‘Yellowstone’ Season 4 Premiere Gave Us Our First Look at Tim McGraw as ‘1883’s James Dillard Dutton

We can all breathe a sigh of relief now that we know that the modern-day Dutton clan is alive and (relatively) well. However, the biggest shock of the Yellowstone Season 4 premiere came in the form of a dream (or perhaps a vision) that John Dutton (Kevin Costner) had in a coma-induced state while recovering from multiple gunshot wounds. Fans were treated to their first look at Tim McGraw’s James Dillard Dutton, the OG Dutton patriarch who will be the protagonist of the first Yellowstone spinoff, 1883.

According to a press release from Paramount Network, “1883 follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. It is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land—Montana.” When Yellowstone audiences first meet James Dutton, it is 1893, 10 years after the events of the start of the prequel series.

Not only do we get our first look at James Dutton…

We also get our first look at his sons: the eldest, John Sr. (Jack Michael Doke), and the youngest, Spencer (Charlie Stover). John Sr. is the future grandfather of Costner’s John Dutton!

Now, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the lineage of John Dutton on-screen. John Dutton’s father, John Jr., first appeared on Yellowstone as played by Dabney Coleman in the Season 2 finale, “Sins of My Father.” In a flashback, we see a mustached John Dutton remove his father from his hospice bed and place him back in his saddle so that he can die with his boots on. In a powerful scene as they overlook their land, John Sr. tells his son, “Don’t let ’em take it away from you son, not a goddamn inch.”

In 1893, the first generation Duttons are shown herding cattle through their freshly acquired land when they come across some Native Americans who have left the reservation and set up camp on their property. When James learns that one of the men speaks English, he asks John Sr. and Spencer to join him. When John Sr. asks if he trusts the group, James replies, “Son, I don’t trust anyone until they’ve earned it.” We certainly see where our John Dutton gets moxie!

What could be a disruptive or perhaps even violent confrontation turns out to be a peaceful and gracious interaction. Red Bear (played with gravitas by Gregory Zaragoza) respectfully asks if he can put his father to rest on the land where he was born. Instead of balking at Red Bear’s request to put his father’s body in a tree rather that bury him in the ground, James allows it, knowing the importance and holiness of the land.

In a further act of kindness, James has his sons cut off a steer from their herd to leave Red Bear and his people with some beef. James says he knows that food is scare in the “hard” Montana winter, to which Red Bear remarks, “All winters are hard. This one is punishment.” As James heads out, John Sr. apologizes to Red Bear, “I’m sorry for you being punished.” To which Red Bear graciously and sadly responds, “We are too.” As this scene dramatically shows, John Sr. learns early about the brutal ways of the American West.

There was pressure on Taylor Sheridan to deliver an impactful Season 4 premiere of Yellowstone, and boy, did he deliver. Hopefully, we will continue to get glimpses of the Dutton ancestors in what’s sure to be another gripping season of our favorite Western.

The 1883 official first look is here! Watch the teaser below:

Where to stream Yellowstone