Following the resounding success of the Yellowstone prequel 1883, creator Taylor Sheridan delved even deeper into the Dutton family history and launched 1923. In an interview, Sheridan shed light on an intriguing aspect of the prequel. He revealed that during the development of 1883, Paramount expressed interest in a storyline that he personally didn’t feel was appropriate just to milk it even more.
Paramount Was Shocked to Learn 1883 Couldn’t Have a Season 2!
In a pretty heartfelt and important moment in the series, 1883 fan-favorite Shea Brennan played by none other than Sam Elliott fulfilled his promise to his late wife by journeying to the Pacific Ocean. However, the emotional climax took a heartbreaking turn as Shea then tragically took his own life. This episode felt like a culmination of a complete narrative arc rather than merely the conclusion of the show. Despite that, there were no plans for another season.
However, Paramount sought to prolong the storyline. As disclosed in a Deadline interview with Taylor Sheridan, the production company and the creator found themselves at odds, deliberating over whether Elliott’s character lives or dies only to bring forth another season. He revealed,
“I know they read the scripts, but they don’t read scripts, so when they read the last episode of 1883, I don’t think they digested what had just happened, even though I made it quite clear from the very beginning. The story I heard is Bob Bakish watched it and said, ‘wait a minute, she dies! They all die? What do we do in season two?’ I said, there is no season two. They’re like, there better be a fu*king season two because we already picked it up. I’m sitting here going, guys everyone is dead.”
He further revealed,
“They wanted to have a meeting about how Sam Elliott survived his suicide. By the very nature of the term it’s not something survivable, and who would want to see that? So, I said I’ll come up with another peek into the window and I sat there and tried to look at it.”
Ultimately, even though there wasn’t a second season, it doesn’t mean Sheridan didn’t attempt to brainstorm a script idea under Paramount’s pressure. While it didn’t lead to a season, what he discovered turned out to be invaluable.
In Search for 1883 Season 2, Taylor Sheridan Discovers the Heart of the Yellowstone Verse!
What makes Yellowstone truly special is the Dutton family themselves. While prequels and sequels may come and go season after season, it’s the Duttons who remain at the heart of the series, continuing to captivate audiences regardless of the challenges they face. During the same conversation, he revealed,
“There was just so many things that were so rich about this world and it took me eight months to even…and they kept going, when are we going to get a script? I said, I don’t know. Everyone is dead. I don’t know how to write the next season of this damn thing [1883] but I kept hunting history, and I kept finding things.”
He further explained,
“It’s the one great thing about the Dutton family; you can skip generations and put them in all these unique situations, and it has nothing to do with Yellowstone, nothing to do with 1883 and yet it’s tethered completely to them, but they’re all standalones. That’s what I find so intriguing about it.”
![Yellowstone cast [Credit: Paramount Network]](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/28053734/Yellowstone-cast-Credit-Paramount-Network-1024x683.jpeg)
Meanwhile, plans for the 6666 spinoff starring Jefferson White are currently on hold due to Sheridan’s acquisition of the filming property. Another prequel, 1944, has been announced, following in the footsteps of 1883 and 1923, with details still under wraps. And this is all golden news for Paramount!
1883 along with all other existing Yellowstone-verse projects are available on Paramount+ to stream.
