24/10
The Duttons faced new challenges in the early 20th century, including westward expansion, Prohibition, and the Great Depression. America’s Great Depression may have begun in 1929, but it had an early start in Montana. It broke out in Montana in 1918, nearly 10 years before the rest of the nation. While the rest of America prospered, Montana struggled. Many farmers suffered from drought and decreased demand for agricultural products because of the end of the « Great War » (also known as World War I, from 1914 to 1918). This caused Montana farmers to default on their war loans, leading to widespread bank failures across the state. Between 1921 and 1925, half of all Montana farmers lost their land. By 1925, 70,000 of the 82,000 settlers had left Montana. In addition, 200 banks in Montana failed. Not only were crops affected by the drought, but plagues of locusts followed and livestock succumbed to the contagion. Seen in Indiana Jones and the Wonderful World (2023). Dame Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford. Sounds like a recipe for success. And it is. The Duttons are once again fighting to maintain their farming life in Montana. The patriarch, (Harrison Ford) Jacob Dutton, is fighting pretty much the same battles as John Dutton (Costner) in Yellowstone. Very entertaining. There are two other very interesting story arcs. One is Spencer Dutton, a disillusioned World War I veteran who now works as a hunter in Africa. Spencer meets an English woman he likes. Suddenly the two learned that they had to travel from Mogadishu in Somalia to Montana. That should be easy… The second part is set in a school where Native American girls are abused by Catholic priests and nuns. This part was very uncomfortable to watch. There was a bit of revenge involved, which made it somewhat bearable… I usually rate TV shows after one season. Not this time. I didn’t like the last episode. Explaining why would be a spoiler. But I will watch season two. I have to…