Summary: Helen Mirren ‘Fully Expected’ She Would Die in 1923’s Finale: ‘Obviously’

In a recent interview, legendary actress Helen Mirren revealed she fully expected her character, Cara Dutton, to die in the finale of 1923, the Yellowstone prequel series. Given the show’s brutal tone and high stakes, Mirren believed her character’s arc was heading toward a tragic, sacrificial ending — and she was genuinely surprised when that didn’t happen.

Mirren described reading the script and bracing herself for Cara’s death, saying it felt “obvious” that her character’s story would end violently or tragically, in line with the show’s intense themes of survival, vengeance, and family duty. However, the finale took a different route, allowing Cara to live on, much to her own disbelief — and the viewers’.

Her survival shocked both the cast and fans, and now opens up new possibilities for Cara’s role in Season 2, as the Dutton family continues to battle enemies on all sides. Mirren’s candid comments underline just how unpredictable Taylor Sheridan’s writing remains — and how even veteran actors can be blindsided by a twist.