As a big Yellowstone fan I was really looking forward to 1883 and I was not disappointed! Taylor Sheridan has created another hit show! The cast was even better than I thought. I was a little worried about Tim McGraw and Faith Hill but they were both terrific. Sam Elliot was as great as always and Isabel May is a star in the making. For the people complaining about the language and violence...it's a show for adults so relax. I love everything about this show, the acting, writing, directing, production, cinematography, etc are all excellent!! If you're a fan of Yellowstone or even a western fan in general then this is a must watch!
1,211 Reviews
Terrific!
Rob133122 January 2023
I have to say that I really enjoyed 1883 even more than I thought I wound. This is the prequel to Yellowstone as it shows the Dutton family as they travel from Texas to Montana looking for a better life. It's created by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown, etc.). Sheridan has turned in one great show after another and this one is no different. It's a very gritty and violent show that showed off the realness of the Wild West. The writing and acting is what makes this show so special. It's too bad that this is only a mini-series and there aren't more seasons coming because I would love to see more from this show.
Review by the numbers
A_Different_Drummer19 December 2021
1. In the UK, unlike in the US, it always been common to have single creators known for their ability to generate consistent hi-quality dramas. Steven Moffat comes to mind. He has been creating hits since the 1980s. In the US, the nearest thing we have to a creator of that same quality is Taylor Sheridan. Check out his IMDb bio. Props to him. He has earned it.
2. The incredible success of Yellowstone is not merely about Costner and Sheridan, it could also be considered "The Revenge of the Studio System." Unlike the typical Netflix offering, Yellowstone is old school Hollywood all the way. And it shows. And so is 1883.
3. Sam Elliot is 77 years old and has been playing the same basic character -- perfectly -- for decades. In the UK they would have knighted him by now. Seriously.
Bottom line -- at every level, 1883 represents the best that America has to offer. It is in the DNA. So just enjoy it.
((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
2. The incredible success of Yellowstone is not merely about Costner and Sheridan, it could also be considered "The Revenge of the Studio System." Unlike the typical Netflix offering, Yellowstone is old school Hollywood all the way. And it shows. And so is 1883.
3. Sam Elliot is 77 years old and has been playing the same basic character -- perfectly -- for decades. In the UK they would have knighted him by now. Seriously.
Bottom line -- at every level, 1883 represents the best that America has to offer. It is in the DNA. So just enjoy it.
((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
'You can't believe in Heaven then be sad when people go there.'
TxMike27 October 2022
This recently became available, all ten episodes, on a set of four DVDs. I found the set at my public library. There is a scene in the first episode, as a large group of people and wagons are gathering, for their trek to the North and West. They are gathering on the Trinity River outside Fort Worth, Texas, and one person is offering condolences for the husband's death. She responds, "You can't believe in Heaven then be sad when people go there." I had never heard it put that way before.
As the end credits on each episode states, the stories were "inspired" by events of the 1880s as people from Eastern areas began to move out west. Many wanted to go to specific places, like Oregon or Washington. But some just wanted to go someplace new and figured they'd know it when they see it. As was the Dutton family from the woods of Tennessee. The stories portrayed had input from historians and are largely authentic to the time and the travels to settle the West.
I didn't see "Yellowstone" season four but the DVD extras talk about flashbacks that were the inspiration for "1883", intended to be the origin story of how the Dutton clan ended up settling where they did in Montana.
The 1880s as portrayed here are rough and dangerous. Steal a wallet and you might be hanged and shot. If you are found with small pox you are banished and you might as well find a nice river bank and lie down and wait to die. Traveling was dangerous, bands of thieves or aggressive Native tribes might steal your horses, kill you and scalp you and your family. Yet they persisted. Many perished along the way, some made it.
It is overall a big investment in time to watch all ten episodes but I did it over a week and found it to be a totally captivating and worthwhile show. A few extras on the 4-disc DVD set show a number of interesting "making of" features.
As the end credits on each episode states, the stories were "inspired" by events of the 1880s as people from Eastern areas began to move out west. Many wanted to go to specific places, like Oregon or Washington. But some just wanted to go someplace new and figured they'd know it when they see it. As was the Dutton family from the woods of Tennessee. The stories portrayed had input from historians and are largely authentic to the time and the travels to settle the West.
I didn't see "Yellowstone" season four but the DVD extras talk about flashbacks that were the inspiration for "1883", intended to be the origin story of how the Dutton clan ended up settling where they did in Montana.
The 1880s as portrayed here are rough and dangerous. Steal a wallet and you might be hanged and shot. If you are found with small pox you are banished and you might as well find a nice river bank and lie down and wait to die. Traveling was dangerous, bands of thieves or aggressive Native tribes might steal your horses, kill you and scalp you and your family. Yet they persisted. Many perished along the way, some made it.
It is overall a big investment in time to watch all ten episodes but I did it over a week and found it to be a totally captivating and worthwhile show. A few extras on the 4-disc DVD set show a number of interesting "making of" features.
Frontier Psychiatry.
southdavid17 October 2022
I haven't seen anything of "Yellowstone" yet, but I thought that, as that is set in present day, I'd probably be able to watch a prequel series set over a hundred years earlier without much fear of mixing the context. I do like Taylor Sheridan's work, particularly "Hell or High Water" so when this appeared near the top of my Paramount Plus service, I felt confident giving it a go. It's an excellent limited series, full of wonderful performances and does make me interesting in watching the main series.
Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) joins her family in a perilous Journey towards the free and fertile land of Oregon. Her father, James (Tim McGraw) agrees to take the journey with two lawmen, Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) and Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) who are commissioned to act as guide, security and teacher to a group of German pioneers, who are also looking for a better life, but are dangerously unprepared for the perils they will face. Always a rebellious child, Elsa takes to the freedom of the plains with abandon, but the costs of such freedoms are high.
Performances are great in this. Tim McGraw I've not seen in much before but he's really good in this, in what looks like the deepest performance he's been asked to do. His real-life wife, Faith Hill, plays his wife in this and she too is excellent. Isabel May is the star though; the story is told though her eyes and she gets to give the poetic voice over that is another run through. Admittedly, Sam Elliott has played wise old cowboy before, but it's an iconic trope and it's welcome whenever he's on screen. There are cameos from Rita Wilson, Billy Bob Thornton and even Tom Hanks, who is probably on screen for less than two minutes.
Admittedly, this isn't particularly original. The dangers of the Oregon Trail have been recounted in various mediums for years. So, the story of Snakes, Storms, Dysentery, Native Americans and Outlaws probably doesn't have many surprises for you. What it does have is all pervasive quality. Both in terms of historical recreation and cinematography - though I suspect in some places you simply point the camera in the right direction and the mountains do the rest.
I enjoyed this and burned through it in less than a week. I may need to start "Yellowstone" sooner rather than later.
Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) joins her family in a perilous Journey towards the free and fertile land of Oregon. Her father, James (Tim McGraw) agrees to take the journey with two lawmen, Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) and Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) who are commissioned to act as guide, security and teacher to a group of German pioneers, who are also looking for a better life, but are dangerously unprepared for the perils they will face. Always a rebellious child, Elsa takes to the freedom of the plains with abandon, but the costs of such freedoms are high.
Performances are great in this. Tim McGraw I've not seen in much before but he's really good in this, in what looks like the deepest performance he's been asked to do. His real-life wife, Faith Hill, plays his wife in this and she too is excellent. Isabel May is the star though; the story is told though her eyes and she gets to give the poetic voice over that is another run through. Admittedly, Sam Elliott has played wise old cowboy before, but it's an iconic trope and it's welcome whenever he's on screen. There are cameos from Rita Wilson, Billy Bob Thornton and even Tom Hanks, who is probably on screen for less than two minutes.
Admittedly, this isn't particularly original. The dangers of the Oregon Trail have been recounted in various mediums for years. So, the story of Snakes, Storms, Dysentery, Native Americans and Outlaws probably doesn't have many surprises for you. What it does have is all pervasive quality. Both in terms of historical recreation and cinematography - though I suspect in some places you simply point the camera in the right direction and the mountains do the rest.
I enjoyed this and burned through it in less than a week. I may need to start "Yellowstone" sooner rather than later.
Just brilliant
boonarga14 January 2023
I just watched all of Yellowstone in a week and then started this series. Even after the first episode I was enthralled. It is even better than Yellowstone.
The actors are all perfect. The narration is perfect. The settings are perfect. I just can't find a fault in it anywhere.
It does a great job of showing just how untamed the country was back then and why the natives fought so hard to keep it. Such a travesty the way the governments treated them.
I'll certainly be looking for more content from Taylor Sheridan. But first must finish this and then watch 1923. Excited for what's to come.
This is one of the best series I've ever seen.
The actors are all perfect. The narration is perfect. The settings are perfect. I just can't find a fault in it anywhere.
It does a great job of showing just how untamed the country was back then and why the natives fought so hard to keep it. Such a travesty the way the governments treated them.
I'll certainly be looking for more content from Taylor Sheridan. But first must finish this and then watch 1923. Excited for what's to come.
This is one of the best series I've ever seen.
A masterpiece.
fraser-simons13 October 2022
Sheridan has been on my auto watch list for a while. Sicario and Wind River, to some degree Yellowstone, have all been exceptional. This, however, is pretty flawless. This feels like Lonesome Dove (the novel, never saw the adaptations) only with a female narrator that leans on some nature writing that feels like Annie Dillard. The combination is entrancing.
Sheridan has really outdone himself with this script. But the actors also are just flawless. Who would have thought Tim McGraw and Faith Hill could put out performances like this. It has the air of a production where everything knew they were making something exceptional and gave a signature effort toward it. The cinematography, small, side parts, the directing, the costuming, set design, locations-it is all perfect. This is a masterpiece and is going up there as an all time favourite TV show.
Sheridan has really outdone himself with this script. But the actors also are just flawless. Who would have thought Tim McGraw and Faith Hill could put out performances like this. It has the air of a production where everything knew they were making something exceptional and gave a signature effort toward it. The cinematography, small, side parts, the directing, the costuming, set design, locations-it is all perfect. This is a masterpiece and is going up there as an all time favourite TV show.
Absolutely beautiful
jaimemedina-3628827 December 2021
Epic
boggie475819 December 2021
I usually wait until the 4th episode before I write a review or rate a series. I don't need to do so with this series. Such a sprawling story, rich, gritty, sad, hardship. A epic story that has all the elements that make a series great. I love a good western..this is a great western....some one said it was a Lonesome Dove feel to it and I agree..what made Lonesome Dove great was the excellent story telling and this one has the same elements to it..great writing and fine acting. I love the daughter's voice tell the story it adds a depth to the story. This will be one of my favorites just like Yellowstone is. I was worried how this series would be because Yellowstone is so good..but, this series it top notch..
E10 Touched my soul - Father & Daughter.
namritjoshi24 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the best in this genre and the one that made me cry full if emotions in a long long time! The way last 2 episodes shaped wasnt as expected considering the ruthlessness of the journey the series showcased. The series begins with a harsh journey and ends with love, what exactly is heaven and happiness in ones life. When the captain says - she outlived us all in last 6 months, it tells us thats its all about the journey and how much makes the most out of it. Am in shock that this did not received any acting emmy nominations. TimMcgraw and sam elliot were easy nominations atleast if we are not talking about the win!
So good I was heartbroken when the first episode ended!
mstaffordca19 December 2021
Just amazing! This group behind Yellowstone and 1883 are just so amazing I can't thank you all enough for putting out a series that we can really dig into and enjoy! I was so enthralled I never wanted it to end. I only wish I could binge the whole season RIGHT NOW. Please keep making series like these. Emotional, heartfelt, relatable, and with so much depth and character! Spectacular acting! I could go on and on! Just WOW thank you. These are the people who should be winning the awards for best series, best script/writing, best acting etc. Etc. A huge thank you.
So different and absolutely perfect
tnicnat-5851219 December 2021
Old west scenes, good guys out after the bad guys, a girl with high hopes which never go away through all the heartache. The cast supurb, well known and the not well known.
Taylor Sheridan has written the old west and old new west perfectly I hope Mr. Sheridan and the entire cast of 1883 and Yellowstone get the recognition they deserve.
I am so glad this is no Little House on the Prarie (good for it's time) This is a welcome distraction from the world today.
Taylor Sheridan has written the old west and old new west perfectly I hope Mr. Sheridan and the entire cast of 1883 and Yellowstone get the recognition they deserve.
I am so glad this is no Little House on the Prarie (good for it's time) This is a welcome distraction from the world today.
Elsa...and some other people too
nancywe2 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This really was about Elsa or at least that how the series came across to me. Loved the first few episodes and the cinematography was gorgeous. Then Elsa meets a guy, hook up, he dies, she is devastated for about two minutes to hook up with a very handsome Indian. And just how long does it take for her to die. I cry at the Christmas commercial when the son comes home from college so I'm pretty sentimental but I was really ready for her to move on to the ranch in the sky. And why couldn't the mom go with her husband and dying daughter to the place she has picked to die? That made no sense. Mostly ok overall but those last few episodes brought the star rating down for me.
Huge historical inaccuracies
boarders26 July 2022
The Road West
estelle5817 January 2023
It is hard to put into words the ingenuity of this fabulous series.
The attention to every detail in order to keep this series as authentic as possible is phenomenal.
It is difficult to not fall in love with the gem of the screen, Elsa Dutton. For sure, everyone is superbly cast, but Isabel May who plays Elsa does an absolutely sublime job of portraying this strong willed, extremely ambitious, hopelessly romantic teenager. The storyline is seen through her eyes in an audible diary. And my, does this actress have a beautiful voice for narration.
After I finished this, I wanted more so I watched the Road West, (right under where you find episodes on the left of your screen). You get to hear from the actors and the amazing Taylor Sheridan regarding this truly endearing work of art.
The attention to every detail in order to keep this series as authentic as possible is phenomenal.
It is difficult to not fall in love with the gem of the screen, Elsa Dutton. For sure, everyone is superbly cast, but Isabel May who plays Elsa does an absolutely sublime job of portraying this strong willed, extremely ambitious, hopelessly romantic teenager. The storyline is seen through her eyes in an audible diary. And my, does this actress have a beautiful voice for narration.
After I finished this, I wanted more so I watched the Road West, (right under where you find episodes on the left of your screen). You get to hear from the actors and the amazing Taylor Sheridan regarding this truly endearing work of art.
Excellent
kwwwww20 December 2021
Excellent writing, character development, story telling, and acting, particularly by Dawn Olivieri, the character of Claire, and the great Sam Elliot. Beautiful cinematography and score. I enjoyed the cameos by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Hanks. The migration west after the Civil War is one of my favorite periods in history, and the brutality of the time period and lawlessness of the Wild West was accurately portrayed.
A TV Western One Could Get Into
lambiepie-216 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I have not watched Yellowstone. My interest in Westerns was limited from Gunsmoke and the Riffleman as a toddler because my Dad was a western tv fanatic. For my interests in Westerns, movies like The Unforgiven, Tombstone, Good Bad, and the Ugly, Hang 'em High, etc., and my 'guilty pleasure' episode of the old Twilight Zone episodes called 'The Grave.' I wasn't a fan of the tv 'soap opera' Westerns. However, this has caught my interest.
I watched the first one thinking I wouldn't get further than the first 10 minutes, but as it went on, I got interested. This is an 'origin' story, but for me, without seeing the series, it was an origin of, I became curious as a stand alone.
It is slow going in the first episode (pilot) but picks up the saga of the trials of people moving west. It is brutal, violent, fraught with diseases - the whole ball of wax and some as the episodes progress. I want to know if they will make it with all they will face. The wild, untamed west is the beginning of settlements crossing America.
The actors and their situations in this have my attention so far. The family in focus with actors Tim McGraw and Faith Hill do well. With their on the brink of womanhood, daughter played by Isabel May, she is interesting enough and provides the narration. It doesn't bother me as much as it bothers others (I think it exists because she may be an 'origin' character in Yellowstone). Still, I will guess that narration will calm down or disappear entirely as the series progresses.
The law/leaders to take folks (homesteaders, German immigrants, etc.) from one part of America to the next. Actor Sam Elliott (whom I am a fan of) and LaMonica Garrett (who I'm not familiar with) are attractive for me so far enough to see where this will carry. Sam's character, for example, has the most heartbreaking opening scene, but how he rebounds is an exciting journey that interested me. (And I do like the cameos of other actors!)
With 5 episodes so far, I am interested in all these folks and their journey in 1883. Who knows, it may lead me to take a peek into the Yellowstone series - eventually.
I watched the first one thinking I wouldn't get further than the first 10 minutes, but as it went on, I got interested. This is an 'origin' story, but for me, without seeing the series, it was an origin of, I became curious as a stand alone.
It is slow going in the first episode (pilot) but picks up the saga of the trials of people moving west. It is brutal, violent, fraught with diseases - the whole ball of wax and some as the episodes progress. I want to know if they will make it with all they will face. The wild, untamed west is the beginning of settlements crossing America.
The actors and their situations in this have my attention so far. The family in focus with actors Tim McGraw and Faith Hill do well. With their on the brink of womanhood, daughter played by Isabel May, she is interesting enough and provides the narration. It doesn't bother me as much as it bothers others (I think it exists because she may be an 'origin' character in Yellowstone). Still, I will guess that narration will calm down or disappear entirely as the series progresses.
The law/leaders to take folks (homesteaders, German immigrants, etc.) from one part of America to the next. Actor Sam Elliott (whom I am a fan of) and LaMonica Garrett (who I'm not familiar with) are attractive for me so far enough to see where this will carry. Sam's character, for example, has the most heartbreaking opening scene, but how he rebounds is an exciting journey that interested me. (And I do like the cameos of other actors!)
With 5 episodes so far, I am interested in all these folks and their journey in 1883. Who knows, it may lead me to take a peek into the Yellowstone series - eventually.
Amazing - Deep - Amazing
nobletraveler9 January 2023
Haven't seen Yellowstone yet. But started with this Mini-Series. I was emotionally blown away. It grabbed me and held me all night binge watching. This needs to be awarded Best Mini-Series at the Emmys for 2023. It also should give Isabel May Best Actress, Sam Elliott Best Actor, Faith Hill Best Supporting Actress, Tim McGraw or LaMonica Garrett as best Supporting Actor. The whole cast should be awarded Best Ensemble. The Writing should win as well as Direction. This Mini-Series was really nothing sort of a 10 - Total Perfection and realism. Very corse language, but that was how real life was back then. Violent? Yes. Gut Wrenching in parts? Yes, but again the trails going out west was not a joy ride, but an extreme challenge - I highly recommend this show and will continue on with 1923 and Yellowstone. To the Television Academy - Take notice for 2023. 1883 should do a sweep if you really do honor "Performances" instead of being "politically correct".
Starting off really well
vbgnqgyxjq19 December 2021
I don't like to get my hopes up... but dang. The story and plot that Sheridan has developed here is starting off STRONG. And of course they have a perfect cast to go alongside it. Plus the orchestral score of these episodes is the cherry on top of an already seemingly great work.
Really hoping they can keep this momentum up 🤞
This is the first show in *years* that has captivated me so much from the get-go.
Edit: sorry I wasn't helpful??? I didn't want to spoil anything. Really just give it a watch. It's worth it.
Really hoping they can keep this momentum up 🤞
This is the first show in *years* that has captivated me so much from the get-go.
Edit: sorry I wasn't helpful??? I didn't want to spoil anything. Really just give it a watch. It's worth it.
one of the best premieres ive eve seens
vw_higgins19 December 2021
One of the best works ever on TV
Klaaatu7 January 2023
This series has to be one of the best television series ever made for tv.
Besides how accurate it seems in relation to the struggle of the pioneers founding the country, or the love between family and how to survive a wild frontier, it demonstrates how perseverance and dreams can propel a person to do things seemingly impossible.
The writing and direction in this series has to be some of the best I've seen in a very long time.
My only hope is that it gets recognized for this in the upcoming awards seasons and that there is a second season... however unlikely that might be, considering they already have the 1923 series as a sequel.
Besides how accurate it seems in relation to the struggle of the pioneers founding the country, or the love between family and how to survive a wild frontier, it demonstrates how perseverance and dreams can propel a person to do things seemingly impossible.
The writing and direction in this series has to be some of the best I've seen in a very long time.
My only hope is that it gets recognized for this in the upcoming awards seasons and that there is a second season... however unlikely that might be, considering they already have the 1923 series as a sequel.
Griping, authentic, moving, couldn't take my eyes of it...
ryanjohnsoniowa19 December 2021
Y: 1883 so far is masterfully done. The characters pull you in, the cinematography and score are beautiful, the acting is strong, and above all it feels authentic.
Taylor Sheridan has delivered. It is awesome to see the origin of the Dutton Ranch and the Dutton family. Yellowstone is such an awesome show, and Y:1883 makes both even more enthralling to watch. I can't wait to see more, and I'll definitely be logged onto Paramount Plus every week!
Taylor Sheridan has delivered. It is awesome to see the origin of the Dutton Ranch and the Dutton family. Yellowstone is such an awesome show, and Y:1883 makes both even more enthralling to watch. I can't wait to see more, and I'll definitely be logged onto Paramount Plus every week!
Good start, then...
nancyhotz5 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It really started strong, but then developed into nothing more than the young narrator's story, which became tiresome. Her character became annoying and much better potential storylines were not developed. Too bad.
Somebody can't google!
debracurle23 January 2022
Ok so when John Dutton gets to Fort Worth, there's a snake oil salesman wanting $10 for some elixir. The guy at the livery wants $20 to make sure the contents of John's wagon aren't stolen, plus $2/horse (I think that's what he said?$ Later Sam Elliott says it's $200/family for something or other.
$10 in 1883 is the equivalent of about $275 today.
$20 in 1883 is about $552 today.
THERE IS NO WAY ANYONE THERE WAS THROWING AROUND THAT KIND OF MONEY!! Ffs it takes 2 seconds to google that stuff.
$10 in 1883 is the equivalent of about $275 today.
$20 in 1883 is about $552 today.
THERE IS NO WAY ANYONE THERE WAS THROWING AROUND THAT KIND OF MONEY!! Ffs it takes 2 seconds to google that stuff.
Finally a good Western
terrylarosa20 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Been a while since Hell on Wheels. Most of the actors are perfectly cast: especially McGraw and the quintessential movie cowboy: Sam Elliot. Outstanding also is the daughter. Great action, vistas and authenticity. Plus no twirling horses. We did have a despicable Beth like character but that's not an issue anymore. The people stating this show is just about killing people must have read the Sesame Street version of the old West and should stick to watching that so they're not left a quivering mess as to how it once was just a scant century plus ago. Incidentally I don't own a gun nor wish to. Now that Sheridan has apparently thrown in the towel with the now almost unwatchable Yellowstone we can sit back and watch a good old fashioned shoot em up Western.
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