I’m a Yellowstone fanboy. I own a few Dutton ranch shirts, 4 cowboy hats, 5 pairs of cowboy boots and if I could, I’d leave it all behind and go work the Dutton ranch. So when 1883 was announced and the cast slowly started rolling out I knew immediately that I would be interested.
1883 follows the Dutton family on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of uncolonized America. It stars Sam Elliot, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill, among a slew of fantastic supporting characters (Billy Bob Thornton needs his own spin-off, I swear), including standout Isabel May as Elsa Dutton. It is executive produced by Sheridan, John Linson, Art Linson, David Glasser, Ron Burkle, and Bob Yari.
I’ll be honest. When I heard the cast announcement, I was hesitant. I’m a country music fan and I know Tim McGraw can hold his own as an actor (Check him out in Friday Night Lights), but I had not seen Faith Hill in anything. I was very pleasantly surprised. Their natural chemistry leads to some of the best scenes in the show, and Sam Elliot who plays Shea Brennan is fantastic in anything he does.
From the first moments of the series, however, Elsa Dutton played by Isabel May, no doubt captured the hearts of anyone watching. Elsa acts as the show’s narrator and arguably the show’s main character. In the opening scene of the series, we see Elsa waking up on the ground, bloodied and surrounded by fire. She’s been in a battle, and it isn’t until Episode 9 that we get to see exactly what happens.
From the jump 1883 takes the viewers down a tragic yet beautiful ride down the Oregon Trail. We get to see how truly impossible the trek from Texas to Oregon would have been. We see the brutality and grit that accompanied every step and we see the sacrifices those brave settlers would have had to make in order to survive.
1883 is a limited series. According to the Hollywood Reporter, while Paramount has ordered additional episodes of the series, creator Taylor Sheridan has stated that this story has been told, and he is looking forward to the next Dutton chapter, 1932.
You’ll see. I don’t want to give away too much, but [the announced upcoming Dutton-verse series 1932] was always intended to be the second season. Now the network is excited to bring you something really additional to 1883, which is super exciting. There was one way set with it — there was one version — and now there’s going to be two versions.
The Hollywood Reporter
1932 will take us into the Prohibition/Great Depression-era and will bring us closer to the birth of Yellowstone’s John Dutton and expand the Dutton-Verse further.
If for whatever reason you chose to sleep on 1883, I highly suggest you get yourself a bottle of high-proof whiskey, throw a steak on the grill, and settle in for a wild ride. All 10 episodes can be streamed on Paramount +.
