Why 1883 Killed Off [SPOILER]

1883's season 1 finale death marks the end of the journey to find Paradise Valley, opening a new chapter in the story of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.

Kelly ReillyJune 17, 2023

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1883‘s season 1 finale killed off its most important character, and while the death is tragic, it was necessary in order to move the story of the Duttons in a worthwhile direction. That character is Elsa Dutton (Isabel May), the daughter of Margaret (Faith Hill) and James Dutton (Tim McGraw) – the founders of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. A main character of the Yellowstone prequel series, the setup to Elsa Dutton’s death began when she was shot with a poisoned arrow during an attack on the caravan.

This scene was previewed in the 1883 pilot episode, and then fully fleshed out in 1883 season 1, episode 9 “Racing Clouds.” After a band of Lakota warriors found their settlement destroyed and their families murdered, they found 1883‘s caravan of settlers traveling away from the scene of the crime. Though the settlers had nothing to do with the massacre, 1883‘s Lakota chief (Tokala Black Elk) logically assumed that they were responsible for the slaughter. The misunderstanding resulted in most of the caravan getting brutally attacked and Elsa taking a poisoned arrow to the liver.

What Happened To Elsa Dutton In The 1883 Finale

Though her infection got progressively worse, Elsa made it to Fort Casper. However, the resident doctor was rude and unable to help her. Shea then found out that Fort Casper was being run by the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association, which employed the horse thieves they killed earlier, so they left quickly and headed north to Montana. Meanwhile, James and Margaret agreed to settle the land wherever Elsa died. An Indigenous man then pointed James to Paradise Valley, where he and Elsa rode for her to pick her own grave. By 1883 season 1’s ending, 1883’s Elsa Dutton, the show’s narrator, finally succumbed to the infection and died.

Why Does Elsa Die In 1883?

Elsa Dutton’s death in the 1883 finale was a result of the Lakota warriors reacting logically to the situation. During the late 1800s, the Westward Expansion of America was enabled by the Louisiana Purchase, which gave white settlers legal precedent to not only claim Indigenous American lands but to do so by any means necessary, which often included displacing and slaughtering Indigenous settlements.

The Lakota were simply defending their lands and people from white colonists who have been slaughtering Indigenous Americans even before the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In short, Elsa Dutton’s death can only truly be blamed on the white genocide of Indigenous America. Elsa’s final fate is a reminder that 1883 is based on the true stories and real lives of settlers in the late 19th century, however uncomfortable those true stories may be.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves Will Build On Elsa’s Story

The fourth installment in the Yellowstone franchise and 1883 offshoot series, Lawmen: Bass Reeves has yet to be assigned an official release date, but its story revolves around the titular real historical figure, who was the first Black deputy U.S. Marshall west of the Mississippi. Though set in the same era, Lawmen: Bass Reeves‘ retelling of Reeves’ real story pushes Sheridan’s neo-Western universe toward further exploring early racial politics in the country, which is an extension of 1883‘s examination of how the Westward Expansion of America trampled over entire Indigenous nations.

What makes Lawmen: Bass Reeves different than 1883 is that Bass Reeves was a real historical figure whose ability to speak various Indigenous languages made him crucial to peace efforts following his installation as a federal U.S. Marshall in 1875.

According to historic accounts of Bass Reeves’ real life, he was also a fast draw who killed 14 men and took down over 3,000 criminals without ever really getting hurt himself — all while raising a family of 10 children. Though it seems more myth than history, the details of Bass Reeves’ life are verifiable historical facts that went on to inspire the many cowboys, heroes, and leading men of mid-20th-century classic Westerns. In turn, these heroic cowboys were clearly the inspiration for the character of Elsa Dutton herself.

Elsa’s Death In 1883 Is Pivotal For Yellowstone

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. In fact, the circumstances of Elsa’s death not only foreshadowed the tensions between the Duttons and the Broken Rock Indian Reservation in Yellowstone but also potentially spoiled the ending of Yellowstone season 5. This is because, prior to Elsa’s death, the location of Paradise Valley was revealed to James by an Indigenous man.

He warned James that his people will take the land back after the Duttons have owned it for seven generations – to which James replied that by that time, they can have it back. In the 1883 finale, Elsa Dutton’s fate answered the question of what the family had to give up in order to claim the land, revealing why the Duttons have such a deep connection with Paradise Valley. Elsa was the heart and soul of the show, and her fate encapsulates the social commentary and overarching themes of not just 1883, but the rest of Sheridan’s neo-Western universe.

Killing Elsa In 1883 Wasn’t A Decision Made Lightly

What was most shocking about how Elsa died in 1883 is that it had seemed like she would be the protagonist of a new story. Serving as 1883‘s narrator, the show zoomed in on her journey of confronting the brutality of the frontier life and losing some of her innocence along the way yet never her hopeful spirit. However, what fans failed to realize is that Elsa’s story was never meant to continue on, as 1883 was only meant to be a brief glimpse into the Dutton family’s past. Sheridan explained (via Deadline), “as a storyteller it feels close ended.”

Producer David Glasser echoed Sheridan’s opinion that this is a story that had a definitive ending from the beginning. Rather than throw Elsa’s death in the finale as a way to shock audiences and get them to tune in for a second season, 1883 was leading to this end from the very beginning. Glasser reiterates that the entire journey comes together for each character on 1883, for good or bad; the closure they needed was achieved. The producer also praised Sheridan’s ability to tell the viewer Elsa’s death is imminent and still have them think she’ll survive. Glasser insists (via THR) with Sheridan’s work “there’s never anything that’s on the nose.”

As heartbreaking as Elsa’s 1883 death was for viewers to watch, Tim McGraw reveals (via TV Line) that the actual shooting of it was not any easier. While speaking about the emotional finale, McGraw admitted even reading the script had him crying. When it came time to film the scene in which Elsa dies in John’s arms, McGraw reveals that the first take was unusable as the actors were crying too much. He also revealed that May helped make his own performance more emotional, “She goes, ‘What’s your favorite things about your daughters?’ She put the knife right in my heart, boy. She knew exactly what she was doing. She was a joy to work with.”