Yellowstone fans know that Duttons have been buried in the same spot in Montana for over a century. The Dutton family cemetery makes more sense after 1883 revealed that Elsa was the first person to be buried on the land.
In a mix of tragic death and hopeful optimism for the show's settlers, the 1883 ending fleshed out the story of how the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch was founded with the blood of pioneers, literally. The site Elsa chose to be buried was a valley called “Paradise” which ended up becoming the Yellowstone Ranch.
Why has Elsa Dutton not been mentioned in Yellowstone even once? They have shown her grave. She died in 1883 so not likely there is a photo. Maybe a painting.
Elsa was the main narrator of 1883 and appeared via voiceover in the first episode of 1923 as well. James and Margaret also had two sons: John and Spencer.
1883 ends not unlike it begins, with Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) getting shot by a band of Lakota warriors while defending the wagon train. Unfortunately, Elsa's wounds are fatal, and though she's been the consistent narrator of this series, we soon realize that she may actually be narrating from the great beyond.
Indeed, as there are no condoms or any other reliable form of birth control in the frontier, there's a real possibility that Ennis really did impregnate Elsa. Sadly, before 1883 could even drop any clues that Elsa was pregnant, Ennis died in the next episode while Elsa died during the finale.
Elsa was also planning to split from the group to stay with Sam, but after many goodbyes, everyone decided they were going to Oregon anyway. Even Elsa decided to leave her boyfriend so she could find out where Oregon was, while planning to return to the plains in June to reunite with him.
John is the only character to cross over between 1883 and 1923. He is portrayed as a child by Audie Rick in 1883 and then as an adult by James Badge Dale in 1923.
Portrayed by Dabney Coleman, John II is the father of John III and grandfather to Lee, Jamie, Beth and Kayce. Although his parents' identities have not yet been confirmed, he is either the son of Spencer and Alexandra or Jack and Elizabeth.
Throughout the episode, Elsa's narration is used to fill in the gaps of what has happened to the Dutton clan in the four decades that have passed since the events of "1883."
The reason why 1883 is not getting a second season is that Sheridan and his creative team have told the story that they wanted to tell, so there is neither a need nor a desire to produce a second season. According to Sheridan; "We wanted to make a 10-hour movie that ended, and that's what we did.
James & Margaret Dutton Both Died Long Before 1923
Elsa also reveals that Margaret wrote to Jacob to come help her and her sons at the ranch in the aftermath. By the time he arrived, Jacob found Margaret had frozen to death in a snow drift, and the boys - John and Spencer - were nearly starved to death.
The second son of James and Margaret Dutton, Spencer was born some time after the family settled in Montana. Spencer also served in WWI and, like his father, remained haunted by his experiences on the battlefield.
Elsa is the sister of John Dutton Senior, but her relationship with Costner's character is more complicated. As John Dutton Junior came into the mix, Elsa is Costner's character's great aunt.
Jacob's wife and the unwavering matriarch of the Dutton clan on 1923, Cara is related to Yellowstone's Dutton family by marriage, and is the great-grandaunt or great-great-grandaunt of John Dutton III, who runs the ranch in the show's modern era.
How Does It Connect to the Franchise? Ford and Mirren will presumably be playing forbears of the Dutton family, but it's not yet clear how they're related to John and his children. In 1883, Tim McGraw played John's great-grandfather James, so it seems likely that 1923 will focus on John's grandparents.
Spencer Dutton is the younger son of James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill) from the 1883 series. He is also the younger brother of John Dutton Sr (James Badge Dale). As James Dutton from 1883 was John Dutton's great-grandfather, this makes Spencer one of John's grandfathers.
As Beth keeps reminding viewers, she has been perpetually angry at Jamie for how Jamie inadvertently made her sterile by helping her get an abortion when they were both teenagers. Combined with Jamie being adopted and his actions in previous Yellowstone seasons, Beth has only gotten madder at Jamie over the years.
He doesn't make an appearance in 1883, but Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) was James' and Margaret's third child, who begins his storyline in 1923. He was a World War I veteran and currently working in Africa.
John Dutton Jr. John Dutton II was the late father of John Dutton III and the previous owner of Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. He died years before the start of the series. He retired to let his son take over the running of the ranch and later suffered from cancer.
After a night spent fending off sharks from atop the flipped boat, they are able to get the attention of a ship, and are rescued. The captain Later marries Spencer and Alex, gifting Alex his wife's ring.
The two then ride off where Sam tells Elsa that he chose his name after a man named Sam killed his wife; he wanted to take the man's name after taking the man's life. (Sam killed Sam.) Sam gives Elsa a nickname, “Lightning Yellow Hair.”
It also sets the stage for her relationship with Sam, who will later become her unofficial husband. Elsa grew exponentially through her short romance with Ennis, and her more serious relationship with Sam is a representation of that growth.
