The Paramount+ series 1883 is an intense, beautifully filmed prequel to Taylor Sheridan's critically-acclaimed series, Yellowstone. It's a western in every classic sense, laying out a tale of brave pioneers making their way west under harrowing conditions in the 1800s. It features thrilling shoot-outs, conflicts with rival cowboy gangs, and believable depictions of domestic life on the trail.
1883 is a story of tragedy and violence, but also of family and love. Along the Dutton family's journey, a classic boy-meets-girl love affair unfolds between Elsa Dutton and cowboy Ennis, who was hired on to assist with wrangling wild cattle. The two are an unlikely match at first, but the relationship which unfolds between them is intense and tragic — a perfect microcosmic representation of the whole series. Even though viewers are given several details about the short-lived union, many unknowns lurk below the surface.
10 Elsa Had English Training
It's clear from early in the series that Elsa Dutton is an expert horseback rider, but her style slightly differs from that of the cowboys in her company. This is because she was trained in the English style of riding, rather than the western style. This isn't something shown to viewers in the first season, but that specific detail becomes evident from how she carries herself while on horseback. It's just one of many ways in which Elsa Dutton stands out from the crowd throughout the series.
9 Elsa's Death Was Always Planned
The powerful opening scene features Elsa getting shot through the stomach with an arrow. Many viewers believed she would survive her injury because it seemed unreasonable for the series to kill off its main character. However, Taylor Sheridan had planned for Elsa to die from the beginning of writing 1883. He intentionally gave fans the sense that there was potential for Elsa to survive in order to give her death greater impact. Sheridan is known to be a very methodical writer, who carefully plans his scripts as he goes along — a fact evidenced by how Elsa's storyline unfolds.
8 Cowboy Ennis Was A Plot Device
Cowboy Ennis is the comic relief of the series, but he's given very little in the way of backstory. He and his partner, Wade, drift into the main storyline when they meet cowboy Shea Brennan in a saloon, and later sign on to help the travelers wrangle wild cattle. Cowboy Ennis is a lovable character, and he has a solid (though short-lived) character arc across the five episodes in which he appears. However, it's clear he doesn't have as much development as the other main characters. This is because his primary function was to move Elsa's storyline along. Cowboy Ennis' death led to Elsa's loss of innocence, which was crucial to her development as a character.
7 Cowboy Ennis's Death Broke Eric Nelsen's Heart, Too
When Eric Nelsen signed on to play fan-favorite Cowboy Ennis in the series, he wasn't aware of the character's eventual fate. After the first episode had been filmed, Taylor Sheridan gave him the rest of the script to read, so he would know what to expect from his character. Eric Nelsen took the news very hard when he read the rest of the script and discovered how Episode 5 unfolded for the cowboy. In interviews, Eric Nelsen has described himself as "heartbroken" after reading the script for Ennis's final episode and believes Ennis died a hero because, in the process of dying, he also saved Elsa.
6 Margaret Foretold Their Relationship's Demise
Before their love affair even takes off, Elsa's mother Margaret gives audiences a sense of what might happen to the young couple. She bemoans the absence of gentlemen on the frontier while speaking to Elsa's father, James. Most poignantly, she says: "I'm afraid it's not fair."
Unfortunately, Margaret is very correct. Ennis is certainly no gentleman and, as it turns out, life on the frontier is indeed very unfair for the young couple. The relationship ends in Episode 5 nearly as quickly as it began, with Ennis's tragic death.
5 Elsa And Ennis Weren't Intimate Their First Night Together
Elsa and Ennis share their first kiss in Episode 4 while guarding the cattle herd, right before Elsa's father, James catches them. It's a sweet, relatively innocent moment for the budding young couple, and that innocence is maintained throughout the night. When Elsa awakens the next morning, Ennis is already on his horse waiting for her. Their presence alone in the field together in the morning suggests the possibility they consummated their relationship the night before, but this is not the case. The intimacy they share in Episode 5 is the first and only time for the couple.
4 Rumors Swirled About A Pregnancy
Fans were abuzz with curiosities regarding whether Elsa was pregnant with Ennis's child, which would make her fatal arrow wound even more tragic. Since Ennis was such a beloved character, a child from the union was probably wishful thinking. Margaret and Elsa argue about babies and pregnancy, which was fuel for the speculative fire. There were even theories that a child named Spencer, seen in Yellowstone flashbacks, was Elsa's son. Elsa's death during Episode 10 put these theories to rest, but they were a hot topic throughout the first season.
3 James Accurately Predicts Elsa's Maturation
When James catches Elsa and Ennis kissing, audiences can't help but laugh at his angry expression. It's reminiscent of a familiar teenage moment for most people, and James's response gives viewers an insight into his gentle-hearted nature. He tells Elsa he can't treat her like a child "when worried," and showed some acceptance for his daughter's first foray into an adult relationship. James's comment about Elsa being essentially half child, half adult is accurate to her emotional maturity at the time, and his blessing of the union is what paves the way for Elsa to transition into full adulthood. James sensed the relationship between them would lead to Elsa growing up, and he was correct — but it occurs through sadness and tragedy, rather than through happiness and love.
2 Elsa's Choice Of Music Is Prophetic
Elsa plays Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata for Ennis and Wade on a piano one of the immigrants had to abandon while crossing a river. It's a sad, mournful piece that she plays as events by the riverside go tragically wrong.
Her choice to play this piece isn't random: the first movement of the sonata was inspired by a famous murder which occurred during Beethoven's lifetime. The fact she plays the song for Ennis, and cries while doing so, mirrors what happens when Ennis dies in Episode 5: Elsa lets out a mournful scream as her new love loses his life.
1 Their Unofficial Engagement Is A Stepping Stone
After Elsa and Ennis consummate their relationship, Elsa all but informs him they are now engaged. This is pretty indicative of how seriously teens like Elsa take their first sexual experiences and is a reflection of how naive she is at the time. It also sets the stage for her relationship with Sam, who will later become her unofficial husband. Elsa grew exponentially through her short romance with Ennis, and her more serious relationship with Sam is a representation of that growth. Elsa's relationships with men are used as stepping stones to demonstrate her growth as a person, and her engagement to Ennis is a crucial turning point.