In 1883, James and his wife, Margaret, leave Tennessee with James' sister and niece—both of whom soon die. The Duttons will reach and settle the Yellowstone during this trip, losing their daughter Elsa in the process. James later dies in 1893 after being shot by horse thieves.
1883 ended in heartbreak for them both, as they settled in Montana following the death of their daughter Elsa (Isabel May), where they established what would become the Yellowstone Ranch.
What happened to James and Margaret Dutton at the end of 1883?
Though James and Margaret founded the ranch, they failed to make it a thriving business, and they eventually both died, with James succumbing to gunshot wounds from an encounter with horse thieves and Margaret freezing to death. Fortunately, as Elsa narrated in 1923, Margaret wrote to James' family for help.
Season 5 of Yellowstone continues the tradition of looking to the past, highlighting the sacrifices made by John Dutton's ancestors. The graves of James, Margaret, and Elsa Dutton in the Dutton family cemetery reveal the painful history and legacy of the Dutton family.
Elsa, who had decided to see her family in Oregon before returning to be with Sam, may be dead, but just as her spirit narrates the series (and the following 1923 series), so it's implied that her spirit reunites with Sam's in the afterlife.
Yellowstone: We Finally Know What Happened To James + Margaret Dutton
Does Elsa have a baby in 1883?
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.
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.
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.
Elsa Dutton's death in 1883 had to happen in order to close the story of how the Duttons found Paradise Valley, which is ultimately a lesson in the dark, cruel history of white America, from which Sheridan borrows the conflicts that drive his neo-Western universe.
How many children did Margaret and James Dutton have?
James Dutton
He's married to Margaret, and they have three children: Elsa, Spencer, and John Dutton Sr. The character is also seen during flashback scenes in season 4 of Yellowstone. James has two siblings: Claire, who shares the screen in 1883, and Jacob, who makes his appearance in 1923.
The Dutton matriarch broke down and cried while leaving her letter to Spencer unsent. The placement of Cara's vulnerable moment was no accident, and the choice to end 1923 season 1 on the image of Cara breaking down showed that things had reached rock bottom for the Duttons.
Mary Abel. The only one of Claire and Henry's seven children to survive until 1883, Mary Abel was briefly on the trail to Oregon with her uncle James Dutton and his family.
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."
Here's exactly what Elsa says at the start of the 1923 premiere: "My father had three children. Only one would live to see their own children grown. Only one would carry the fate of this family through the depression and every other hell the 20th century hurled at them."
Fans of 1883 will remember John Dutton Sr. as a little boy, but by 1923, James and Margaret Dutton's eldest son is all grown up. Through his son, Jack, he's potentially the great-grandfather of Yellowstone's John, but the show hasn't yet confirmed anything on that front yet.
Is The Show 1883 Historically Accurate? Even though 1883's strength lies in historical accuracy and authenticity, it's also not a documentary. Rather, 1883 is a prequel spinoff series to one of the most entertaining and fast-paced neo-Western dramas of all time.
Ilbert Bill, in the history of India, a controversial measure proposed in 1883 that sought to allow senior Indian magistrates to preside over cases involving British subjects in India. The bill, severely weakened by compromise, was enacted by the Indian Legislative Council on Jan. 25, 1884.
Is 1883 Season 2 happening? 1883 isn't exactly getting a Season 2 – but initially, Lawmen: Bass Reeves was thought to be its replacement. 1883 is technically followed by 1923, a sequel series also taking place before the events of Yellowstone.
But since it's been well over a year since 1883 initially aired, we do have an answer to this question—there will not be an 1883 Season 2. "We wanted to make a ten-hour movie that ended, and that's what we did," co-creator and showrunner Taylor Sheridan told Deadline.
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.”
In a stunning twist, Elsa decides that she will not make the rest of the journey to Oregon, opting to stay with Sam, marry him and make a life together. It's a decision that garners a great deal of pushback from James and especially Margaret (Faith Hill), who is not ready to relinquish control over her daughter yet.
When they showed what was finished of the film to a Story Trust group several months prior to release, many were still confused about who the voice was supposed to belong to. It was after that the decision was made to fully commit to the voice calling to Elsa being that of her mother, Iduna.
