‘1883’ Ending Explained: What Becomes Of The Pioneers?

After 10 gripping episodes, the first installment of 1883 has finally reached its conclusion. From Tennessee to Fort Worth, TX, the Duttons’ perilous journey to the beginning of the Oregon trail was filled with danger and death (RIP Aunt Claire!), but luckily, their path crossed with that of Captain Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) and fellow Pinkerton agent Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) just when they were looking to add some able bodies to their wagon party of immigrants. Led reluctantly by the English-speaking Josef (Marc Rissmann), the settlers were not prepared for the arduous trek north to free land in Oregon—they needed a lot of help to survive.

From a small pox scare to violent encounters with thieves to dangerous river crossings to tornados, these intrepid pioneers endured numerous perils and much suffering, but they cannot not be deterred from continuing their journey to freedom. The Duttons likewise remain steadfast in their quest to find the perfect place to start a new life in Oregon. However, after Elsa (Isabel May) gets wounded in a confrontation with a Lakota war party in Wyoming, everything changes. As James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret (Faith Hill) try urgently to get their only daughter medical attention, they are also preparing themselves for the worst possible outcome. As fate would have it, the devastated parents bury Elsa in Montana and settle there so that she may always be with them.

The conclusion of 1883 is complicated and, at times, confusing. Sheridan incorporates fantasy sequences, dreamy narration, and more of his trademark techniques to resolve a number of story lines in quick succession in both heart wrenching and hopeful ways. If you were puzzled about the fates of the various characters, you are not alone. Read on to find out Decider’s take on some of key questions viewers took away from Episode 10.

DOES ELSA DIE? 1883‘S ENDING, EXPLAINED

Unfortunately, the flash-forward in the 1883 premiere episode was not a dream or a hallucination. In Episode 9, we see Elsa fatally wounded by an arrow while defending the settlers from an attack by Lakota warriors who mistakenly believe that the wagon party killed their families. As we’re told by both Major Hemphill (Raphael Sbarge) at Fort Caspar and Spotted Eagle (Graham Greene) in Montana, Elsa’s liver was pierced. An infection led to sepsis which was fatal on the frontier. There was nothing to be done, and Elsa, after putting up a tremendous fight, dies peacefully in her father’s arms, knowing that she will be buried in the beautiful place that she has chosen.

DO THE DUTTONS MAKE IT TO MONTANA?

With the help of Shea, Thomas, and Noemi (Gratiela Brancusi), the Duttons do make it to Montana while Elsa is still alive. They encounter a friendly Crow tribe led by Spotted Eagle who offer help and make Elsa’s last few days as comfortable as possible. When James tells Spotted Eagle that they must find a place to settle so they can bury Elsa, the wise chief tells him to go to Paradise Valley. Spotted Eagle assures James that in this valley “a man who plans can thrive.” He adds, “you look like a man who plans.”

Spotted Eagle does issue a warning about Paradise Valley that the Dutton family of Taylor Sheridan’s modern Western Yellowstone should heed: “In 7 generations, my people will rise up and take it back from you.” Relieved and thankful, James tells him, “7 generations, you can have it.” Soon afterwards, Elsa and James arrive at the site of the future Yellowstone ranch before she takes her last breath.

DO THE PIONEERS EVER MAKE IT TO OREGON?

The ones we care about do! After the Duttons make the choice to head North on the Bozeman trail and away from Oregon, Shea decides the best course of action for the wagon party is to follow them, winter in Montana and then head to Oregon in the Spring, successfully avoiding the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association whose men could be pursuing them. One man accuses Shea of not keeping his promise to get them to Oregon, to which Shea responses: “I’m keeping my promise. I just changed the way I’m keeping it.”

With Josef incapacitated due to a snake bite, the pioneers revolt against Shea and decide to continue on the Oregon trail without their guides or cattle. It is an unwise decision, and their fates are revealed through Elsa’s voiceover narration. They are murdered by a band of thieves even before they can make it out of Wyoming.

Luckily, Noemi chooses to drive Josef and his wagon north with Thomas and her two boys to winter in Montana before heading to Oregon in the spring. The group saves Josef by amputating his snake-bitten leg, but his wife Risa (Anna Fiamora) succumbs to a head injury she sustained while getting thrown from a horse in Episode 9. In a flash-forward to the Spring, we see that Josef is alive and working his new piece of free land in Oregon while Thomas, Noemi, and her two sons settle nearby in the Willamette Valley. Shea also makes it to Oregon and heads to the coast to see the ocean to fulfill his dead wife’s dream. He then kills himself to be reunited with her and their daughter in heaven.

Where to stream 1883