Fans of Yellowstone are accustomed to a lot of bloodshed, profanity, and some nudity. Fans of its spinoff, 1883, ought to be prepared for anything, one would assume.
Fans of 1883, though, can’t stomach it when Sam Elliott starts to cry. And when a snippet from Sunday’s episode revealed just that, fans expressed their shock on social media.
Because it also tweeted about the incident, the prequel appeared to have anticipated this response. The official 1883 Twitter account expressed some emotion of its own.
When Sam Elliott cries, we cry. #1883TV
— 1923 Official (@1923official) December 20, 2021
Fans of 1883 Can’t Handle Sam Elliott’s Tears
Watching Elliott cry was undoubtedly upsetting for followers of Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of Yellowstone and the new Paramount+ drama. Without a question, the talented character actor is able to portray the complete gamut of human emotions. Fans, however, simply weren’t prepared to witness the toughest cowboy on 1883 cry.
#1883TV Sam Elliot crying breaks my heart
— alyssa garcia (@agregiment) December 20, 2021
Another admirer exclaimed, “This 1883 must be tough if it makes Sam Elliott cry.” “I want to be Sam Elliott when I grow up, especially with the mustache.”
Elliott Credits Sheridan for Strength of New Yellowstone Prequel
And what does Elliott himself think of the scene in which he cries? We don’t know about that specific scene. But Elliott has called Sheridan “a brilliant writer” and spoke to the universal themes that play out on 1883.
“It all starts with the writing, and Taylor Sheridan is a brilliant writer,” Elliott said in a statement this summer. “I think the western genre speaks clearly to both of us. The classic struggles of man against man, man against nature and man against himself. It’s all there, in 1883, and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
In 1883, Elliott plays Shea Brennan, the leader of the group of settlers traveling from Texas to Montana and a cowboy with great sadness behind him. He does not suffer fools gladly, and he and James Dutton (Tim McGraw) soon develop a rapport.
Series Has Great Expectations to Meet
Paramount+ and MTV Entertainment Studios announced the casting of Elliott along with his co-stars McGraw and Faith Hill, who plays Margaret Dutton, this summer. The studio and the streaming service are really banking on 1883 to follow in Yellowstone’s footsteps and become a major hit.
“Yellowstone is a massive hit show with tens of millions of fans,” said Chris McCarthy, President and CEO of MTV Entertainment Group. “With 1883, we are taking those fans back to the origin story, and in the process, turning the Yellowstone world into a global hit franchise to fuel the growth of Paramount+. We are thrilled to have Sam, Tim and Faith as the stars of Taylor Sheridan’s new series exclusively for Paramount+ around the world.”
Whether their gamble pays off remains to be seen. But this is a Taylor Sheridan series, so you know the production partners involved will be sparing no expense to ensure that it does.
