Is Sam Elliott Really Leaving Yellowstone's 1883?
Spoilers ahead for 1883!
"1883" is a spin-off wholly inspired and interconnected to the popular "Yellowstone" television series. Highlighting a group of settlers that strike off into the vast and untamed frontier of the 19th century American West, the caravan has to deal with supply issues, interpersonal drama, tragedy, and attacks that can sometimes bring the group together, but also push it apart. The show has been a great success thus far, with the now complete season sitting at a comfortable 86% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Shea Brennan (Sam Elliot), who acts as the group of settlers' guide, is a former Civil War veteran whose life has been pockmarked by sorrow. Both his wife and daughter die in the first scenes of the series due to smallpox, and he was contemplating suicide before being stopped by Thomas (LaMonica Garrett), a fellow Pinkerton Agent. Now that the final episode of Season 1 of "Yellowstone" is in the books, fans may find themselves wondering if that is the last time we'll see the iconic frontiersman.
Sam Elliot's character committed suicide
Taking the chance to speak with Deadline about the future of Shea Brennan and the series as a whole, series creator Taylor Sheridan said, "I created this peek through time to show you this one specific journey. I'm not someone who likes to tie everything up in a bow and explain how everyone lived happily after, or didn't. I'd rather you imagine it, and wonder what Thomas and Noemi made of their lives. You never get to see how James and Margaret move on. You did seem them in a flashback as having moved on, and so that's what I cared to explore. On to the next peek through the window. I also wanted to create something you could watch and be completely enthralled and fulfilled, having never seen 'Yellowstone.' Let it live on its own merits."
Sheridan continued, and said that there are Easter eggs in the show for fans of "Yellowstone" that will help elaborate the history of the show, considering that the main characters of "1883" are the direct ancestors of the primary family in "Yellowstone." He finished his statement by adding that the story of "1883" feels closed-ended, and that he will take another look through his story-telling widow in a different era and see where his mind takes the saga of the Dutton family. Ultimately, Sheridan feels that the major story of "1883" is complete, and due to Elliot's character making it to the beach one last time as a final wish of his late wife's and his completion of the action he was pondering at the start of the show, it is extremely unlikely that we will be graced again by Elliot's presence in any potential future seasons of "1883."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).