I had very high hopes for 1923. We saw episode one as a teaser that Paramount+ put out on a terrestrial channel, and were then annoyed to find that the rest was subscription/streaming only, so jumped on it when found that LoveFilm carried it. Every frame looks fantastic, with production values up with the best of feature film making.
Through episodes 2 onwards, we remained engaged, anticipating the resolution for the various story arcs....but they never came!
1923 is an object lesson in the perils of giving a storyteller an open-ended remit, with no requirement for an ending. On top of that, the three separate threads have almost zero connection with each other. The story line of native American Teonna Rainwater's struggles against her appalling treatment in government 'catholic' school is worth a movie in itself. Even better is the romance between Spencer Dutton and Alexandra, which has some beautiful writing and great performances. Conversely, while Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford ooze star quality whenever they're on screen, I never really cared about what happened to them. When the story is in Montana, I was always wondering what was happening in Africa with Spencer and Alex.
The last episode of the 8 was a complete anti-climax, and soured everything that had gone before. It's put me off these long-form dramas. Next time, guys, tell one story at a time, and make sure each one has a beginning, middle, and crucially, and end