If you were to ask most fans, the latest season of Yellowstone has been a bit of a letdown, with just a few episodes left to ramp things up. It hasn’t been without its moments, but a good portion of it has largely been dedicated to expanding into its spin-offs, including the announced 6666, and 1883, which debuted on Paramount+ earlier this week. It’s a gamble that can certainly alienate and frustrate the already built-in fan base, but if you are going to do it, you better be sure your new show is worth the use of valuable runtime. Writer and creator Taylor Sheridan was certainly confident, and through 2 episodes, 1883 absolutely proves that it is.
The highly anticipated, and, as mentioned, promoted, Yellowstone prequel series, follows the Dutton family as they travel through the Great Plains, on their way to eventually settle on what will become their sprawling ranch. James Dutton (Tim McGraw, Tomorrowland) is a highly capable, former Confederate soldier, who intends to travel with his family beyond Oregon to settle. He’s introduced traveling by wagon, effectively fighting off bandits at every turn on his way to meet his family coming through Texas by train. Joining him are his wife Margaret (Faith Hill, The Stepford Wives), daughter Elsa (Isabel May, Alexa & Katie), young son John Dutton Sr. (Audie Rick, Kenobi: A Star Wars Story), sister Claire (Dawn Olivieri, Bright), and niece Mary Abel (Emma Malouff, American Crime Story).
It’s a risky undertaking for James to make the arduous journey with just women and children, but his ability to handle himself advantageously caught the attention of others also about to make the trip. Pinkerton agents Shea (Sam Elliott, MacGruber) and Thomas (LaMonica Garrett, Designated Survivor) have taken a job guiding a caravan of Europeans to Oregon, but upon realizing their group was vastly underprepared, they seek help from cowboys Ennis (Eric Nelsen, The Bay) and Wade (James Landry Hébert, Stranger Things), as well as James. While initially reluctant, violence continues to follow James, and he agrees to travel alongside them.
If you want to take a risk and cast real-life married country-western stars as leads, it doesn’t hurt to bring in some insurance, in the form of the legendary Sam Elliott. That’s not a knock on the acting abilities of McGraw and Hill, as they have proven themselves in other projects, and are good in this as well, it’s just a resounding endorsement of Elliott. He instantly brings credibility to any Western he’s a part of, and as Shea, he’s able to play a tough, but emotionally broken man who contemplates ending his life daily before his weakness turns to resolve. Luckily for Shea, he has Thomas to support him, who understands he can’t save a man that doesn’t want to be saved, so he’ll just stick by his side faithfully. Garrett is perfect playing opposite Elliott, and their tough-love friendship is one of the more interesting character dynamics early on.
What is great about 1883 is that Sheridan is able to unabashedly focus on the gorgeous, unsettled landscapes, gunfights, and cowboys using their skill-sets to survive, and do basically everything that he would like to do on a grander scale with Yellowstone, if not hindered by modern times. He has crafted a violent and somber story that is also poetic and beautiful, as the land is, serving as its own unforgiving character. The choice to have Isabel May narrate 1883 as Elsa Dutton only solidifies the feeling of a sweeping saga, and the actress is captivating on-screen as well. Her character has a naivety to her that can find her in harm’s way, but she’s also been well prepared by her father to handle herself, and it’s her sense of wonderment that offers a lens for the story that supersedes the bleakness.
Although 1883 could stand completely on its own, it’s not hard to make connections to its predecessor as Sheridan has a tight crew that he uses for his projects, so the direction, cinematography, and editing all feels familiar. That familiarity is especially apparent with the writing, as you get some of the same heavy-handed dialogue that often accompanies the Dutton family. That’s never necessarily been a deterrent because while it may seem unnatural at times, it’s also memorable and has power behind it.
Hill and McGraw deliver one of the best examples of it in the episode “Behind Us, A Cliff”, when discussing whether going after bandits that attacked their camp would be just. The only dialogue that really exceeds it comes from Billy Bob Thornton who has a brief but very memorable appearance as Marshal Jim Courtright. It provides a nice little reunion between him and Elliott who both appeared in the beloved film Tombstone. His isn’t the only star cameo, as many in Hollywood seem to be drawn to Sheridan’s projects, and especially a rare Western series like this one.
The beauty of 1883 is that it only adds to the enjoyment of Yellowstone because as a viewer you get to see the sacrifice and fortitude that it took for the Dutton family to obtain the land over a century ago, which they so passionately fight to maintain today. It also provides a complex narrative in that you know how it will conclude for some central characters, but for others there is no such luxury. If the first two episodes are any indication, there will be no scarcity of action or development from this series.
1883 is now streaming on Paramount+
