Who Narrates ‘1883’?
The 'Yellowstone' prequels maintain a distinct voice, one that's been with the Dutton family since their Montanan beginnings.
- Yellowstone‘s prequel series 1883 tells the tragic story of Elsa Dutton, the firstborn of James and Margaret, who faces danger and loss on her family’s journey to Montana.
- Despite her death, Elsa’s spirit lives on and narrates the events of 1883 from beyond the grave, reuniting with her husband Sam in the afterlife.
- In the second prequel series, 1923, Elsa’s voice continues to narrate the story, showcasing her continued presence and influence on the Dutton family’s legacy.
There’s no denying how far the Yellowstone franchise has come since Taylor Sheridan launched the flagship series back in 2018. Since then, the cowboy drama has grown into a greater universe, one that continues to add to the Dutton story from every place and time. But with Kevin Costner reportedly leaving the Dutton Ranch, many have wondered what will become of the land (and the show) once he’s gone. Thankfully, there are enough stories to tell of previous Duttons to keep the franchise going strong, with 1883 being one of the best.
Taking place in the titular year, 1883 follows the first Duttons to settle in Montana, including Tim McGraw‘s James Dutton and his wife (both on-screen and off) Faith Hill‘s Margaret. Of their two kids, one of them has made her mark on the larger Yellowstone Universe, particularly as the voice of the prequel miniseries. That’s right, if you were wondering who narrates 1883, it’s none other than Isabel May‘s Elsa Dutton, the firstborn of James and Margaret, and one of the most tragic members of the Dutton family to ever step foot in Montana.
Elsa Dutton’s Story Is a Tragic One in ‘1883’
From the time her family leaves Fort Worth, Texas on their journey to Oregon, Elsa expects to live a life of adventure. This immediately gets her in trouble with her aunt, who doesn’t believe Elsa’s actions are particularly ladylike, but the younger Dutton doesn’t much care. To her, this migration is an outward symbol of the inward freedom she’s after, but she soon finds herself in a world of trouble. In the very first episode, Elsa is nearly raped before being saved by her father, and it’s then that she realizes how dangerous this journey will be.
Along the way, Elsa falls for a young cowboy named Ennis (Eric Nelsen), all while embracing the cowboy lifestyle as her own. After dancing around it for a while, the pair have sex one night after Ennis makes his intentions to eventually marry her, though he’s shot saving Elsa’s life from bandits before he can get the chance. Hardened by what’s happened, Elsa shoots Ennis’ killer and lies beside her lover’s corpse. It’s pretty terrible. But this isn’t the end of Elsa’s love life; in fact, she soon falls in love again, this time with a Comanche warrior named Sam (Martin Sensmeier).
After surviving a tornado together and bonding over time, Sam and Elsa, whom he has nicknamed “Lightning Yellow Hair,” decide to marry. But their happiness is likewise short-lived. Though Elsa first desired to stay with her new husband, she recognized that she needed to see her family’s journey through to the end before returning to him. As a result, she’s eventually killed after heroically defending the wagon train — but before she dies, James takes his daughter to the perfect spot, and it is there that the Dutton family decides to stay, settling in Montana instead of Oregon.