It’s no surprise that the Season 2 finale of Taylor Sheridan‘s Dutton prequel series 1923 — which also doubles as the end of the show — is as action-packed as it is heartwrenching. As Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren) await the arrival of their nephew Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) in Montana, their homestead is about to face its biggest threat yet in Donald Whitfield’s (Timothy Dalton) army. Led by Dutton Ranch foreman Zane Davis (Brian Geraghty), Jacob’s loyal ranchhands are willing to fight to the death to protect the Yellowstone, but they’re not the only ones who get to pack a little heat, as “A Dream and a Memory reveals.”

Ahead of the Season 2 finale, Collider had the opportunity to speak with several 1923 cast members about their characters’ biggest moments of the episode — including Michelle Randolph, who plays Liz Dutton. Over the course of the interview, which you can read below, Randolph discusses her excitement over getting in on the action in the finale, why Liz chooses not to listen to Zane (which ends up saving both of their lives), what her character’s final porch scene really means, and more.

COLLIDER: There’s tragedy to go around in the finale — but even before that happens, or in the midst of all that happening, there’s a lot of intensity at the homestead, and you get to get in on some of the action. What was that experience like, being part of a major stunt sequence?

MICHELLE RANDOLPH: It was so satisfying to finally have that moment. It was a long time coming after everything with Season 1 and then everything in Season 2. You just wanted her to have a win or a moment of courage, and it was also really fun to shoot because we were all in the ranch in Montana. Spencer was finally home, and yeah, that was one of my favorite scenes to film.

I know you’re not using real weapons on set, but did you have to train in how to use them?

RANDOLPH: We shot with blanks, and those don’t have a kickback on them, so part of the training was just learning how far back or how heavy the gun might push you. In Season 1, it was actually really cool. We went to a range, and we all got to shoot authentic ’20s guns and then a lot of other things that we probably shouldn’t have been holding, but were allowed to for some reason. So I just learned how to use it when we were on set for Season 2.

Michelle Randolph Felt Very Passionate About Liz Getting In on the Action in the ‘1923’ Season 2 Finale

In the lead-up to that, everyone’s waiting for the impending attack from Whitfield’s men, but Zane tells Liz not to put herself in the line of fire. As it turns out, her decision not to listen to him is what saves his life, and ultimately hers too. We’ve been talking about her having that moment of courage, but why do you think she decides against following his orders?

RANDOLPH: Absolutely. If you really think about it, I feel like the entirety of Elizabeth’s Season 2 is people telling her what to do. There’s so much expected of her, and it’s never acknowledged. Even when she’s getting a rabies shot, she’s held down against her own will. She loses all sense of agency. She’s expected to act like a woman and treated like a child. I think that after so many times of getting advice and this and that, at this point she’s like, “I’m going to do whatever the frick I want, and I’m going to stand and fight. Our windows are being shattered. Our house is being lit on fire, and you’re going to try to tell me where to go.” As you can tell, I feel very empowered for her to have had that moment.

Even in the aftermath, Brandon gets to have a hero, guns-blazing moment, but it’s also nice to see a lot of the ensemble together. What was the mood like on set? It is a very serious scene, but were you all finding ways to have fun in between filming?

RANDOLPH: There are definitely moments on any set where we acknowledge that, OK, this is a serious scene, we’re going to calm down. But with a lot of the action stuff, you have to really shoot it into pieces, and so it takes a long time and there’s a lot of pause in between, and so everyone’s kind of just like, “We’re all in it together.” Also, when there’s not a ton of dialogue in a scene, it makes the day somewhat easier.

I love group scenes. We had another scene this season that was one of my very favorites to shoot, and it was when we’re all in the living room after dinner. The men decide that they’re going to leave, and the fire’s on, and we’re in the living room, and it’s all the cowboys and Cara and I just was like, “Wow, this is Yellowstone. This is the show.”

having any real time to mourn Jack once the news comes through. Was there ever a version of the finale where she did have a scene to really process his death?

RANDOLPH: No, that’s all there was. For me, I had to invent a lot of my own in-between moments to go from A to Z. There were a lot of things to be wrapped up.

What did you really have to establish for yourself about how Liz is processing the loss of her husband and the fact that she’s pregnant at the same time?

RANDOLPH: Honestly, she’s in denial. It all has happened so fast. I don’t think much time has passed at all. It’s been less than three to four days, probably, and she doesn’t really know what her life looks like. The whole season, she’s just trying to survive, and by the end, she’s leaving in order to try and protect her child and her well-being. I also just think a piece of her is missing.

Michelle Randolph Explains Cara’s “Tough Love” in Her Final ‘1923’ Scene

It all leads to the scene between you and Helen on the porch, where Liz insists a part of her will always remember and love Jack, and Cara disagrees. At the same time, Liz is going to have that reminder of Jack through their child, but I feel like, at some point, she’s just not going to argue with Cara about it.

RANDOLPH: Yeah, no, she’s not. When I first read it, I was like, “That’s harsh and unrealistic. Of course you’re going to remember your first husband, and he’s the father of your child, and all that they went through.” That said, having talked to Helen and [director] Ben [Richardson] and finding the scene, it’s Cara’s way of comforting Liz and telling her, “Don’t feel guilty for moving on one day. Whenever you are able to eventually do that, that’s okay.” That’s Cara’s way of giving her a gift as she leaves: a gift of no guilt — in the harshest love way possible, because it’s utterly ridiculous to say that she’s not going to remember.

Now that you’re saying that, tough love is very much Cara’s style, so it makes total sense. Obviously, the news came through about Landman coming back for Season 2. Is there anything you can tease for fans who equally love that show as much as 1923?

RANDOLPH: Well, we started filming actually, and this season it’s going to be… I think people are going to love it as much as they did Season 1. I’m so excited. It’s so good to be back.

All episodes of 1923 are available to stream on Paramount+.

Ahead of the Season 2 finale, Collider had the opportunity to speak with several 1923 cast members about their characters’ biggest moments of the episode — including Michelle Randolph, who plays Liz Dutton. Over the course of the interview, which you can read below, Randolph discusses her excitement over getting in on the action in the finale, why Liz chooses not to listen to Zane (which ends up saving both of their lives), what her character’s final porch scene really means, and more.

COLLIDER: There’s tragedy to go around in the finale — but even before that happens, or in the midst of all that happening, there’s a lot of intensity at the homestead, and you get to get in on some of the action. What was that experience like, being part of a major stunt sequence?

MICHELLE RANDOLPH: It was so satisfying to finally have that moment. It was a long time coming after everything with Season 1 and then everything in Season 2. You just wanted her to have a win or a moment of courage, and it was also really fun to shoot because we were all in the ranch in Montana. Spencer was finally home, and yeah, that was one of my favorite scenes to film.

I know you’re not using real weapons on set, but did you have to train in how to use them?

RANDOLPH: We shot with blanks, and those don’t have a kickback on them, so part of the training was just learning how far back or how heavy the gun might push you. In Season 1, it was actually really cool. We went to a range, and we all got to shoot authentic ’20s guns and then a lot of other things that we probably shouldn’t have been holding, but were allowed to for some reason. So I just learned how to use it when we were on set for Season 2.

Michelle Randolph Felt Very Passionate About Liz Getting In on the Action in the ‘1923’ Season 2 Finale

In the lead-up to that, everyone’s waiting for the impending attack from Whitfield’s men, but Zane tells Liz not to put herself in the line of fire. As it turns out, her decision not to listen to him is what saves his life, and ultimately hers too. We’ve been talking about her having that moment of courage, but why do you think she decides against following his orders?

RANDOLPH: Absolutely. If you really think about it, I feel like the entirety of Elizabeth’s Season 2 is people telling her what to do. There’s so much expected of her, and it’s never acknowledged. Even when she’s getting a rabies shot, she’s held down against her own will. She loses all sense of agency. She’s expected to act like a woman and treated like a child. I think that after so many times of getting advice and this and that, at this point she’s like, “I’m going to do whatever the frick I want, and I’m going to stand and fight. Our windows are being shattered. Our house is being lit on fire, and you’re going to try to tell me where to go.” As you can tell, I feel very empowered for her to have had that moment.

Even in the aftermath, Brandon gets to have a hero, guns-blazing moment, but it’s also nice to see a lot of the ensemble together. What was the mood like on set? It is a very serious scene, but were you all finding ways to have fun in between filming?

RANDOLPH: There are definitely moments on any set where we acknowledge that, OK, this is a serious scene, we’re going to calm down. But with a lot of the action stuff, you have to really shoot it into pieces, and so it takes a long time and there’s a lot of pause in between, and so everyone’s kind of just like, “We’re all in it together.” Also, when there’s not a ton of dialogue in a scene, it makes the day somewhat easier.

I love group scenes. We had another scene this season that was one of my very favorites to shoot, and it was when we’re all in the living room after dinner. The men decide that they’re going to leave, and the fire’s on, and we’re in the living room, and it’s all the cowboys and Cara and I just was like, “Wow, this is Yellowstone. This is the show.”