Sumith Prasad
In the fifth episode of Paramount+’s Western drama ‘1923’ season 2, Lindy sets out to replace her fellow sex worker Christy, after the latter’s death, for the business tycoon Donald Whitfield. Her search for an attractive woman ends with her meeting with Mabel. The former interferes with the latter’s affairs and promises to secure her a hire that will pay her more than what she currently earns in a month. The proposition tempts the sex worker to join Lindy and go to the humongous mansion of the vicious Whitfield. Her fate turns around in the sixth episode of the sophomore installment as the businessman starts to control her without her consent! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Donald Whitfield Displays His Sadistic Behavior by Torturing Mabel
Mabel becomes a part of the narrative of ‘1923’ after the death of Christy, the sex worker hired by Donald Whitfield along with Lindy. The barbaric businessman tortures Christy along with Lindy for a long period, only for her to eventually kill herself. Even after her death, the antagonist’s obsession with torture and control does not wane. He asks Lindy to hire another sex worker for him to continue entertaining himself by treating a human being like an animal. This barbaric behavior towards Mabel conveys everything one needs to know about Donald, highlighting the importance of the new character.
Taylor Sheridan, the creator and writer of the Western drama, utilizes Mabel to expose Donald’s brutality outright. Ahead of the second season finale, the businessman has not killed someone with his bare hands, especially any Dutton, like his associate, Banner Creighton, in the series. Still, the narrative of the show has to portray him as the ultimate antagonist who is more brutal than the Scotsman. The show fulfills this objective by depicting his behavior towards Mabel. After hiring her under the pretense of just another job, he locks her up in his mansion with the help of Lindy and dehumanizes her by treating her as a toy.
In the sixth episode of the second season, Donald exerts his control over Mabel by making her experience pain and pleasure alternatively. He focuses on taking away her agency over her own emotions, leaving her severely helpless. Mabel’s helplessness showcases how Donald wishes to conquer his adversaries. As he prepares for a war against the Duttons, he will most likely have the same objective in his mind. Like Lindy and Christy, Mabel is introduced to open a window into the cruel mind and thought process of the businessman who finds pleasure in torturing and demeaning others.
Virginia Gardner Plays Mabel in 1923
Virginia Gardner, who is known for portraying Karolina Dean in Hulu’s Marvel series ‘Runaways,’ plays Mabel in ‘1923.’ After making her debut with a guest appearance in The CW’s medical series ‘Hart of Dixie,’ the actress went on to gain prominence with her performance as Lexy Bloom in the ABC sitcom ‘The Goldbergs.’ This role was followed by a series of guest credits in highly popular shows such as ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ and ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.’ Gardner then received immense attention for her performance as Vicky in David Gordon Green’s first ‘Halloween’ film, a sequel to John Carpenter’s iconic slasher flick of the same title.
Over the years, Gardner has been part of several notable projects, including HBO’s dark comedy series ‘The Righteous Gemstones,’ FX’s long-running ‘American Horror Stories,’ and Julia Roberts and Sean Penn-starrer political drama ‘Gaslit.’ The actress’ career further turned around with her appearance as one of the protagonists, Shiloh Hunter, in the survival thriller ‘Fall.’ Since then, she has starred in the romantic comedy ‘Beautiful Disaster,’ the road trip movie ‘See You on Venus,’ and the murder mystery flick ‘F*** Marry Kill.’ You may also recognize her as the one who plays Christina Raskin in ‘Project Almanac’ and Amanda in ‘All the Bright Places.’
Read More: 1923: Is Mamie Fossett Based on a Real Marshal? Who Plays Her?
