1923's Lindy And Christy Scene Went On For Way Too Long

The following article contains mention of sexual violence.

"1923," part of the "Yellowstone" franchise, doesn't pull any punches when it comes to its often realistic portrayal of what life was like in the early 20th century. Part of this involves a storyline concerning forced assimilation in American Indian boarding schools where abuse ran rampant against indigenous children. It was also a different time when it came to the relationship between men and women, and many viewers have taken umbrage with certain depictions of these relationships. 

Redditor u/WillBryantSC pointed out how unnecessary it is for Donald Whitfield (played by former James Bond actor Timothy Dalton) to abuse sex workers like Lindy (Madison Rogers) and Christy (Cailyn Rice). While the abuse is tough to watch on its own, it's the extent that has some viewers upset, like u/WillBryantSC writing, "We get it, he's evil. Including yet another softcore torture porn scene doesn't add to the character development or the plot in any way."

Whitfield's shocking abuse of these two vulnerable women began in "1923" Season 1 and carried over into Season 2, with things arguably getting worse in the second season. For more fan reaction — and what the actor who portrays Lindy has to say about all of this — read on.

Great care and attention went into Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) and her realistic storylines, including the abuse she suffered at the hands of religious leaders. However, it appears some fans weren't as taken with the violence suffered by Lindy and Christy, regardless of how accurate to the time period it might've been. Many other Redditors took issue with the sequences and felt they were far too drawn out, to the point of blunting their impact. Redditor u/ksb012 pointed out, "I mean, the scenes do connect with the plot. It's to show that Whitfield gets off on manipulating people and pitting them against each other. He's doing the same thing to Jacob and Banner. Did we need the scenes to be as long and drawn out as they were? No."

There were quite a few people who admitted to fast-forwarding through the violent scenes because they dragged on for so long. Many agreed that Whitfield didn't need that much time to convince viewers he was a bad guy, especially considering the first season only has eight episodes, which isn't a ton of time to flesh out so many characters. U/WillBryantSC went on to say, "Getting hyperfocused on developing one aspect if a character is great if you have spare time to do it with. But they don't. That's why I think a scene like this would have made a better fit in a 15-16 episode series." It would appear that when it comes to this level of abuse, less is more.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Fans got another shocking eyeful of Donald Whitfield's sadomasochism during "1923" Season 2. An encounter featuring Whitfield, Lindy, Christy, stocks, a feather, and a paddle played out, partially under the disgusted eyes of Clyde (Brian Konowal), who looks upon Christy with pity and reminds Whitfield that she's someone's daughter. Whitfield acknowledges that as the truth, but remarks that if Christy's mother were there, he'd do the exact same thing to her. "The man got even more demented this season," Redditor u/Scribblyr wrote of Whitfield, to which u/IndySusan2316 replied, "These sequences are so cringe I can hardly watch them."

While many fans continue to consider these scenes gratuitous and exploitative, at least one of the actors participating in the storyline is willing to stand up for it. Madison Elise Rogers, who plays Lindy, told ScreenRant that she thinks the way Lindy is falling under Whitfield's sway makes perfect sense for the character. "I took it as she is in this house with this very wealthy, very powerful, and obviously very dangerous man. I think he's given her this acceptance, or something along those lines, so I think she's feeling favored by him. I think it's also that she needs to survive."

Will Christy eventually turn the tables on her torturers? Lots of fans have predicted that she will end up murdering Whitfield, and many will be disappointed if it doesn't pan out this way. "I thought for sure the whole point of the Christy/Whitfield story line was that she was going to finally snap and be the one to end up killing him," said u/eliqode. "This entire plot has been so hard to watch so I really hope I didn't learn all of this information for nothing."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).