1923’ Mentions Deadwood in Season 2, Episode 6

In 1923 Season 2, Episode 6, the dramatic focus remains on Spencer Dutton’s (Brandon Sklenar) arrival in Montana via train. Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) fears that the sadistic Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) will murder Spencer before he reaches the Dutton Family Ranch. Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) and Sheriff McDowell (Robert Patrick) send their goons to catch Spencer in Livingston. Elsewhere, Jack (Darren Mann) tries to give Jacob backup but is shot to death by two of Creighton’s men.

During the violent melee, Jacob and other survivors briefly utter Deadwood, the infamous South Dakota city named by its settlers for the dead trees located in the city’s gulch. The city marked by death becomes a potential destination for Spencer to avoid captivity, with the city mentioned several times as a portentous place to visit. Indeed, even when the city isn’t reached, the fatal shootouts and hypothermic deaths featured in the episode hint at Deadwood as an ominous location.

HBO’s ‘Deadwood’ Highlights South Dakota’s Historical Corruption

Created by David Milch for HBO, Deadwood is considered with The Wire and The Sopranos as one of the greatest, format-changing TV series in history. Launched in 2004, the profanity-laced western series concerns the immoral exploits of Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), a corrupt saloon operator, brothel owner, town boss, and illegal racketeer whose unchecked power led to criminal excess and irreversible corruption in the 1870s.

Along with Swearengen, Deadwood followed real-life historical figures who built the titular city, including hardware store owner and Sheriff Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant), Martha Bullock (Anna Gunn), Sol Star (John Hawkes), Wild Bill Hicock (Keith Carradine), A.W. Merrick (Jeffrey Jones), Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert), and several other composite characters. Despite lasting only three seasons and 36 episodes, Deadwood won eight Primetime Emmys and is rated #140 on IMDb’s Top 250 TV Shows.

Although 1923 does not take place in the Deadwood TV universe per se, Seth Bullock arrives in Deadwood after leaving his marshal post in Montana. Of course, Montana is the home of Yellowstone and its spinoffs, which begs the question: how close are Bozeman and Deadwood?

‘Deadwood’s Rich History Reflected in Pop Culture

From 1876 to 1879, Deadwood, South Dakota, witnessed a population boom caused by the discovery of gold and the rush for enrichment. With more people and money came bigger power struggles and corruption. Following the Black Hills Gold Rush in 1876-77, roughly 25,000 people flocked to the city, including Western icons like Wyatt Earp, and those featured in the Deadwood TV show.

Yet, far from being dramatized as late as the 2000s, Deadwood City was featured in the 1953 western musical movie Calamity Jane, starring Doris Day as the empowered saloon owner and sharpshooter known for helping the downtrodden. Just as nobody would accuse 1923 of sharing the Calamity Jane narrative universe, linking 1923 with the Deadwood series is also a stretch (although, there’s nothing stopping you from dreaming big and making a giant Deadwood Western Cinematic Universe in your mind).

Rather, Deadwood was such a historically relevant city during the time period featured in both shows that omitting it from 1923 would strain credibility. Nearly every frontier settler passed through, or at least knew about, Deadwood and its deep-seated history. Other movies set in Deadwood include Wild Bill, Buffalo Girls, Little Big Man, Thunderheart, Bad Man at Deadwood, and more.

Beyond historical relevance, the physical proximity of Bozeman to Deadwood is the key link between 1923 and Deadwood. Separated by roughly 430 miles, frontier men and women ventured along the same perilous path connecting the two places in Montana and South Dakota. As such, it stands to reason that those in Montana would mention Deadwood, not because the two TV westerns are connected narratively, but rather geographically, historically, and culturally.

As for Deadwood, its legacy was honored in the 2019 feature film, Deadwood: The Movie, which follows Bullock and Swearengen a decade later. Chances are, the city will be featured in another Western movie or TV show, independent of HBO’s Deadwood or Paramount’s Yellowstone spinoffs.