Sumith Prasad
Sebastian Roché’s Father Renaud tries to hunt down Teonna Rainwater in a major part of Paramount+’s Western drama ‘1923.’ The Christian missionary turns against the young Native American girl after she kills nuns who torture her and escapes from his religious institution. In the first five episodes of the second season, he teams up with Marshal Kent to find her, and this journey comes to an end in the sixth episode. Renaud finally confronts Teonna and asks her to repent for committing sins. However, this confrontation takes a turn for the worse for the priest as it ends up threatening his life! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Teonna Rainwater Kills Father Renaud to Safeguard Herself
In the sixth episode of the second season of ‘1923,’ Father Renaud makes a breakthrough in his search for Teonna Rainwater. After killing his companion, Marshal Kent, he hides himself at the site where the dead bodies of the officer and Pete Plenty Clouds lay for the carrion-eating birds to feast upon. He realizes that Teonna will come out of hiding to look for Pete, which will give him an opportunity to confront or capture her. The priest’s plan works out as the Native American girl and her father, Runs His Horse, soon arrive at the place to find Pete dead.
Runs His Horse incorrectly believes that they are no longer under threat because of the death of Marshal Kent. Unfortunately, the Native American leader does not concern himself with the possibility of Renaud looking for him and his daughter. He even lights a fire for warmth and sleeps at the place, awaiting the rising sun. Meanwhile, Renaud comes out of hiding to surprise the father and daughter. He kills Runs His Horse and forces Teonna to ask God for forgiveness. However, the Native American girl is convinced that what she did was essential to protect herself, which makes her take a stand against repenting her crimes.
Teonna’s response and behavior provoke Renaud, who soon perceives that she will not listen to the words of God. This realization triggers his affinity for punishment as he prepares himself to kill her to send her to his divine master. The plan does not materialize as she uses a knife to stab him repeatedly before he can kill her. Teonna then ensures that Renaud will no longer be a threat to her by killing him using a gun. After the stabbings and the gunshot, there is no doubt that the priest is dead, allowing the Native American girl to escape.
The Completion of Father Renaud’s Arc Indicates Sebastian Roché’s Exit From 1923
The death of Father Renaud, more or less, confirms that Sebastian Roché will no longer be a part of ‘1923.’ The Western drama does not heavily rely on flashback sequences for the actor to appear again as the priest. The missionary also has no personal connection with Teonna for him to appear in her visions or dreams, which means that we may have seen the last of Roché in the show. Even though he had seemingly departed from ‘1923,’ he will reopen a new phase of his acting career with many memories working in the series.
Roché has been vocal about his experience playing Renaud, especially alongside Aminah Nieves’ Teonna. “Working with [Aminah Nieves] on [‘1923’] has been such a delight. We may have been antagonists in this brilliant series but [are] bffs in real life. I’m her favorite funkle; she’s my favorite itu,” he shared. Even though ‘1923’ hasn’t been renewed for the third season yet, Renaud’s death may set up Teonna’s storyline if it materializes in the future. Since the priest and the two marshals who have been after her are dead, the Native American girl can now focus on building her life, even though she does not have her father, Runs His Horse, and boyfriend, Pete Plenty Clouds, on her side.
Teonna can only prioritize “living” over hiding if the watchful eyes of the law and religion are no longer on her. Therefore, Taylor Sheridan’s decision to conceive Renaud’s death opens a new narrative avenue for Nieves’ character.
