Gil Birmingham’s portrayal of Chief Thomas Rainwater has consistently been one of Yellowstone‘s most compelling elements. Throughout all five seasons, Rainwater has served as a formidable and nuanced counterpoint to John Dutton, championing the rights and sovereignty of the Broken Rock Reservation. While his presence is undeniable, many fans and critics alike have longed for a deeper exploration of his character’s origins and motivations. The recent conclusion of the prequel series, 1923, may have just offered a groundbreaking clue that could forever alter our understanding of Rainwater and his steadfast companion, Mo (Moses Brings Plenty).
The connection lies within the harrowing and inspiring journey of Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) in 1923. Teonna, a distant ancestor to Chief Thomas Rainwater, endured unimaginable suffering and bravely fought for her freedom and cultural identity after escaping a brutal Native American boarding school. While her story was a standalone narrative for much of the series, a brief but poignant romance bloomed between Teonna and Pete Plenty Clouds (Cole Brings Plenty in Season 1, Jeremy Gauna in Season 2). It’s this seemingly fleeting connection that now holds the key to a potentially monumental revelation for Yellowstone.
Though Teonna Rainwater ended 1923 on her own, her path intertwined with Pete Plenty Clouds long enough to suggest a potential offspring. Despite Pete’s tragic death later in the prequel’s second season, the possibility remains strong that Teonna was pregnant with his child. If this is indeed the case, it would establish a direct familial link between the Rainwater and Plenty Clouds lineages.
This revelation wouldn’t just be a fascinating piece of genealogical trivia; it would profoundly reframe the long-standing, loyal, and often unspoken bond between Chief Thomas Rainwater and his driver and confidante, Mo. Given that Moses Brings Plenty, who plays Mo, is a real-life relative of Cole Brings Plenty, the actor who portrayed Pete Plenty Clouds, the on-screen connection would become even more potent. If Teonna carried Pete’s child, their descendants would inherently be cousins, making Thomas Rainwater and Mo distant blood relatives all along.
Such a deep, ancestral connection would add an entirely new layer of meaning to their dynamic on Yellowstone. Their shared mission to protect the Broken Rock Reservation and their profound understanding of each other could be seen not merely as the product of shared purpose, but as an inherent bond forged through generations of kinship and a shared lineage of resilience and survival.
This theory, if confirmed by Taylor Sheridan in future Yellowstone installments or spin-offs, would underscore the intricate tapestry of the Yellowstone universe and further highlight the enduring legacy of the Indigenous people in the American West. It suggests that all the pain and suffering Teonna endured was not in vain, as her progeny would eventually rise to leadership and reclaim their heritage, with family ties binding them through generations. While the full extent of Teonna’s story remains open-ended, hinting at further exploration in potential future prequels like the rumored 1944, this possible connection to Thomas Rainwater and Mo offers a powerful and emotional payoff, uniting disparate storylines across decades and enriching the flagship series in unexpected ways.
