Prime Day is here, and with it comes a number of deals on just about everything you could dream of from e-tail giant Amazon. Of course, being the movie and TV lovers that we are, deals on titles we enjoy and ways to help us watch them are big draws today. For myself, one that has caught my eye is the chance to get the entirety of Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone series.

Well, almost complete. With the second half of Yellowstone season 5 making its long awaited premiere this November, Amazon has deals on a DVD box set that includes the first four seasons of Yellowstone and its prequel series 1883, as well as individual deals on other prequel series 1923 and Yellowstone season 5 Part 1.

The Yellowstone: The Dutton Legacy Collection is the one that includes Yellowstone season 1-4 and 1883 (all on Blu-ray), and with its Prime Day Deal is available for a 33% discount, down to $74.99 from $111.99. You can then get the 1923 season 1 Blu-ray set for $15.49, a 52% discount from its usual $31.99 price, and Yellowstone season 5 Part 1 on Blu-ray for $12.49, a 63% discount from its standard $33.99 price. All told, the entire collection would cost you $102.97; less than the normal price of the Yellowstone: The Dutton Legacy Collection.

Of course, in addition to having all the episodes, these DVD collections for Yellowstone and its prequel series also offer behind-the-scenes features and interviews with cast and creatives. Getting the entire collection also allows you to have the entirety of Yellowstone in one place, rather than have to sign up for Peacock to stream Yellowstone episodes and Paramount Plus for 1883 and 1923 (just in US; in the UK all shows are available on Paramount Plus).

Yellowstone is a modern-day western that follows the Dutton family, who own the largest contiguous ranch in the US. However, there are many forces both from outside and within that put them at risk from losing it all. The series stars Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, Wes Bentley, Kelsey Asbille, Gil Birmingham, Brecker Merrill and Jefferson White.

1883 is a prequel series that follows the first Duttons to head west, embarking on a dangerous journey in search of a land they can call their own. The series, which only has one season, stars Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Isabel May, Sam Elliott, LaMonica Garrett, James Landry Herbert, Marc Rissman and Gratiela Brancusi.

1923 picks up the Dutton story 40 years in the future, as the family builds and defends their ranch during the Great Depression, westward expansion and in the aftermath of World War I. This series stars Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Brandon Sklenar, Julia Schlaepfer, Darren Mann, Jerome Flynn, Timothy Dalton, Michelle Randolph, Aminah Nieves and Brian Geraghty. There are plans for a 1923 season 2.

It's becoming a tradition to be able to spend a long weekend with the Duttons, but the traditional Paramount Network Yellowstone marathon is adding something new — all 10 episodes of 1883. To help celebrate Labor Day in the US, starting Friday, September 1, and running through Monday, September 4, Paramount Network is airing an 1883 & Yellowstone marathon for fans of Taylor Sheridan's western franchise.

Yellowstone takes place in modern day Montana and follows the Dutton family, the owners of one of the largest cattle ranches in the US. However, it is a constant fight to keep the land from various enemies, while also dealing with complicated relationships within the family. Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley and Gil Birmingham star in the series.

1883, meanwhile, is a prequel series, telling the story of how the first Duttons came to Montana. This limited series stars Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Isabel May, Sam Elliott and LaMonica Garrett. It originally was a Paramount Plus original series, available exclusively on the streaming platform, but all 10 episodes aired on Paramount Network over the summer of 2023 and could now be a recurring addition to holiday Yellowstone marathons. (They may need a whole week if they ever add 1923 as part of the marathon as well.)

Paramount Network kicks off the marathon on Friday, September 1, at 1 pm, airing all 10 episodes of 1883 back to back into the early hours of Saturday, September 2. Yellowstone then takes the torch starting at 10 am on Saturday, starting with its series premiere. Save for some local programming before sunrise, Paramount Network will be devoted to airing all Yellowstone episodes from season 1 through where things left off with Yellowstone season 5.

Here is a full breakdown of the 1883 & Yellowstone marathon schedule:

Friday, September 1

• 1 pm-2 am (September 2): 1883 

Saturday, September 2

• 10 am-4 am (September 3): Yellowstone season 1 to Yellowstone season 2 episode 7

Sunday, September 3

• 10 am-2:30 am (September 4): Yellowstone season 2 episode 8 to Yellowstone season 4 episode 3

Monday, September 4

• 10 am-2 am (September 5): Yellowstone season 4 episode 4 to Yellowstone season 5 episode 8

You must have access to Paramount Network to watch the 1883 & Yellowstone marathon. The cable channel is available through traditional pay-TV packages as well as live TV streaming services like Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV. If you want to catch up with these shows at your own pace, Yellowstone seasons 1-5 are available to stream on Peacock, while 1883 is available on Paramount Plus.

NOTE: this post contains spoilers for 1883 episode 3, "River."

For anyone that played the great old computer game Oregon Trail, you know that forging a river was always the most difficult part of the game (if you didn't die from dysentery early on). 1883 knows it too, as, with all the other things that can kill you as part of a wagon train, a river is the one thing people are scared to talk about (according to Elsa's narration). So of course, a river is what our characters come up against in 1883's third episode.

Unfortunately, we don't have anyone actually cross the river. Rather, the body of water serves more as symbolism this week as it presents a difference of opinion between Dutton (Tim McGraw) and Shea (Sam Elliott), which becomes further amplified throughout the episode when they are shown to deal with violence. Elsewhere, Faith Hill finally gets a chance to showcase her character, Margaret, and we meet another traveler as the cast starts to expand.

As mentioned, there are plenty of ways to die on the wagon train and the opening scenes show you a handful of them. Even in the early days of their journey, many of the travelers have died. With each death, Dutton pulls more and more away from the group. It comes to a head when he and Shea discuss what to do about the river they come upon. Shea thinks that it'll be best for the wagon train to head east and look for an easier passage over the river. Dutton reminds Shea he doesn't work for him and tells him flat out he'll be heading west with his family.

Camped for the day as they figure out what to do next, Dutton takes his son, John (Audie Rick) hunting. When they snag a deer he tells him that every time a man kills something, they lose a bit of their humanity and become more animal, but that it is important for a man to maintain balance as best he can between the two sides. Heady stuff for a 5-year-old to try and grasp, but of course, this is truly meant to further enlighten us to Dutton's views on violence.

We're seeing Shea giving in more to his animal instinct as this journey is already taking its toll on him. When he sees a gypsy (Gratiela Brancusi) whose husband was among the travelers who has already died struggling, he and Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) help her. This includes confronting a group of men she said stole from her. Shea destroys their wagon and tells them they can no longer travel with the group. Later, when the men argue about this judgment, Shea threatens to kill them but opts not to, letting it be a warning to all the other travelers that this is how he'll police them if they don't do it themselves.

We've seen Dutton kill a number of people in the first few episodes, but there is always a reason (they are threatening him or his family) and we know that he does not take any joy in it. Shea, while letting cool heads prevail, has shown to have a bit more of a temper and it looks like it is starting to boil over. Will Shea be able to maintain the balance that Dutton preaches as they continue west?

The other plot of this episode involves the Dutton women. While the men are hunting, Margaret and Elsa (Isabel May) go and help the cowboys take care of the cattle. For Elsa (and us viewers), this is the first time we really see Margaret in action. Elsa is amazed to see a new side to her mother, realizing that she gets her passion as much from her mother as her father. It's also nice to see Hill get a little more to do than sitting around a campfire and driving the wagon.

The only other bit of note is that Elsa and Ennis are continuing their flirtation, which is given the OK by Dutton at the end of the episode.

Introducing the river and not crossing it was a bit of a disappointment for this episode of 1883. However, the show continues to set the pieces for what will hopefully be richer interactions later on because of it. Most notably, will Dutton and Shea continue to butt heads; could that culminate into a major confrontation? The breadcrumbs are there, you just hope it isn't too long until we get a more hearty meal.

1883 episodes are available to stream on Paramount Plus in the US and the UK, as well as Netflix in the UK as of March 12, 2025.

NOTE: this post contains spoilers for 1883 episode 2, "Behind Us, a Cliff."

Sometimes shows want to impress audiences so much with their first episode that they leave a little bit of work to do for the second before the real story can get going (remember "The Kingsroad" from Game of Thrones?) Feels like 1883 took a page from that playbook with its second episode, "Behind Us, a Cliff."

Before we pick up where the main story, this episode starts with another jump around in the timeline, to 1862 and the Battle of Antietam, one of the bloodiest of the Civil War. We find James Dutton (Tim McGraw) waking on the field after the battle, banged up but not seriously wounded, a fate much better than those of his fellow Confederate soldiers around him. As Dutton surveys all the dead, he is met by Union General George Meade (Tom Hanks), who commiserates with Dutton not as an enemy but as a fellow human. Narration by Elsa reveals that Dutton spent three years as a prisoner of war after this event and avoids talking about his service with others.

Hanks is a fun addition as Meade, but the cameo is just an "Oh hey" moment of recognition. Would have been fun to see Hanks pair up with Sheridan in a more meaningful way, like another guest star that appears later in this episode.

Back to 1883, the wagon train is still preparing and teaching the immigrants key survival tricks, but the language barrier and their inexperience make it difficult. They fail to understand the importance of rationing their food or the need to boil water from a river to avoid getting sick. To help on the food part, Dutton, Brennan (Sam Elliott) and Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) set out to get some cattle to take for the journey, opting to wrangle wild cattle. Dutton recruits Elsa (Isabel May) to help as she is one of the few competent riders the wagon train has.

With some additional cowboys they hire, including a pair named Ennis (Eric Nelsen) and Wade (James Landry Hébert), the group sets out on the kind of subplot that you would have found in the Red Dead Redemption video games. The only real bits of crucial plot development that come from this sequence are Elsa proving herself and establishing a rapport with Ennis, who decides to stay on with the wagon train, along with Wade. It also provides some gorgeous cinematography and a lovely bit of narration from Elsa.

Quick side note on a couple of things. First, hats off to Ben Richardson, who served as the cinematographer and director for this episode. The show looks absolutely gorgeous, particularly the ending of the cattle-herding sequence at sunset with Elsa looking over an open vista that she uses to help describe the true meaning of freedom in her narration.

The narration is the other thing. The first two episodes of 1883 are working to find a balance in the use of narration. There are fantastic bits like Elsa's description of freedom, but then there are portions that are on the nose and clunky, like when she finds a skeleton shot up with arrows and says she now realizes the dangers. This certainly seems like a narrative choice that is going to stick, so hopefully we get more lyrical and deeply personal narrations than the blatantly obvious moving forward.

Back in the camp, Margaret (Faith Hill) and Claire (Dawn Oliveri) argue over their different expectations for the journey. Margaret is hopeful and trusting in Dutton's vision, but Claire believes they are leaving civilization to chase a fool's dream. When Margaret suggests Claire didn't have to come, Claire reminds her that without a husband, she and her daughter (Emma Malouff) had little chance to provide for themselves.

The next day a group of riders come to the camp and try to intimidate Margaret and the others. Claire yells at them and begins to throw rocks to get them to leave, but this only angers them. Though the immigrants help fight them off, the riders quickly return and shoot and kill a number of the travelers, including Mary Abel. When Dutton and the others return they head off into town to go after the riders.

It's there they team up with the town marshal, played by Billy Bob Thornton. This is an example of a great cameo. When they find the riders, Thornton's character shoots first, killing all in the group and reminding everyone that he, as the law, is going to be the only killer in town. His ethically dubious lawman is reminiscent of Gene Hackman's Little Bill in Unforgiven, but more hard-edged and less charismatic.

This could be the only time we see the character though, as Brennan tells Dutton they are leaving the next morning to avoid anyone in the town from coming after them again. Dutton isn't arguing. We've seen Dutton use violence when necessary to protect himself and his family, as he values them over everything else. But as we saw in the opening sequence, it doesn't mean he enjoys it.

The wagon train embarks on their journey, all but Claire. After burying Mary Abel, Dutton speaks with her and they argue over whether or not he will find the Garden of Eden he's after. Dutton believes gardeners build and tend to gardens, but Claire rebuffs him, saying he is not a gardener. With nothing left and having buried many children before Mary Abel, Claire opts to take her own life; Dutton and Brennan bury her.

Elsa's narration closes things out, with her saying they are walking into darkness and there is a cliff behind them, meaning their only way to go now is forward into the unknown. That is where 1883 hopefully will find the promise its characters are looking for and the TV adventure the first two episodes attempt to set up.

1883 episodes are available to stream on Paramount Plus in the US and the UK, as well as Netflix in the UK as of March 12, 2025.

NOTE: this post contains spoilers for 1883 episode 1, "1883."

Taylor Sheridan is already the king of the modern western, see Hell or High Water, Sicario and Wind River and of course Yellowstone for proof of that (Yellowstone season 5, the show's final season, is currently on hiatus). Yellowstone was the jumping off point for 1883, which takes us back to the time period we generally think of with the western genre, the late 19th century, and introduces us to the Dutton family that came to settle Montana and build their empire.

While the destination is known, the journey promises to be perilous and epic, as the first episode — simply titled "1883" — shows in clear detail.

We see just how dangerous the journey will be in the first moments via a flash-forward. While providing narration (which continues throughout), Elsa (Isabel May) explains that no matter what the scholars call America's Great Plains, they can best be described as Hell. To back it up, we see Elsa awake underneath a wagon set on fire and a group of Native Americans killing her fellow travelers.

Elsa tries to protect herself by grabbing a gun off a dead man, but one of the Natives tells her, in English, not to do it. She asks him if he can speak English, how could he be doing something so heinous? He says Elsa's people also speak English and do the same thing to his people. Elsa goes for the gun anyway and shoots the Native, though he manages to shoot her with an arrow in the stomach before dying. Elsa doesn't die though, and shoots at the other Natives present. The scene cuts away before we see what happens next.

Heading back to the start of the story, we first meet Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) as he burns his home after his wife and daughter have tragically died from smallpox. The next scene takes place at an undetermined amount of time afterward, but Brennan is still grieving. He puts a gun under his chin, debating whether to pull the trigger. When his partner, Thomas (LaMonica Garrett), asks him if he is coming along for their next job, Brennan holsters the gun and joins him.

As they ride through the fields they see a wagon being pursued by a gang of thieves. The driver is James Dutton (Tim McGraw). He proves himself quite adept with a gun as he kills all of his pursuers. Brennan and Thomas give Dutton a quick tip of the cap and warn that he'll need to be careful, as friends of the men he killed belonged to a dangerous gang.

Arriving separately, Dutton, Brennan and Thomas all head to Fort Worth, Texas. Dutton's family is arriving that night, while Brennan and Thomas are leading a wagon train of German immigrants that are wholly unprepared for the journey. Only one of the immigrants speaks English, Josef (Marc Rissmann). Brennan decides they need extra men to help them and after bumping into Dutton again offers to hire him. Dutton refuses, saying he and his family just want to head north on their own until they can find a land that is worth the dangerous journey they're embarking on.

Speaking of the rest of the Dutton family, it is made up of James Dutton's wife, Margaret (Faith Hill), teenage daughter Elsa, 5-year-old son John (Audie Rick), Margaret's widowed sister Claire (Dawn Olivieri) and her daughter Mary Abel (Emma Malouff). Riding on the train, we see Elsa is a free spirit brimming with hope, which certainly makes her a handful for Margaret and draws the ire of the strict Claire.

Staying in a hotel that night, Elsa learns some of the dangers that they face, as a drunken man stumbles into her and her brother's room and tries to rape her. She is saved just in the nick of time by her father. This convinces Dutton to team up with Brennan and the wagon train.

After Brennan does a quick inspection for smallpox among the immigrants — he finds a husband and wife and kicks them out, which paired with his interaction with a prostitute that brings up his wife's name further details his powerful grief — they leave Fort Worth to begin their journey.

The episode ends with Elsa wading into a river on the first morning they are on the trail; coupled with her narration here it shows that even after the assault in the hotel she remains optimistic about the transformative power of this journey. The episode's flash forward proved the trip would be transformative, but not exactly how Elsa believes it will be in this scene.

"1883" is a very promising start for the series. While the episode is all about introducing our main group of characters and getting them together, it effectively achieves this and gives us glimpses into their background and hopes that will play out over the course of the season. Sam Elliott and Isabel May are early standouts. In addition, 1883 has an epic sense thanks to a number of beautiful shots showing the vistas of the plains and a fantastic score. Just as our main characters take the journey with the hope of a new life, viewers should be getting excited about the journey this new show could take them on.

1883 episodes are available to stream on Paramount Plus in the US and the UK, as well as Netflix in the UK as of March 12, 2025.

1883 rides again, and this time you don't have to be a Paramount Plus subscriber to enjoy the entire Yellowstone prequel series. In what is sure to be one of the highlights of its summer TV schedule, Paramount Networks is airing all 10 episodes of 1883 on broadcast TV for the first time (the first two episodes did air on TV previously, but not the final eight), meaning it's free to watch if you have the channel as part of your TV setup.

The first two episodes of 1883 are going to air on Sunday, June 18 (a fitting Father's Day gift), at 8 pm ET/PT on Paramount Network. Each subsequent Sunday is going to feature another episode of the series, until the 1883 finale on (presumably) August 13.

Originally premiering in December 2021, with all 10 episodes written by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, 1883 follows the Dutton family as they make their way west with a wagon train from Texas in hopes of a brighter future. The series starred Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Sam Elliott, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Marc Rissman, James Landry Hébert and Gratiela Brancusi. The show was nominated for three Emmys for its epic score and cinematography.

The series, piggybacking on the massive fandom of Yellowstone, became an instant hit on Paramount Plus and led to the franchise's next prequel series, 1923, which stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren and is heading into its second season.

While the first two episodes of 1883 did air on TV, as have other Sheridan-created shows 1923 and Tulsa King to help drum up interest, this appears to be the first time that a Paramount Plus original series is going to be made available to watch in its entirety for non-subscribers.

Having 1883 air on Paramount Network may be a move to satisfy fans for the longer-than-expected wait for the second half of Yellowstone season 5. It was originally anticipated that Yellowstone would return in the summer after pausing season 5 in January, but reported scheduling conflicts with Kevin Costner came up and has pushed the planned final six episodes to a November debut. It was also announced that those episodes are going to mark the end of Yellowstone's run, though a Yellowstone sequel series is already in the works and apparently coming in December.

In order to watch 1883, you need to have access to Paramount Network. The cable channel is available through traditional pay-TV plans (always good to check if your plan carries it though), while you can also access the channel through live TV streaming services, including FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sing TV and YouTube TV.

TV viewers have really gotten to know the Duttons over the last few years. Whether that's been the modern day Duttons defending their ranch from all challengers on Yellowstone, the original Dutton family that chose to make that land theirs in 1883 and those thought fought for the land in the early 20th century in 1923.

However, keeping track of just how all of the Duttons are related can be a bit of a challenge (there are a lot of Johns in the family). So to help out, we've put together this Dutton family tree that covers the Duttons (and those closely associated with them) throughout 1883, 1923 and Yellowstone.

Take a look at the complete Dutton family tree right here:

Let's dive into where we meet each member of the Dutton family. Warning some SPOILERS ahead.

1883

In 1883, we meet the Duttons who end up settling on the land that becomes the Yellowstone ranch. At the head of the family of four is James Dutton (Tim McGraw), a Civil War veteran who is looking for a life that his family can truly make their own, and Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill), a tough and proud woman who is more than capable of handling the challenges that await them on the trail and in creating their new home.

The Dutton children in 1883 include the 5-year-old John Dutton (Audie Rick) and, more prominently, his older sister Elsa (Isabel May). Elsa is strong-willed and itching for adventure, more comfortable on the back of her horse than in a dress and bonnet. Tragically, Elsa is shot through with an arrow on the trail, which ultimately kills her. Where she dies is where the Duttons decide to make their home.

Other members of the Dutton family featured in 1883 are James' widowed sister Claire Dutton (Dawn Olivieri) and her daughter Mary Abel (Emma Malouff). They also don't survive the journey. Mary Abel dies early on and rather than go on without her, Claire takes her own life (with the assistance of James).

1923

Forty years later, there are three generations of Duttons at the center of 1923. The new patriarch of the family, taking the reins after James, is James' brother Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford). Taking Margaret's place on the ranch is James' wife, Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren), who looks to be among the proud tradition of Dutton women ready to do anything to protect their family.

The show also introduced us to a grown up John Dutton Sr. (James Badge Dale). While Jacob has taken over as the head of the ranch, John begins the series as his trusted right-hand man; unfortunately, he dies early in the series run. John's wife Emma (Marley Shelton), also only last a few episodes before she dies.

John and Emma have a son, Jack Dutton (Darren Mann), who is a proud and dedicated rancher and deeply loyal to his family. He marries Elizabeth Strafford (Michelle Randolph), a feisty but capable young woman.

Rounding out the Dutton family in 1923 is Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar). The younger brother of John, born after the events of 1883, he begins the series abroad following his service in World War One. He soon meets Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer), a British aristocrat, who he marries.

One of the big questions from 1923 is who are the grandparents of the John Dutton that we know from Yellowstone — is it Spencer & Alex or Jack & Elizabeth. The 1923 season 2 ending seemingly revealed that the answer was Spencer & Alex, as she gives birth to a son that they name John before Alex tragically passes away. However, as revealed in talking with Sklenar & Schlaepfer, that is not necessarily the end of the story, as both said they had not been given confirmation that their characters were indeed the grandparents of John Dutton.

Elizabeth was also revealed to be pregnant during season 2, and though she left the ranch after Jack's death, her baby could still have a role to play in the Dutton family saga.

Another possibility is that it is revealed in narration that Spencer, while never remarrying after Alex's death, does father a child, another son, with an unknown woman.

It looks like we'll need more clarification from 1944, the next expected Yellowstone prequel, to straighten out more of this family tree. But in the meantime we will tentatively say that Spencer & Alex are the most likely grandparents to John Dutton, which is why their connection is marked with a dotted line in our graphic above.

Yellowstone

These are the Duttons that we have gotten to know best through Yellowstone's five seasons. The head of the family is, of course, John Dutton III (Kevin Costner), whose main goal in everything he does is to protect the land that his family has been on for 100 years. His wife and mother to his children was Evelyn Dutton (Gretchen Mol), who died when the kids were teenagers.

Speaking of the Dutton kids, John's eldest was Lee Dutton (Dave Annable), though he died in Yellowstone season 1 episode 1. John's only daughter is Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), who may not have embraced the cowboy way of life like the rest of her family, but she is viciously loyal and will do anything to protect them; she is married to Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), the trusted ranch foreman; they eventually adopt a young orphan named Carter (Finn Little).

Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) is John's other son, who often struggles to balance his relationship to his father and his own family — wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille) and son Tate (Brecken Merrill). Monica is Native American, which brings a different perspective to the Dutton family. Tragically, Kayce and Monica loose their second son shortly after his birth in Yellowstone season 5 following a car accident.

The black sheep of Duttons is Jamie (Wes Bentley), who is actually John's adopted son. Jamie's real father is Garrett Randall (Will Patton), a former convict. This dynamic has driven a wedge between Jamie and the rest of the Duttons, as they aren't able to trust each other. Jamie also has his own son with his former campaign manager, Christina (Katherine Cunningham).

You can watch 1883 and 1923 exclusively on Paramount Plus. All episodes of Yellowstone are streaming on Peacock in the US and Paramount Plus in the UK.

There's a world of Taylor Sheridan TV shows out there and many viewers are happy to be living in it. Having created, or co-created, shows like Yellowstone, 1883 and a raft of others on their way soon, writer/producer Sheridan is building something that rivals Shonda Rhimes and her Shondaland TV empire in terms of sheer volume. His slate of work could even be billed the "Sheridan-verse" or TSU (Taylor Sheridan Universe).

Some of the defining characteristics of the Sheridan-verse are its hard-nosed characters, rough and tough settings (almost exclusively in America's middle rather than the coasts) and varying twists on many classic western tropes. They also can all be found as part of Paramount's TV lineup.

Here is a rundown of Taylor Sheridan's TV shows, both on-air and in the works.

Sheridan-verse shows on-air

Yellowstone

Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, the owners of one of the largest cattle ranchers in Montana. But as varying threats attempt to encroach on their land, John Dutton and his children will go to all lengths to protect their family legacy.

Taylor Sheridan'w original TV hit started from humble beginnings but has grown into one of the most popular cable shows out there — Yellowstone season 4 had two episodes rank in the top 100 most watched TV programs of 2021 (best of any cable network).

Starring: Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill and Gil Birmingham.
How many seasons: Yellowstone is currently in its fifth and final season.
Where to watch:
- In the US, new episodes of Yellowstone air on Paramount Network. You can catch up with Yellowstone seasons 1-5 on Peacock.
- In the UK, all seasons are available on Paramount Plus.

1883

The driving motivation for the Duttons in Yellowstone is to protect the land that their family has called home for more than 100 years. How the Duttons came to that land is the story at the heart of the prequel series, 1883.

1883 follows James Dutton and his family — wife Margaret, 18-year-old daughter Elsa and 5-year-old son John — as they head west in search of land they can call their own in the last part of uncolonized America. They work alongside a wagon train led by a former Army captain that consists of immigrants looking for a new life.

Starring: Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Marc Rissman, Audie Rick and James Landry Hébert.
How many seasons: 1883 has one season
Where to watch: Streaming exclusively on Paramount Plus. 

Mayor of Kingstown

Mayor of Kingstown sees Sheridan branching away from the Dutton clan — instead, focusing on the McLusky family. The McLuskys are power brokers in Kingstown, Mich. — where the incarceration business is booming. The family serves both sides of the prison complex. Sheridan was a co-creator on this series with former Yellowstone cast member Hugh Dillon.

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, Hugh Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird and Aiden Gillen.
How many seasons: There are two seasons to date, with the status of Mayor of Kingstown season 3 undecided.
Where to watch: Streaming exclusively on Paramount Plus. 

1923

It's back to the Dutton clan for 1923. But this time it's another generation of Duttons at the center of the drama. As you can guess from clues in the title, this new show follows the Duttons during the Great Depression, Prohibition and a time of western expansion.

Starring: Helen Mirren, Harrison Ford, Brandon Sklenar, Julia Schlaepfer, Jerome Flynn, Darren Mann, Michelle Randolph, Aminah Nieves, Brian Geraghty, Timothy Dalton
How many seasons: 1923 season 1 has aired, with a season 2 on the way.
Where to watch: streaming exclusively on Paramount Plus.

Tulsa King

Sylvester Stallone's first starring TV role saw him play gangster Dwight Manfredi, an Italian mobster who is forced to reestablish himself Tulsa, Okla.

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Max Casella, Jay Will, Garrett Hedlund
How many seasons: Tulsa King season 1 has aired, season 2 is on the way
Where to watch: streaming exclusively on Paramount Plus

Special Ops: Lioness

This military drama offers a fictional look at a real-life military program, where female agents are tasked with getting close to the relatives of high-value targets to gather information.

Starring: Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman, Laysla De Oliveira, Michael Kelly, Morgan Freeman
How many seasons: Special Ops: Lioness season 1 is currently airing.
Where to watch: Episode 2 will air on Paramount Network July 30. Episode 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Paramount Plus, will all other episodes exclusive to the streaming service.

Sheridan-verse shows coming soon(ish)

Yellowstone sequel series

Yellowstone may be set to end with season 5, but the TV franchise is going to continue with a Yellowstone sequel series. There are very few details available about the new show, though rumors say that Matthew McConaughey could star and characters from Yellowstone may show up, but nothing is confirmed at this time.

However, that will likely change soon enough, as the series has already been given a premiere window of December 2023.

Starring: TBD
When will it debut: December TBD

6666

Another series that has direct links to Yellowstone is 6666. The Texas-based ranch, featured in Yellowstone season 4, will get its own stand-alone series. Here is the description of the series from Deadline:

"The series takes place when Comanches still ruled West Texas and no ranch in America is more steeped in the history of the West than the 6666. Still operating as it did two centuries before, and encompassing an entire county, the 6666 is where the rule of law and the laws of nature merge in a place where the most dangerous thing one does is the next thing. The 6666 is synonymous with the merciless endeavor to raise the finest horses and livestock in the world, and ultimately where world class cowboys are born and made."

Sheridan is serving as an executive producer on 6666.

Starring: TBD
When will it debut: TBD 

1883: The Bass Reeves Story

Sheridan is teaming up with David Oyelowo (Selma, The Girl Before). Sheridan will produce 1883: The Bass Reeves Story (an 1883 spinoff series) about the Black Wild West lawman, Bass Reeves, who was the inspiration for The Lone Ranger. Oyelowo is starring as Reeves, who is considered a legend of the American frontier.

Sheridan's involvement on 1883: The Bass Reeves Story is as an executive producer and the director for the first two episodes.

Starring: David Oyelowo
When will it debut: TBD 

Land Man

Another new Taylor Sheridan show is Land Man, which is based on Boomtown, an 11-part podcast. The series is set in the boomtowns of West Texas. It follows a crisis manager for an oil company amid the modern-day pursuit for riches in the world of oil rigs.

Land Man is described as an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires that fuel a boom so big it reshapes our climate, our economy and our geopolitics. Oscar-winner Billy Bob Thornton (Slingblade, Fargo, Bad Santa) has been tapped to star in the series.

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Michelle Randolph, Jacob Lofland
When will it debut: TBD, but production is not expected to start until 2023

Other Taylor Sheridan Projects

Taylor Sheridan may be working primarily in TV right now, but he is also an Oscar-nominated writer with an impressive list of movies as credits and the film format is one that he still dips his toe into.

Sheridan’s movie credits include writing the Emily Blunt/Benecio Del Toro thriller Sicario and its sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado, writing the Chris Pine/Ben Foster/Jeff Bridges heist movie Hell or High Water (his Oscar-nominated screenplay), writing and directing the thriller Wind River (starring Marvel stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen), writing the Tom Clancy adaptation Without Remorse and writing and directing the Angelina Jolie movie Those Who Wish Me Dead.

He also is writing a new movie called Fast, which follows a former U.S. special forces officer who is recruited by the DEA to take down drug dealers who are protected by the CIA.

Get a glimpse of all that's coming up in the Sheridan-verse with this teaser trailer from Paramount Plus. 

Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone is like a modern-day western, but with the prequel show 1883 he's gone back to the genre's more traditional roots.

A Paramount Plus original series, 1883 is part of the Sheridan-verse that Sheridan and Paramount is building across its platforms, covering shows direcetly tied to the popular series, like 1883 and 1923, and ones that have a similar tone and style, like Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King and upcoming series like Special Ops: Lioness, Land Man and Lawmen: Bass Reeves.  

Let's hitch up our wagons and head west. Here's everything you need to know about 1883.

When is the next 1883 episode?

Paramount Network's special broadcast of the Paramount Plus original series 1883 concludes with 1883 episode 10 on Sunday, August 13, at 8 pm ET/PT. Here is the synopsis for the finale, titled "This Is Not Your Heaven":

"James and Margaret face a heavy decision. Shea and Thomas take bold action to help one of their own."

How to watch 1883

If you have not seen 1883 before and want to catch it as it airs on TV in summer 2023, you're going to need to have a setup that includes Paramount Network. The cable channel is available through traditional pay-TV subscription plans as well as live TV streaming services like FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sing TV and YouTube TV..

If you don't want to wait for new episodes to release each week (or don't want to deal with TV commercials), you can watch the entire series right now on Paramount Plus.

1883 plot

The Dutton family are the central characters in Yellowstone, controlling the largest swath of cattle land in the US from their home base in Montana. But have you been wondering how the Dutton family was able to seize that land and become the power brokers they are? 1883 will answer that.

The prequel series follows the Dutton family in (unsurprisingly) 1883, as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. The series is described as a stark retelling of Western expansion. It's also an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land, Montana.

1883 cast

There's a star-packed 1883 cast which includes Sam Elliott (Road House, The Big Lebowski, The Golden Compass), country music singers Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Isabel May (Young Sheldon) and LaMonica Garrett (Sons of Anarchy, Designated Survivor). 

1883 main cast and series regulars:

• Sam Elliott - Shea Brennan
• Tim McGraw - James Dutton 
• Faith Hill - Margaret Dutton 
• Isabel May - Elsa 
• LaMonica Garrett - Thomas 
• Audi Rick - John Dutton Sr.
• Marc Rissmann - Josef
• Eric Nelsen - Ennis
• James Landry Hébert - Wade

Additional 1883 cast members:
Dawn Olivieri, Emma Malouff, Alex Fine, Gratiela Brancusi, Nichole Galicia, Stephanie Nuir, Amanda Jaros, Noah Le Gros and Martin Sensmeier.

1883 guest stars:

• Tom Hanks appears as Civil War General George Meade, who assumed temporary command of the Union forces during the Battle of Antietam. He appears in a flashback to Antietam — where Tim McGraw's James Dutton fought as a Confederate soldier.
• Rita Wilson guest stars, just like husband Tom Hanks, who briefly appeared in episode 2 of 1883. Wilson plays Carolyn, a shopkeeper who connects with Margaret (Faith Hill).
• Billy Bob Thornton (Tombstone, Sling Blade, Bad Santa) plays Marshal Jim Courtright, also known as "Longhair Jim", a Sheriff in Fort Worth, Texas.
• Oscar-nominee Graham Greene (Dances With Wolves), who previously worked with Taylor Sheridan on the movie Wind River, plays Spotted Eagle, a Crow elder who aides the Duttons on their journey.
• Creator, Taylor Sheridan pops up briefly as Charles Goodnight, a rancher who hunts cattle thieves.

See how some of these characters are connected to the characters in 1923 and Yellowstone with our Dutton family tree.

1883 trailer

Paramount Plus released an extended-look trailer, which offers more narration from Elsa (Isabel May) about the adventures of the Dutton family on their travels west. Give it a watch below.

1883 recaps

Here are the synopsis for each episode to 1883 and links to our recaps for them:

1883 episode 1, "1883"
"The Dutton family embarks westward through the last bastion of untamed America. James arrives in Texas, where he and his family prepare to make their way through The Great Plains in search of a new home and the promise of opportunity." Read WTW's 1883 episode 1 recap.

1883 episode 2, "Behind Us, a Cliff"
"Thomas and Shea recruit James and some local cowboys to corral a herd of cattle. As they begin their journey, the caravan is confronted with some of the many dangers they will face along the way. Read WTW's 1883 episode 2 recap.

1883 episode 3, "River"
"James butts heads with Shea and Thomas about an important decision. Tensions rise in camp when an accusation is made. Elsa begins a flirtation with a cowboy."
Read WTW's 1883 episode 3 recap.

1883 episode 4, "The Crossing"
"The group faces the harrowing task of crossing the river with their wagons and supplies. Thomas and Noemi grow closer." Read an in-depth recap of 1883 episode 4 recap.

1883 episode 5, "The Fangs of Freedom"
"Shea and Thomas cope with the aftermath of the river crossing, but there is little time to grieve and no shortage of challenges ahead. Elsa and Ennis share a romantic moment." Read WTW's 1883 episode 5 recap.

1883 episode 6, "Boring the Devil"
"Shea helps Elsa cope with her loss. The group crosses another river and prepares to enter Indian territory. Thomas buys Noemi a gift." Read WTW's 1883 episode 6 recap.

1883 episode 7, "Lightning Yellow Hair"
"Elsa makes an unlikely friend; the group faces a harrowing challenge from mother nature; the camp searches for one of their own." Read WTW's 1883 episode 7 recap.

1883 episode 8, "The Weep of Surrender"
"Elsa makes a big decision. Shea faces doubts as winter looms." Read WTW's 1883 episode 8 recap.

1883 episode 9, "Racing Clouds"
"A misunderstanding leads to a battle with serious consequences." Read WTW's 1883 episode 9 recap.

1883 episode 10, "This Is Not Your Heaven"
"James and Margaret face a heavy decision. Shea and Thomas take bold action to help one of their own." Read WTW's 1883 episode 10 recap.

NOTE: This interview includes spoilers for 1883.

The last time viewers saw James Landry Hébert's character Wade in the 1883 finale, he was riding back to Texas with Colton (Noah Le Gros). We heard Elsa's (Isabel May) voiceover saying that their future would likely be unmarked graves somewhere in the prairie. Hébert has a different vision for his character’s fate.

"When we filmed at the 6666 Ranch out in West Texas, the neighboring ranch is the Pitchfork Ranch, which was started in 1883," Hébert tells What to Watch. "I kind of always had delusions that Colton went back with Wade and they rounded up those cows and they started the Pitchfork Ranch in 1883. Maybe something in Ennis’ name even."

Ennis of course refers to Eric Nelsen’s character who was Wade’s original compatriot before he was killed in episode 5. As Hébert sees it, their friendship and Ennis’ death may have led to a change in Wade.

"In my backstory, I always felt like Ennis wanted to start this big ranch and this operation and that Wade wanted to keep it simple. The way things transpired, I thought maybe Wade would grow up and start that ranch for Ennis and take on that responsibility he didn’t want to.

"I always joke that we’re going to get a spinoff show, Colton and I, called Calving Season — [singing] ding-da-la-ding, we’re still alive and we’re doing calves," the actor teases.

However unlikely that particular spinoff may be, many have wondered if there is going to be more of the Paramount Plus western that built a sizeable fandom. 

Prior to the show’s final episode, there was an announcement that there would be more of 1883 — many believing that could mean a second season. But the season one finale brought the story of the Duttons and the other main characters to a natural conclusion. Comments from creator Taylor Sheridan further supported the idea that he was done with this specific story. 

In the same announcement saying there’d be more of 1883, it was also revealed that another generation of the Dutton family would be the focus of a new series called 1932. Though Hébert says he is not sure what Sheridan’s plans are for continuing these Yellowstone prequel series, he is ready to reprise his role as Wade when (and if) he ever gets that call.

"Wade is my favorite character I’ve ever played in my life," Hébert says. "If I could play Wade for the rest of my life, or my career, I would. So hell yeah, in a heartbeat, if they wanted Wade back I’d be back."

This statement comes after a six-month-long production, preceded by what was dubbed "Cowboy Camp," where the actors learned to ride, drive wagons and more. Hébert — who says he works as a ranch hand when he is not acting and was talking to us from his home in Acton, California, where you can ride your horse to the local saloon — describes it as one of his favorite chapters of his life. He recalls how great it was to work with Sam Elliott and how Tim McGraw and Faith Hill would try to keep things light on the set, including McGraw’s penchant for little pranks like tapping him on one shoulder and then being behind the other.

One of Hébert’s favorite memories was when they were training for the river crossing scene and Eric Nelsen’s horse just decided to lay down in the river.

"I thought it was so funny that his horse laid him down in the water and he was just soaking wet all day," Hébert says. "And of course, when we got to film the actual river crossing, my horse did the exact same thing. So as soon as we hit it my horse laid down in the water and I was soaking and they [the production team] were like 'just go with it.' So yeah, joke was on me in the end."

Hébert has had roles in some big-time projects, including Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and in two episodes of Stranger Things season 2, but he had not experienced the kind of reaction to his work that came with 1883 before. He specifically remembers going to a rodeo in Fort Worth, Texas, with Nelsen, where fans greeted them warmly.

"We go to the bathroom, we’re standing there at the urinals, chit-chatting and then the guy to my right looks over to me and is like, 'Anybody recognize y’all yet?' I said, 'Yeah, but not at the urinal. This is definitely a first.' He was like, 'Alright, well you all killed it. I loved you all in the show.'

"I was pretty tickled by that."

As for what’s next for Hébert, he’s in the process of looking and auditioning for his next role. He says he would love to stay in the western genre and era of 1883, citing Kevin Costner’s upcoming series Horizon as something he’d love to try and be a part of. He also said that we would love to work with Taylor Sheridan again.

"I want to work with Taylor Sheridan for the rest of my career," he says. "He just makes such fun, badass, you know, cool stuff. I want to be a part of that."

All 10 episodes of 1883 are available to watch exclusively on Paramount Plus.

Will they make a season 2 of 1883? That's the big question following the huge success of the first series.

In What to Watch’s review of the 1883 season 1 finale, we called it a completely satisfying journey. But was it also the actual end of the 1883 TV show? 

It had previously been reported by outlets (What to Watch included) that 1883 season 2 had been ordered, but series creator Taylor Sheridan has weighed in and potentially poured some cold water on that idea.

Speaking with Deadline following the 1883 season 1 finale, Sheridan was asked specifically if he “is finished with this saga [1883]?”

"I created this peek through time to show you this one specific journey," said Sheridan. "On to the next peek through the window. … For me, as a storyteller it feels close ended. I’m going to peek through the window of a different era and see what I see then."

SPOILER ALERT in case you have not yet watched 1883 season 1 episode 10, but the events of the finale certainly lend credence to the story of 1883 being complete. 

As predicted by many, Elsa (Isabel May) does die from her arrow wound and is buried on the land that will become the Yellowstone ranch. Elsewhere, Shea (Sam Elliott) makes it to the beach in Oregon and kills himself to rejoin his wife, while Thomas (LaMonica Garrett), Noemi (Gratiela Brancusi) and Josef (Marc Rissmann) set about making their new lives. 

The only potential loose end from 1883 season 1 is the James and Margaret Dutton (Tim McGraw and Faith Hill) needing to to build the ranch, though fans of Yellowstone already saw bits and pieces of this story as flashbacks in Yellowstone season 4.

However, it sounds like Sheridan is more interested in moving on to a new generation of Duttons, which has already been confirmed with 1932. This new series will follow the Dutton family as they deal with Prohibition, the Great Depression and large westward expansion. 

“I don’t think of any of these as spinoffs, but rather as complete stories that have common roots,” Sheridan told Deadline. “My goal with the next one would be that you could never have seen 1883 or Yellowstone, and still have a fully realized experience as a viewer.”

Now, let’s clear up some confusion about the reports that an 1883 season 2 had been ordered. On Feb. 15, before the final two episodes of 1883 were released, Paramount Plus announced that “more of its hit series from Taylor Sheridan, 1883, is planned for the service …”. In hindsight, that is a very open-ended statement that can mean many things other than a full second season of the show.

So is this the official end of 1883? It seems like season 2 is no longer a definite, at least in the near future, but never say never after the show generated a solid fan base and has been the biggest success of Paramount Plus to date.

SPOILER ALERT: if you are not caught up with the entirety of 1883 season 1, don't read on.

The 1883 finale wrapped up the journey of the western TV show’s first season on Sunday, Feb. 27, treating fans to an emotional and beautiful episode. Fans on social media revealed that many of the moments brought them to tears, but it wasn’t just viewers — series stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, who play James and Margaret Dutton, also revealed they were a wreck when they first read the ending.

In 1883’s episode 9, Dutton tells Margaret that he does not think Elsa (Isabel May) will be able to survive being shot with an arrow. Despite holding out a bit of hope, their fears are ultimately proven right, as Elsa dies in Dutton’s arms at what will become the Yellowstone ranch. 

Here’s how many fans reacted to the finale:

You can read What to Watch's in-depth recap of the 1883 season 1 finale right here.

Many fans were swept away by the gorgeous production of the show and quickly became attached to the character of Elsa, wonderfully brought to life by Isabel May. Even though her fate was teased in the penultimate episode, her final moments were incredibly touching and well done.

It wasn’t any easier for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill to read the ending to 1883 season 1 than it was for fans to watch it. Speaking with Variety, McGraw explained what it was like for him and Hill — who are married and have three daughters — to read the scripts and learn of Elsa’s fate.

“When we got the final two [scripts], we literally couldn’t read them to each other because we were crying so much — I mean, ugly, boohoo crying,” said McGraw. “I was a blubbering idiot.”

“He couldn’t read it because he was bawling,” added Hill. “It took me about an hour to read it to him because most of the time, I couldn’t catch my breath I was crying so hard.”

Through the tears, McGraw could see why this ending was so special.

“It was just so well-written, so devastating and heartbreaking, but at the same time, so on point and poignant for what Yellowstone turned out to be. It just gives you all the reasons in the world why they fight so hard for that land and why their family fights so hard for to keep what they have. It just made perfect sense.”

All episodes of 1883 are now available to stream on Paramount Plus. 1883 season 2 is confirmed to be on the way.

NOTE: This review contains spoilers for 1883 episode 10, "This Is Not Your Heaven."

Throughout 1883’s first season, Elsa (Isabel May) has been most comfortable in the saddle of her horse. She’s driven cattle, ridden from a tornado, and proved the equal (if not superior) to every cowboy she met along the way. This is why it’s so foreboding when she falls from her horse in the opening moments of the 1883 season 1 finale.

As we know from the penultimate episode, Dutton (Tim McGraw) believes his daughter will die after being shot in the gut by an arrow and Elsa can see that fear in his eyes. In her opening narration, she asks the question “What is death?” before falling from her horse as they reach a fort, hoping to get her some help. However, the doctor says there’s nothing he can do for Elsa.

The doctor gives Dutton and Shea (Sam Elliott) one more nugget of knowledge — the fort is owned by the bosses of the men they killed in the last episode, meaning Wyoming is no longer safe for them. Dutton and Shea agree they should head to the Bozeman trail in Montana. Save for this new bit of information, the opening covers all the same ground as the penultimate episode did, which is a bit frustrating but thankfully doesn’t last long.

Shea tells the immigrants the plan, but some decide they can make their own way to Oregon. Josef (Marc Rissmann), still recovering with his wife, opts to continue with Shea. This proves to be a wise decision, as we see later the other immigrants killed by robbers.

This is also where Wade (James Landry Hébert) and Colton (Noah Le Gros) depart. The pair say their goodbyes to Elsa, who teases them one last time. As they ride away, Elsa wonders if they’ll settle in Wyoming or make their way to Oregon, but deep down she knows the truth — their future will be as unmarked graves along the Oregon Trail.

On their way to Montana, Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) tells Josef the venom from the snake bite in his leg will kill him if they don’t amputate. They get Josef good and drunk for the procedure, which allows him to reveal more of his backstory from when he was a foot soldier in a battle and the horrors of that. This paints an even deeper picture of why he would choose to leave his homeland for America.

Elsa begins to feel a bit better as they make their way north, well enough to ride again. Perhaps optimistic by her change (or hoping to not worry her), Dutton tells her she isn’t dying, even if she should be; that Elsa pays the same respect to the rules of nature that she does to his rules.

However, Elsa takes another turn the next day, falling again as she tries to ride away after spotting a group of Native Americans. When Shea catches up with her, he finds the Native Americans to be peaceful. Their elder, Spotted Eagle (Graham Greene), offers to help treat Elsa. They perform a ritual, but ultimately even they realize Elsa cannot be saved.

Dutton explains to Spotted Eagle he has to find a place for Elsa to be buried and for his family to settle. Spotted Eagle tells him of a valley that he doesn’t know the word in English for, but after describing it Dutton says “paradise” and he agrees. For their help, Dutton promises to let the Natives hunt on the land. Spotted Eagle also says in seven generations his people will rise up and take the land back, to which Dutton responds they "can have it."

There’s just one problem, getting to Paradise Valley by wagon would take a week, and Elsa doesn’t have that long; Dutton and Elsa will have to make the trip alone. The next morning Elsa says her goodbyes to Margaret (Faith Hill) and Shea, saying she’ll see them again.

Dutton and Elsa reach Paradise Valley and Elsa picks the spot. Sitting under a tree, she says she now understands death and is not afraid of it, passing away in Dutton’s arms.

Things jump forward one year. Josef, alone as his wife died from her injuries, sets off to build his new home, though it's unclear if he's in Oregon or still in Montana. Thomas and Noemi (Gratiela Brancusi) definitely make it to Oregon and find a place to settle.

Shea makes it to the beach. A hummingbird flies by him (perhaps a symbol of Elsa meeting him on the beach like she said). Having seen the ocean for his wife, Shea kills himself to join her.

The episode ends with narration from Elsa explaining what heaven is, calling it a place where dreams and memories merge and that it’s unique for everyone. In her heaven she meets up with Sam back in the plains, where it will be filled with good horses, wild cattle and it will always be sunrise. “I know death now, I’ve seen it,” she says. “It had no fangs. It smiled at me, and it was beautiful.”

Even though many predicted Elsa would die (including us), 1883 made her departure a powerful and emotional one. Isabel May helped bring to life a fantastic character that will be hard to replace as the show moves forward.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the finale though was it concluded just about every character’s story. Shea made it to Oregon one last time; Josef, Noemi and Thomas set about their new lives; and Wade and Colton appear to have had their books closed. Though it tried at times, it would have been nice to see 1883 give the stories of the immigrants like Josef and Noemi a little more depth, but can't complain about how everything ended for them.

That’s what ultimately made this a great season of television — it was a complete and satisfying journey. The only loose ends are the Duttons getting ready to build the Yellowstone ranch, but something has to be saved for the confirmed 1883 season 2. 

Elsa said for some people the journey is the most important thing, for others it’s the destination. 1883 season 1 got to be both, giving viewers an entertaining journey and then reaching a truly satisfying destination.

1883 episodes are available to stream on Paramount Plus in the US and the UK, as well as Netflix in the UK as of March 12, 2025.

1883 season 1 concludes this Sunday, Feb. 27 and, after the dramatic penultimate episode last week, there are some big questions that we hope the series will answer in the finale. We already know that there'll be an 1883 season 2 and let's not forget that what happens could also feed into 1932 — the latest spin-off from Yellowstone creator, Taylor Sheridan — so what's going down in episode 10 (“This Is Not Your Heaven”) that will set up these new stories?  We have thoughts.

* SPOILERS AHEAD catch up on everything that's happened so far in our guide to 1883, which features recaps of the past nine episodes.

As James Dutton would say, we’re not going to baby you anymore. If you've got this far you're ready for a spoiler or two.

Here are our theories on what will happen in the 1883 season 1 finale: 

Does Elsa die in 1883?

From the very beginning, we knew that Elsa Dutton’s (Isabel May) life could be in danger. The first scene of the series showed her getting shot with an arrow by a Lakota warrior. In addition, anyone who watches Yellowstone knows that Elsa didn't feature in any of the flashbacks her parents, James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill), appeared in. But would 1883 really kill off Elsa in its first season — especially after she has served as both the narrator and emotional center of the story so far?

At the end of episode 9, Dutton seems sure that Elsa doesn’t have long to live. He tells Margaret that wherever Elsa dies is where their family will settle, which we know ultimately will be the Yellowstone Ranch in Montana so, in all likelihood, Elsa has to make it at least there.

Even though it seemed like it took forever for the wagon train to get out of Texas, the Duttons seem close to finding their new home, geographically at least. The events of the penultimate episode take place in Wyoming. Paradise Valley, the real-life setting where Yellowstone is set, isn’t too far from the Wyoming/Montana border. Elsa has shown all season long how strong she is, so there’s a chance she could survive the finale and make it to at least part of season 2, but the potential for a powerful ending to its first season is probably too much for 1883 to pass up. 

However, some fans are pointing out clues that could hint at Elsa's survival. In Yellowstone, John Dutton (Kevin Costner) says that every Dutton since 1886 has been buried on the Yellowstone ranch. Also, per Yellowstone, the ranch was established in 1886. If this is true, it could mean that Elsa will live for about three more years in the context of the show. Of course, Taylor Sheridan could employ some revisionist history (he wouldn't be the first creator to do that).

Our prediction: There's a case to be made for Elsa surviving, and honestly we'd love to see it, but we're going with Elsa dying from her wound in the finale, as the Duttons discover the land that will become the Yellowstone Ranch.

Is this the last we see of the Duttons on 1883? 

1883 was billed as a Yellowstone prequel showing how the Dutton family made their way west. We knew where they would end up, so if they do settle on the Yellowstone at the end of season 1, will they still be around for season 2?

The synopsis that was included in the official announcement for season 2 reads:
“It is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana.” 

Season 2 could find the Duttons building their 'better future' on the Yellowstone ranch. They have been the main characters of this story and we'd expect that to continue — the challenges of wild, untamed 19th century Montana are likely to make for exciting storylines — even if the end of the first season sees them arrive at their journey's end.

Our prediction: It's hard to believe that two of the top-billed stars (the Duttons, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill) would leave the show after the first season, so expect the Duttons to stick around in some capacity.

Will Shea and the wagon train go on to Oregon?

If the Duttons stay in Montana, what about Shea (Sam Elliott), Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) and the rest of the immigrants in the wagon train? 

While Dutton took charge of the wagon train in 1883 episode 8, in the next episode Shea committed to getting the wagon train to Oregon — saying that they'd all suffered too much not to make it there. 

Our prediction: Even if the Duttons reach Yellowstone and stay behind in Montana, we think the wagon train and its continuing journey west will be a central part of the season 2 storyline.

This could be a really exciting development for the show, as it will finally allow the supporting characters to be fleshed out. One of the gripes we had about 1883 season one was that they could have done more to build up Josef (Marc Rissmann) as a character, as well as others in the wagon train like Wade (James Landry Hébert), Noemi (Gratiela Brancusi) and Colton (Noah Le Gros).

Find out what happens in the 1883 finale, Sunday, Feb. 27 on Paramount Plus.

This review contains spoilers for 1883 episode 9, "Racing Clouds."

The first scene of 1883’s episode 1 premiere was Elsa (Isabel May) waking during an attack by a tribe of Native Americans — a flashforward glimpse of the dangers that lay in store for these characters. Well, after eight episodes the bill is due — and the narrative catches up with this moment in "Racing Clouds."

Things pick up as the wagon train moves on from the plains but, as Elsa points out in her narration, the land is no less forgiving. "This place doesn’t want inhabitants at all … This land hates. It hates us," she says. On cue, a rattlesnake pops out, causes Josef’s wife Risa (Anna Fiamora) to be thrown from her horse and then bites Josef (Marc Rissmann). They need medical attention, but that’s only part of the problem.

Dutton (Tim McGraw), Shea (Sam Elliott) and Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) find a group of murdered Lakota women and children. They know Lakota warriors will come searching for the people responsible and, now that their tracks are at the scene, they’ll likely be blamed unless they can find the killers. The trio agrees to hunt down the murderers themselves.

Before riding off, Dutton tells the wagon train to stay put. Cookie (James Jordan) has other ideas, heading to the nearest fort for protection. With the fort also having the benefit of a doctor, the immigrants decide to go with them. This forces Margaret (Faith Hill) to take Elsa and John (Audie Rick) with the rest of the wagon train. Before they leave, Margaret tells Elsa to put on a dress — the white dress she puts on is recognizable as the one from the flashforward scene.

Dutton, Shea and Thomas find the murderers, who admit they killed the Lakotas to draw the warriors out and kill them too. They won’t get the chance. Dutton, Shea and Thomas, despite being outnumbered, easily kill them all.

As we head back to the wagon train, the episode kicks into high gear. Cookie starts to pull ahead, which is a problem since he’s the only one who knows where they’re going. Elsa rides up to tell him to slow down but finds that his wagon has been set on fire by the Lakota warriors, who have caught up with them. After killing Cookie they chase after Elsa. Wade (James Landry Hébert) tells the wagons to circle up and get ready to fight — a few scatter though. Elsa decides to ride away from the circled wagons to draw some Lakotas away. But she doesn’t get too far, as a Lakota swings a club at her and the scene cuts to black.

The next scene plays out almost identically to the opening moments of the first episode — Elsa wakes, gets a gun and kills a Lakota but is shot with an arrow in the process. She continues shooting at the other warriors even though it’s clear she can’t kill them all. What's new is that as they are about to kill her she speaks some of the Comanche that Sam taught her, which stops the Lakotas. Elsa explains what happened with their families and that her father is after the men responsible. The Lakotas accept this answer and leave.

Margaret, Wade and Noemi (Gratiela Brancusi) help remove the arrow from Elsa's arm, while Colton (Noah Le Gros) looks for any other survivors. He finds one, a woman who has been scalped but is still alive and screaming. He says aloud that she deserves peace and shoots her, then immediately starts digging her grave. Shea finds him later, distraught, but tells him whether right or wrong he has to stand by his decision.

Dutton ran into the Lakotas and both sides filled each other in on what has happened. He watches over his wounded daughter, explaining that the danger for her is getting an infection, the key sign being her having a fever. Though Elsa says she feels fine, Dutton talks with Margaret and is brutally honest with his wife — Elsa is going to die. He says they will leave the wagon train and keep her alive as long as they can (opting not to go to a doctor so she can enjoy her final days rather than be doped up). Wherever she passes away will be the place the family settles. Dutton promises Margaret that he will find a place worthy of this decision.

The next morning, Elsa says she feels a little feverish, but Margaret tells her she is fine, not even attempting to put any kind of restrictions on her daughter. If that wasn’t a red flag enough, Elsa says in narration that looking at her father she can tell by his look — she knows she is going to die.

The first half of "Racing Clouds" is all about getting us to the back half of the episode — even making Josef and his wife an afterthought almost immediately (one of 1883’s most consistent issues). That back half, though, presents what could be a massive change for 1883 before it heads into its newly ordered season 2. Will the show pull a Game of Thrones and kill one of its main characters this early? If they do, where will the show go from there? There are some exciting options in-store, for viewers, that will make the wait for the season finale even more difficult.

1883 episodes are available to stream on Paramount Plus in the US and the UK, as well as Netflix in the UK as of March 12, 2025.

1883 is hitching up its wagons for another season, as the Paramount Plus original series that tells the origins of the Dutton family at the center of the hit cable series Yellowstone has officially been renewed. In addition, another Yellowstone prequel series about the Dutton family has been ordered, this one titled 1932, as creator Taylor Sheridan continues to build out what has been billed as the “Sheridan-verse.”

1883 follows the Dutton family as they head out west through the Great Plains in search of a place they can call their own. The series stars Isabel May as Elsa Dutton, Tim McGraw as James Dutton and Faith Hill as Margaret Dutton, as well as Sam Elliott, LaMonica Garrett, Marc Rissmann, Audie Rick, Eric Nielsen, James Landry Hébert and Noah Le Gros. Guest stars for the first season have also included Martin Sensmeier, Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and Taylor Sheridan himself.

Paramount Plus says that 1883 is its most-watched title ever globally, and it will continue to add to that total as there are two episodes left in 1883’s first season. The next episode, “Racing Clouds,” premieres Sunday, Feb. 20. Read a recap of the latest episode, “The Weep of Surrender,” right here.

Even as the Duttons of 1883 will continue their journey, viewers will soon get to know a whole new generation of the family in 1932. This original series will follow the Dutton family during the time of western expansion, Prohibition and the Great Depression. There was no word on casting, but using simple math we can make guesses that one of Duttons at the center of the story will be the dad to Kevin Costner's John Dutton in Yellowstone, which is also getting ready for its fifth season.

“With the brilliant mind and gifted storytelling of Taylor Sheridan, we have created an entirely new world to explore with 1883 while expanding Yellowstone, and with 1932 we will open up a new chapter in this rapidly growing universe,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of ViacomCBS Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios.

There is no word on when a new season of 1883 or the first season of 1932 can be expected, though both are available to watch exclusively on Paramount Plus (including all previous episodes in the case of 1883).

This review contains spoilers for 1883 episode 8, “The Weep of Surrender.”

In her opening narration to 1883’s eighth episode, “The Weep of Surrender,” Elsa (Isabel May) says there are two kinds of people — those working toward a destination and those who make the journey their destination. It’ll be no surprise to anyone who’s been keeping up with 1883 that she puts herself in the latter category. It’s this ideology that separates Elsa from her family and the rest of the wagon train. As big choices are made about their respective journeys, it's another strong episode from Taylor Sheridan’s western drama.

The episode begins with Elsa, Sam (Martin Sensmeier) and others catching a herd of mustangs, with Elsa and Sam taking the stallion. Everyone can see her confidence and daring grow. Shea (Sam Elliott) tells Dutton (Tim McGraw) that Elsa rides like a Comanche, which Charlie (Sheridan) quickly confirms is meant as a compliment. In fact, she’s so good she keeps ripping her pants — Sam’s fellow Comanche, Two Feathers (David Midthunder), says she rides too well for white men’s clothes.

All of this is taking place where we last left the wagon train — still making repairs following the tornado. And, as Shea said in episode 7, he is worried they may have to turn back as winter is coming. After inviting Native Americans to come and trade so the immigrants can get more provisions, he tells the immigrants he believes they should go to Denver, where they can either settle permanently or wait until spring to go to Oregon. Dutton, however, invites them to come with him — as he continues on to Oregon — but he states that if they do he won’t baby them as Shea did. The immigrants opt to go with Dutton.

Shea initially thinks he’ll leave the group, but after some convincing from Thomas (LaMonica Garrett), decides he will stick with them and go to Oregon. Talking with Dutton, Shea says he does not trust the immigrants, but he trusts him and will help, but it will be up to Dutton to lead from now on.

Elsa isn’t so sure she wants to join her family. As she and Sam grow their bond (including him getting her a pair of proper riding chaps and teaching her how to hunt buffalo), Elsa decides to enter into her second marriage in eight episodes and plans to stay with Sam. Of course, this doesn’t go over well with Margaret (Faith Hill). 

Margaret argues that Elsa doesn’t understand the concept of love but at least asks that they have a proper wedding ceremony before God. Elsa responds that God sent Sam to her, so a ceremony is unnecessary. What she does do is agree to Oregon with them so she can know where to find them.

Dutton and Sam then have a talk. Dutton asks what Sam will do if Elsa changes her mind (he and Margaret separately talk about how Elsa appears to have a habit of falling in love very quickly with someone new), to which Sam says he would bring her back to them. When asked if there was no way he would come to Oregon, Sam says that this is his land, he has fought for it and he will not leave it. He believes Dutton may understand that idea at some point (an obvious reference to 1883’s sister series, Yellowstone).

Between taking on the leadership role and the situation between Elsa and Sam, this is the best material McGraw has had to work with since the premiere. He does quite well with it.

Ready to travel again, Dutton and Shea find wagon tracks they can follow. This is where Elsa and Sam must say goodbye, agreeing to meet again in June. Elsa tells Sam that she loves him in his language, while he tells her that he will wait for her, that she is a warrior and this land is now her home. While it stinks we’re losing Sam (for now), it is a powerful and lovely goodbye between the two.

"The Weep of Surrender" offers a good bit of plot and character development, but the episode also features some pointed moments that, as mentioned above, both reference Yellowstone and speak to many real-life events that changed the American west. Charlie brings up barbed wire to Shea, saying it will cut off everything they love about the land and put it into rectangles. A Native American Dutton trades with shows him a Spanish conquistador helmet, telling him that people have already tried to take their lands but the white man will kill everything until only the wolves are left, though ultimately the land will be free of them. These moments are pretty blatant attempts for the show to make larger points, but 1883 manages to pull them off without too many eye rolls.

Ultimately, it’s another satisfying episode of 1883. With just two episodes left in its first season (though not confirmed, it would be shocking if there isn’t a season 2), there’s plenty to be excited about.

1883 episodes are available to stream on Paramount Plus in the US and the UK, as well as Netflix in the UK as of March 12, 2025.

This review contains spoilers for 1883 episode 7, “Lightning Yellow Hair.”

The wagon train has spent a week in the plains seeing no other living things, according to Elsa’s opening narration in the latest episode of 1883, but that quickly changes when a pair of Native Americans are spotted on the hill. Elsa is told that they are Comanches here to collect a tax in order for the wagon train and cattle to go through their land. It is the first Native American character we see in the series since the flash-forward that started episode 1. But considering this episode takes place before that in the story, it serves as an introduction to a larger world for Elsa (Isabel May) and us as an audience, leading to a fantastic, jam-packed hour.

Stopping to camp after meeting their visitors, Cookie (James Jordan) gets a proper character introduction as he goes on a rant telling the immigrants how he expects them to line up for dinner, using the F word to help make his point. However, Josef (Marc Rissmann) reveals that they don’t know what that word means. Little John Dutton (Audie Rick) also asks Margaret (Faith Hill) what it means, and she says a spanking if he ever says it again. Throw in a slap for Cookie from Margaret and this is easily the funniest sequence 1883 has had yet; a nice change of pace.

While eating, one of the Comanches (Martin Sensmeier) is eyeing Elsa and asks her what her horse’s name is. She says Lightning because of how fast he is, which causes him to challenge her to back it up in a race. Elsa does, winning by a hair. He says that he will call Elsa Lighting Yellow Hair, then introduces himself as Sam, having taken the name after killing the man that killed his wife. Elsa tells him she has also killed a man. The characters are clearly meant to have this strong immediate connection that allows them to be so easy and honest with each other, and May and Sensmeier have the chemistry that prevents this from feeling forced.

That night, Shea (Sam Elliott) and Sam talk, with Sam warning him that a storm is coming. Apparently, Cookie knew it too, as he’s gone the next morning to beat it. He was right to do so because the storm turns out to be a tornado. 

As everyone tries to find low ground to protect themselves, Elsa, Wade (James Landry Hébert) and Colton (Noah Le Gros) are saved by Sam. As the tornado is on top of them, the only thing Elsa can do to stop screaming in fear is kiss Sam.

The tornado passes, and Elsa and Sam go and find the others’ horses. They are silent but convey their growing bond and attraction. It is only as Sam leaves that he speaks, saying that this land is his home and that she, Lightning Yellow Hair, will always be welcome on it.

Back with the wagon train, while no one was killed, supplies and wagons were destroyed. Shea wonders if they will need to turn back. To make matters worse, he learns that the cattle, who scattered during the storm, have been rounded up by a group of thieves. Shea, Dutton (Tim McGraw), Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) and Elsa (against Dutton’s better judgement) go to confront the thieves and get the cattle back. When Margaret hears that both her husband and daughter have done this, she grabs a gun and a horse and rides off too.

There are more thieves than Shea thought, and once they are spotted it is the quartet that become the hunted. Dutton tells Elsa to keep riding no matter what as he, Shea and Thomas make a stand against the thieves. A few do get by them, however, and ride after Elsa, who is ultimately saved by Sam once again. The trio of men, meanwhile, are able to hold their own and are eventually aided by Sam and a friend of Shea’s, Charlie (who came out of nowhere and is played by series creator Taylor Sheridan). All three are shot, but not seriously wounded. Thomas and Shea say they may have just used up the last of their luck. With everything over, as Sam and Elsa pass by on horseback, they discreetly, tenderly touch hands.

Margaret comes across the last thief on her way to Elsa and Dutton, killing him when he threatens to take her horse. Margaret looks rattled by this, and Elsa confirms it in her narration, revealing Margaret now believes that John is the only hope in the family to make it into Heaven. Though Elsa says she didn’t have the heart to tell her mother, she believes the world they are in now is both Heaven and Hell, coexisting at the same time, and that God is the land.

1883 has truly found its stride. If there’s anything to nitpick is that Josef and the other immigrants have been so much on the sidelines lately; hope their storyline picks up a bit. But otherwise, “Lightning Yellow Hair” finds a way to balance pure entertainment (both humor and thrills) with impactful character moments, while also expanding the world with new characters. Top-notch TV right here.

1883 episodes are available to stream on Paramount Plus in the US and the UK, as well as Netflix in the UK as of March 12, 2025.

This review contains spoilers for 1883 episode 6, “Boring the Devil.”

After two weeks of big climactic scenes, 1883 was in line for a slower episode as it heads into the back half of its first season, and “Boring the Devil” is certainly that. However, thanks to the continued great performances by the main four of Isabel May, Sam Elliott, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, and Taylor Sheridan’s excellent storytelling (sorry I ever doubted him early in the season), this latest episode of 1883 is not a slog but a welcome chance for both characters and audience to reset and get ready for what lies in store.

Elsa (May) is deep in mourning Ennis’ death at the top of the episode, riding in the back of the wagon, sobbing, instead of in her usual place aboard her horse. When she realizes she has her period, it is nearly the final straw as she realizes any hope of having Ennis’ baby is now gone. Sitting alone, she handles the gun in her hand, but Shea (Elliott) comes to talk to her, revealing to Elsa how he still battles with the grief of losing his family. He explains that the people you love and lose are still with you, which is why he is going to Oregon because he believes his wife will see the ocean through his eyes, something she always wanted to do. The talk is enough to get Elsa to go back to helping out with the herd.

The wagon train comes upon the trading outpost of Doan’s Crossing, where they plan to hire a cowboy and a cook to help with the rest of their journey. Margaret (Hill) hopes to spend some time with Elsa in town, but Elsa is eyed and taunted by some of the men, causing her to pull her gun with rage in her eye. The situation is only resolved when Dutton (McGraw) comes and scares the men off while sending Elsa back to camp. Margaret goes on to the store, where she meets the shopkeeper, played by Rita Wilson in a cameo appearance, who offers her a drink (many as we soon see).

Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) has better luck in the town, hiring a cook and then selling Noemi’s (Gratiela Brancusi) husband’s things. However, he spots a beautiful mirror and decides to buy it for her. When he presents it to her, Noemi is confused why Thomas says he won’t love her or marry her but will buy her gifts. Thomas says he wants to protect her and help make her happy, which Noemi points out is love. The next morning, Thomas is there at her fire for breakfast and they hold hands. Just like that, 1883 has a new budding romance to root for. 

Though they may have some competition. Shea tries to hire a new cowboy, Colton (Noah Le Gros), who doesn’t seem interested until he sees Elsa. After getting the 411 from Wade (James Landry Hébert), Colton goes to talk to Elsa, but she shuts him down. She only softens when he tells her that he knew Ennis.

Now that they are stocked up and have new help (the cook and Colton aren’t given the most interesting of introductions, unfortunately), Shea, Thomas and Dutton go inspect the river they will have to cross (it is called Doan’s Crossing, after all); this one looks even more dangerous than the one from episode 4. Dutton says they will need to be slow and do things one at a time, not letting the German immigrants drive the wagons. Shea is angry, explaining that at some point they will have to do things for themselves because it isn’t going to get any easier, but he ultimately knows Dutton is right.

As night approaches, Dutton takes Margaret back to camp after her day of drinking. Margaret tells Dutton the “paradise” they’re after better be worth it because it is costing them their daughter. Dutton recognizes it too. To try and help things, he goes and talks to Elsa about the first battle he was in during the Civil War and what it did to him. He then tells her she didn’t kill the bandit she shot, they were going to kill him anyway, so she shouldn’t put any guilt on herself. With all the messed-up things in the world, Dutton wants Elsa to “leave the hating to me.”

The next morning Elsa wakes up after dreaming of Ennis and finds a bit of her spark again, so much so that she mildly flirts with Colton (feels a bit quick, to be honest, but Elsa is the driving force of the show so we need her back in the action). Elsa thanks Shea her being the only person to actually talk to her about Ennis. 

In her closing narration, Elsa says that out in this country people need to lean into the pain, so the devil opts to move on to someone else rather than continue twisting the knife. With the wagon train about to head into the Oklahoma territory and the danger of Native Americans and more bandits, there will be plenty of opportunity for that. 

1883 episodes are available to stream on Paramount Plus in the US and the UK, as well as Netflix in the UK as of March 12, 2025.

This review contains spoilers for 1883 episode 5, “The Fangs of Freedom.”

The fifth episode of 1883 begins at the bed of the river where the previous episode ended and saw a number of people from the wagon train drown as they tried to cross. Elsa’s (Isabel May) narration to start the episode notes this as kind of a marker, as they have left one world behind and officially entered “the land of no mercy.” She, and us viewers, get a better understanding of that throughout this episode, another quality entry that shows 1883 has found its groove.

Beyond the loss of the people, the river sank the wagon that was carrying most of the food the wagon train had. On top of that, Josef (Marc Rissmann) reveals that two members of the wagon train have been stealing food from others. Shea (Sam Elliott), Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) and Dutton (Tim McGraw) go with Josef, but tell him he needs to be the one to show leadership and confront them. He tries, but is pushed around by the bigger man. Dutton eventually puts a stop to it and Shea tells the thieves to leave the wagon train. He also says to the others that Josef is the leader they elected and that either they need to follow him or pick a new leader.

Starvation is one threat (Shea tells Dutton he needs to chip in with rations, to which he only agrees if they get a cook to join them as soon as possible), but bandits are another. Ennis (Eric Nelsen) and Wade (James Landry Herbert) tell Elsa that they now need to hide the cattle each night and that she shouldn’t go anywhere alone, as cattle aren’t the only thing the bandits might try to steal. Wade even finds traces of possible bandits and warns the others.

Elsa gets another bit of advice in the episode, this one from her mother. With Elsa spending more and more time with Ennis and revealing to Margaret that she kissed him, Margaret (Faith Hill) feels that it’s time to give her daughter some advice on love. Rather than a "birds and the bees" talk, though, it is more about making sure that if she decides to go beyond kissing with Ennis it’s something her heart wants. Having watched the two flirt relentlessly this season we know it is, and Elsa decides to sleep with Ennis. The next morning, Margaret tells her to be careful, because even though she thinks she has the freedom to make such choices, she warns her daughter that freedom has fangs and every decision has consequences. Still, Elsa says she has no regrets and she is happy with her choice, making another one that she is ready to marry Ennis, and he her (even after Dutton gets a few good licks in on him).

Need to take a minute to praise Isabel May and particularly Faith Hill. While the entire ensemble has been strong, 1883’s two leading ladies have been the early standouts and emotional centers of the show. Hill, in particular, was great in the scene the morning after Elsa and Ennis sleep together, telling her daughter she wishes that she could see the world through Elsa’s eyes, but warns that one day she will see it through hers.

Because one of the first rules of storytelling is you can’t introduce something and not pay it off, the bandits Wade and the others were worried about at the start of the episode make their way to the wagon train for the climactic moments. Spotting smoke in the distance from the bandits attacking the people left behind, Shea, Dutton, Thomas and Wade decide to make a stand to stop the bandits then and there, using Josef and his wife as bait.

This is my only real quibble with this episode. Shea tells Josef early on that he has to be the leader for his people. Putting himself and his wife in danger to protect others is a good opportunity to show what he is willing to do, but we don’t get to see him make that choice, it just happens. That could have been a crucial moment of character development for Josef, but it disappointingly happens off-screen.

Besides that though, the plan does work, as the wagon train is able to rally together and kill the bandits, but not before one of them shoots and kills Ennis. Elsa becomes distraught and takes her gun to kill the bandit that shot Ennis. While the narration has Elsa say that she now sees the world through her mother’s eyes as she warned, the amazing thing is that Isabel May does a great job showing that change in a close-up of her eyes; a fantastic bit of acting.

As 1883 hits its halfway point for season 1, this was a great episode to mark that with. The loss of Ennis not only sets up Elsa for a much different journey as a character than the wide-eyed, hopeful child we were first introduced to but tells the audience that no character (OK, little John Dutton is probably fine; someone has to start the Yellowstone ranch) is immune to the dangers of this trip. It’s not Sean Bean dying in Game of Thrones, but it gets the message across. And there’s still plenty to come, as Shea tells the wagon train, “this trip hasn’t even got hard yet. But hard’s coming.”

1883 episodes are available to stream on Paramount Plus in the US and the UK, as well as Netflix in the UK as of March 12, 2025.

This review contains spoilers for 1883 episode 4, “The Crossing.”

When there is so much TV to choose from, everyone hits a point where they must decide whether they are going to continue with a show or drop it. If you’ve made it through the first three episodes of 1883 and thinking that episode 4, “The Crossing,” could be that point, I’m willing to bet that more viewers than not will say they’re ready to hitch up with this wagon train for the long haul. After an enticing first episode and two picturesque but more setup-driven second and third episodes, “The Crossing” is easily the best 1883 has been thus far.

The episode starts, per usual, with Elsa (Isabel May) narrating, describing a war she believes the land is having with itself over what it will become, either beautiful or deadly. She relates to that kind of internal personal struggle but believes she has come to a conclusion for herself — she’s a cowboy. As such, she makes a decision to swap out her dress for some pants, bartering with a member of the wagon train.

Elsewhere in the camp, Dutton (Tim McGraw), Shea (Sam Elliott), Thomas (LaMonica Garrett), Josef (Marc Rissmann), and Wade (James Landry Hébert) meet to discuss how they will go about crossing the river that they have come upon. Josef explains to them that none of the immigrants know how to swim, explaining it was illegal in their homeland and that even drowned bodies would be wiped before they were buried. Ultimately, they come up with a plan and agree to forge the river midday the next day.

That bit of info Josef shares about his people not being allowed to swim is the first of a few examples we get in this episode of characters sharing why they are taking on this dangerous journey. Shea is surprised most of the immigrants haven’t turned around and gone back home yet, believing that the unknown is the scariest thing anyone can face. Thomas explains, however, that when you come from an oppressive environment that the unknown is often the better, more hopeful option. We see a few more of these interactions, including Thomas and the gypsy Noemi (Gratiela Brancusi) getting closer and dreaming of a land where the government can’t tell them what to do, while Josef and his wife hope Oregon is a paradise and the perfect place to start their family.

Though Dutton committed to helping the wagon train cross the river, he worries about getting his family stuck if they cross at the same time. He decides to have his family forge the river at night, with Margaret (Faith Hill) driving the wagon. They are able to do it successfully, but it was stressful, and Margaret says that Dutton wasn’t entirely truthful about what the journey would be like. He says he told her that it would take everything they had, she retorts that he should have explained what “everything” really meant.

Elsa didn’t make the trip with her family, as she continues to help out watching the cattle herd at night. Though her flirtations with Ennis got in the way of that in this episode, ultimately leading to the two sharing their first kiss.

The next day, Shea sees Dutton has already crossed and is a bit perturbed, but Dutton says he will be true to his word and help with the crossing. The one issue is the river rose overnight and Shea tells the travelers they will have to lighten their wagons. This means all of the things they brought from home — furniture, books and even a piano — must be left behind. As the wagon train prepares to cross the river, Elsa and the other cowboys come to all of the items left behind; Elsa begins to play Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” on the abandoned piano.

The music is used to score fragmented clips of the crossing, as horses go crazy, travelers fall into the river and Dutton, Thomas and Margaret attempt to save some people from drowning. Ultimately, Margaret is pulled into the river and is forced to separate herself from a traveler to save herself. She comes out of the river and screams in anger. Perhaps it’s not the most original thing to juxtapose a classical piece of music with something tragic like this scene, but when the execution is this good you can forgive it.

Elsa and the cowboys help the herd cross, only then to see the result of the wagon train’s efforts. This includes Elsa coming upon her mother, who looks truly shaken by the event. Elsa once again narrates as the episode closes, saying that while she loves the land, she has learned that the land will never love them back.

I referred to the last two episodes of planting the seeds for what 1883 will hope to become. While it can be frustrating to watch in the moment, it helps make for richer moments later on, some we see come to fruition in “The Crossing.” But what is so promising about this episode of 1883 is that as it starts to pay off its viewers it continues to plant seeds of character development for further down the line, a delicate but necessary balancing act. As a result, many viewers will likely be more than ready to ride along with this wagon train for the remainder of the season.

1883 episodes are available to stream on Paramount Plus in the US and the UK, as well as Netflix in the UK as of March 12, 2025.

Fans who tuned into the Yellowstone season 4 premiere on Nov. 7 got the first look at the new series 1883, a prequel series to the popular modern western, which is now available to watch online. Once again created by Taylor Sheridan, 1883 will be a Paramount Plus original series that is set to debut on the streaming service Dec. 19. 

Yellowstone is one of the most popular shows on cable (airing on the Paramount Network), and ViacomCBS is hoping to capitalize on that popularity and the talent of Sheridan with additional shows set in the world and/or tone of Yellowstone. One example is Mayor of Kingstown starring Jeremy Renner, a Paramount Plus original that is set to premiere on Nov. 14 (the first two episodes will air on Paramount Network), another is 1883, which is a direct prequel to Yellowstone and its central family, the Duttons.

“1883 follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America,” the official synopsis from Paramount Plus reads. “It is a stark retelling of Western expansion and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana.

The series stars Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, LaMonica Garrett, Isabel May and Billy Bob Thornton.

The trailer for 1883 features a poetic narration and some beautiful cinematography of the tough journey the characters will go through as they pursue the dream of Montana, but as the narration states, they are entering into the “land of no mercy.” Watch the trailer below.

Paramount Plus has been building its original series out, most notably with a number of Star Trek series — including Star Trek’s first animated kid series, Star Trek: Prodigy — and a handful of reboots of classic Nickelodeon series, including iCarly and Rugrats. The building out of the “Yellowstone universe” with Mayor of Kingstown and 1883 is the latest strategy for the streamer to draw in subscribers.

In addition to its original series, Paramount Plus offers live sports and a library of classic TV shows and movies, which consumers can sign up for with either a $4.99 per month ad-supported plan or a $9.99 per month ad-free plan, which also includes access to the subscriber’s local CBS station.

Yellowstone is coming back in a big way this year, and we now know exactly when and how. MTV Entertainment Studios has announced the premiere date for the fourth season of Yellowstone, Nov. 7 on Paramount Network, as well as a spinoff series 1883 coming to the Paramount Plus streaming service on Dec. 19. 

In addition, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan has another series set for debut, Mayor of Kingstown. This show, starring Jeremy Renner, is another Paramount Plus original that will debut on Nov. 14.

While both of the new shows have a permanent home on Paramount Plus, they will receive a special simulcast on Paramount Network for their first two episodes following the usual episode of Yellowstone.

“Our strategy is to make Yellowstone, the massive No. 1 hit with more than 10 million fans, into a global hit franchise under the incredible creative vision of Taylor Sheridan’s world building storytelling,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO, MTV Entertainment. “These new series will debut on Paramount Plus and have special premiere day sneak episodes behind Yellowstone introducing this huge audience to these new stories, allowing us to leverage our linear platforms to fuel the growth of Paramount Plus, which will stream each series exclusively after episode two.”

Heading into its fourth season, Yellowstone follows the Dutton family and its patriarch, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), who owns the the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the U.S., located in Montana. The family must deal with constant threats of people who would encroach on their borders. In addition to Costner, the series stars Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley and Cole Hauser, with new additions to the season four cast including Jackie Weaver, Piper Perabo and Kathryn Kelly.

A new trailer for Yellowstone was included in the announcement. Watch it below.

1883, meanwhile, is an origin story of the Dutton family, following them as they travel west through the Great Plains toward the untamed American west as they seek their fortune in Montana. The series, which again is executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, stars Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

Mayor of Kingstown takes things away from Montana and instead focuses on the McLusky family in Kingstown, Mich., The family is a power broker in the business of incarceration and the show will tackle themes that include systemic racism, corruption and inequality. Renner leads a cast that includes Diane Wiest, Hugh Dillon, Pha’rez Lass, Tobi Bamtefa, Emma Laird, Derek Webster and Taylor Handley. Renner also joins Sheridan and Antoine Fuqua among the producers for the show.

Paramount Plus has been working to grow its original slate, and the Yellowstone universe has clearly been a key point to do that. They also have a number of Star Trek properties, including Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Deck, and have shifted previous CBS primetime shows to the streamer, like SEAL Team and Evil.

A subscription to Paramount Plus comes in at either $9.99 for an ad-free version or $4.99 for an ad-supported version.