User Reviews

Considerably darker than most, nearly any, episodic Westerns you'll see. Closest comparison is Deadwood, without the Shakespearean word play, the dialog is more straightforward, as are the characters. 1883 is a great, darker and more realistic, take on a traditional Western. Tim Mcgraw and Sam Elliott are wonderful, but the standout is the radiant Isabel May. She could work on the Appalachian accent, either way, she is going to be a star.

Yellowstone was a bit too "Soapy" for me, I made it through two seasons and haven't picked it back up. 1883 ain't that, at least through the first two episodes. Looking forward to this series, off to a fantastic start.

It was beautifully shot and it showed a side of westerns that we don't usually get to see. Sam Elliot is perfect in this, and I can't wait to see where it's going. Normally prologues don't pull me in, but this one did.

I could go down into nitpicking several things, because there are issues and things you can complain about, but in all seriousness; who cares? Isabel has too white teeth, and a bottle of snake juice cost too much for the period, but is that really relevant?

This is an excellent start to an excellent TV show. I have watched 8 episodes by writing this and I could not be happier. Sure I have a few issues with it, but this is as close to perfection TV get. The scenes, the music, the story, and the loving amazing acting. This remind me of Winds of War and How the West was won and I cannot give a show better praise than that. I am absolutely sure that when all is said and done, this TV show will go down in history as one of the best ever made and it will be the show that made Isabel May into the super star she is.

I cannot recommend this enough, you have to see this.

We know, by now, quite a few things to expect from Taylor Sheridan: a leisurely, not boring, story-telling pace; stunning scenery; grim stories; interesting and often unlikeable characters.

With the opening episode of 1883, one of the biggest negatives of 'Yellowstone' (to which this series is the prequel), which is that there are no likable characters, is removed. We're instantly drawn to several of the characters. Sam Elliott, as always, is outstanding. LaMonica Garrett looks very interesting. Isabel May, is a delightful free spirit on a journey of discovery.

But why two Country music singers? (Tim McGraw and Faith Hill). They're not terrible, but why not use any of the dozens of actors/actresses who would be better? A mystery.

But, I'm drawn in and looking forward to more.

Started watching this because of Isabel and her great performance in her exciting 'Diehard' movie... and I'm very happy with this gritty & realistic episode.

Sam Elliot was also great. And Tim McGraw plays a very cool & capable character.

The flash forward beginning was exciting and I NEED to see how that plays out!

Looking forward to ep.2 & the rest of the season!

This is indeed one of the best shows going to be aired I look forward for the rest of the episodes as this powerful opening premiere is actually makes you want to know what's next.

I loved the settings.

The thing I liked the most about the series, in this particular episode, is the most wonderful cinematography, which presented wonderful pictures with excellent lighting, which is something worthy of admiration. The other thing that I liked is the soundtrack, and I find it presented in an excellent way and it was appropriate for the time period in the series. In general, it was amazing and it introduced you to the atmosphere of the series. I also liked the construction of the characters, and I saw it as appropriate as a start. I liked this series and think that it is worth watching. This is just an evaluation of the first episode, and I hope that the rest of the episodes will not be disappointing.

Has now seen 8 episodes of season 1 via Paramount + (Operator Telia in Sweden).

I became curious about the series when I watched the last episodes of Yellowstone. Just the fact that it is Taulor Sheridan who produced and wrote the script, means that you only have to see the series.

And you will not be disappointed. Not at all. Like a poetic western where the action takes place with a multitude of people on their way to the goal of their dreams but on unknown ground.

The filming is a little different than Yellowstone but that's uninteresting.

One detail I noticed but which can be overlooked, is that the women which are in the center have very "clean eyes".

Do not think that they are out on a very dirty trip when not having dirty faces/eyes, as the men have.

Another thing is the research of how they talked to each other in American / English then (was it called "American / English" then?).

Did you talk that way or did the words sound like that?

My question has to do with the Swedish film "Nybyggarna / Jan Troell" where they looked at how the Swedish language sounded in the middle of the 19th century and what they knew then about the English / American language.

Next week (March 14, 2022) I will buy a subscription to Paramount + and watch Season 1 and also Season 2.

Loved the theme, the script and most importantly the camera work!

Episode was a little slow, but not at all boring. A slow burn if you know what im saying and you can till that this show will be filled with drama.

..but people did not say "haul ass," sh_t, and fu_k back in the 1800's. Seems like Taylor Sheridan and the other writers are willing to be inauthentic just so the show appeals to rowdy grownups. With all that sweat, and dirt and grime on the screen, you don't need the nasty, 21st century language!

And you found something good. Something very good.

I know it's still early days, but this episode catches the exact same vibe I felt at the start of RDR2.

Faith Hill is passable in this, but why make Tim McGraw your main actor? This is a critical logistical error. He is always the worst actor in any scene. His wooden delivery of every single line he utters does nothing to suspend any possible disbelief. He is a terrible actor and a big hinderance to the believability factor of this production.

Beautiful Western locations; authentic 1883 costumes and wagons; believable suffering and death; period-appropriate tools and weapons; Sam Elliot and his perfect cookie duster; And in the midst of all this gritty realism is a tall blonde teenage fashion model on horse back, wearing only buckskin pants and a low cut, sleeveless colorful (Comanche?) vest. Our young protagonist/narrator is apparently impervious to the sun, wind, and cold that every other character is bundled up against, even the Comanche, Sioux, and Crow.

Great Western pioneer saga becomes absurd teenage soap opera, focused on the exploits of the unbelievable daughter of a pioneer couple, played well by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. The beautiful Montana scenery and Sam Elliot's magnificent moustache kept me watching to the end, but Isabel May's ridiculous and annoying Elsa character and her awful "Southern" accent (". . . Ah knew Ah was gon' dah.") kinda ruined it for me.

Alot of sad trumpets or violins. This show sure abuses sad classical music and/or instruments, it is also excellently sappy with the girl whos been at the parlor to color her hair recently and her childish poetry.

But booooyyyee, she sure is a looker!

Same creator as Yellowstone. Season 1 was good but after that it went to sh-- fast... I expect the same here.

Immediately, though, I have a problem... I can't get immersed into the show... why would you ask?

Its because the actress that is fighting to survive in the first scene, has white teeth, very fake white teeth, which imo lets be real, would have been very very very improbable at the time.

Not just that... its also the make up and the curated look of the young actress that doesnt fit the period at all. They could have advised her to leave her eyebrows grow for a while, or have her skin not appear so 21st century like. Plus the costume, it looks like a costume one would wear for a special occasion, which again wasn't the case. No matter the background, the ppl at the time wore their outfits daily and wore new clothes rarily.

Since first episode, for a western serie, we feel almost all of the feelings which we could feel. Mystery, action and course western things. Clothings and the way that people's behaviors are showed well. Course I don't know what I think when I finish the serie but for a first episode, the series make you feel it's unique. And this is what we want to see in series these days!

Characters can show the opinions to us what we used to see in a western. As a western we are not able to see these feelings in a serie. When I checked on the internet I noticed that not many people have seen that one. I think this has something special because of that.

1. Why was cosmetic dentistry and dermal filler available on the Oregon Trail?

2. The train line was running in 1869, why didn't they just take it ?

3. Where are Tim McGraw's eyes , did he lose them on the Oregon Trail?

4. Margaret and James claim to love their children , why do they do everything in their power to put them in harms way? Someone needed to call the Dept of children's services!

5.if Margaret was a nurse she must have had amnesia because she couldn't remember how to treat or save anyone!

6. What was there to love or even like about Margaret, she was a terrible mother with little emotion? Her husband must be blind , oh yes he had no eyes!

7. Why didn't Elsa stay with Sam where she would have been safer than with her family?

8. Why did the German tourists continue to trust their tour guides, Shae, Thomas and James when they got them repeatedly killed at every stop on the Oregon Trail? They needed travel insurance!

Well... if you like the genre you're gonna love this pilot. If, like me, really need something original, you might be disappointed.

Don't get me wrong: production design is great (yes, the teeth are too white, the make up is too nice but not a big deal, the town and the interiors are awesome); the tone/atmosphere is dark, gritty and hence realistic; acting is almost almost flawless, with some great moments (young lady getting slapped on the train for being a brat).

So what's your problem, you might ask? There's nothing really intriguing and the characters are painfully cliche: old man who lost his family needs a mission to find some meaning in life; young man is a badass (even too badass, he wouldnt survive against 5 bandits, but anyway) who loves his family but needs to learn how to trust others; the young lady who yearns for freedom who, based on the intense intro, will have to learn that in real life there's the rule of "no pain no gain".

Anyway: I like it. Editing, score, direction, sam elliott, costumes: good stuff. Doesn't really end on a proper cliffhanger, actually I was expecting exactly what happened, so won't keep watching.

Had to turn this off after 5 minutes, the absolute horrible accent by the lady who was apparently on the road while having a cake of makeup on her face and looking like she just got out of a modern luxury spa was just to bad. After seeing that it was very clear they were not putting an ounce of effort into trying to adapt the feel of 1883.

I'm always disappointed when a movie or series utilizes a voice over to convey story. (It really is lazy storytelling. It's not cinematic & comes off like an audiobook these days). I'd expected a little better from the makers of Yellowstone.

Aside from that, the story seems very cobbled together. Sam Elliot's introduction, though tragic, seems unnecessary in the scheme of things. It feels very much like HE is the main character of the story.

James Dutton's introduction is confusing. (He just seems like "some guy" that Sam Elliot's character runs across. Only later do we figure out who he is and that we should care about him).

Margaret Dutton is barely a sketch all throughout her time on the screen. I think more could be said about her stricter sister.

The there's the daughter. The whole "Laura Ingalls-eque"/ Holly Hobby characterization makes her seem frivolous and immature in a way the entitled 21st century children behave. In everything I've ever read (and been told by great a grandmother born in the 1800's) life then required all children to be responsible contributors to the family. She really just seems goofy. Ultimately (unfortunately) we know far more about her than anyone else on screen.

Lastly, it seemed VERY odd that the daughter would be so carefree so soon after the violent events of the previous night. Daft really.

This review might sound extra harsh but it isn't meant to be. In short - it's a well made episode of an interesting new show that suffers a bit in the acting & writing department in my eyes and, thus far, doesn't bring anything "new" to the genre. Will I keep watching? Yes. Will I recommend it to others? The jury is out. Am I dying to see more of the story/see the next episode? Not yet. Could I live my life never seeing another minute of the show and never again wonder what happened to the characters? At this point, I could.

As always, Sam Elliot is an incredible actor and delivers an outstanding performance in the series pilot episode.

Also, unsurprisingly, Isabel May is outstanding. She did great in a Run, Hide, Fight - but here she is really able to let her acting chops shine. Early & often over this episode - fighting to survive, navigating the vagaries of the Gilded Age/Victorian era - as a bright and loving daughter full of joy and excitement - she covers it all.

If the series focused on these two characters as the leads I think it would be really interesting

That being said, I found the first episode a bit "middle of the road" in terms of story telling and found that the other acting performances were just adequate. Tim McGraw doesn't give a poor performance - but he doesn't really command the screen or the dialogue the way you want to see from a lead in a series.

Faith Hill is the weak spot on the cast. As fans of Tim & Faith it pains me to say that... but I believe they should have cast more charismatic leads with a bit more acting experience/chops.

I'm keeping an open mind and will keep watching. However, I found the first episode a tad dull. It didn't really rope me in, I am not desperate to see future episodes at this point, and I haven't found the storyline overly interesting.

The intro flash-forward (?) scene was an interesting open... but it seemed to just kind've trudge along after that. Perhaps it is because we have seen a lot of this stuff time and again in westerns. The old guy who has lost is family and doesn't really want to live anymore - the younger guy that wants to make a great life for his family and will do anything to protect them - the daughter of the main character who is bright and optimistic and innocent (only to be inevitably broken by her experiences in the Wild West) - the guys who fought in the civil war but then came out west for a new start.

Nothing really new and inventive.

I wish there was a second season of 1883 showing James, Margaret and their boys. Seeing their hardships and the start of the ranch. Bringing the story up to when James and Margaret die and Harrison Fords character takes over the Yellowstone. Also, what ever happened to Sam? Did he know Elsa died? There was a lot left out between 1883 and 1923. Things like showing the first house, the relationship between the Duttons and the Indians living there. Getting to know the boys, seeing where Elsa was buried and seeing when Margaret arrived at Yellowstone. Also, why was the ranch named Yellowstone? Was it somehow named after Elsa's ywllow hair, as referenced by Sam. Just my opinion.