There may not be another creative storyteller working in the industry today who has more power than Taylor Sheridan, who has built an

empire with the many shows that he has created for Paramount. While even Kevin Feige and James Gunn are bound by source material

with their leadership of Marvel and DC Studios, respectively, Sheridan has crafted an entire universe based on his own ideas. Sheridan’s

 

 

shows aren’t going away anytime soon, either, as he has many new programs in active development. Yellowstone may have been what kicked off the entire universe, but Sheridan did his best work with the limited series 1883. In addition to being the oldest entry in the Yellowstone timeline, 1883 offered the most unique approach to telling an ensemble epic.

 

 

1883 is necessary viewing for Yellowstone fans, as it explores the origins of the Dutton Ranch that is so central to the core series; it also directly sets up the events of 1923, the follow-up prequel series starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. However, 1883 is a great

 

 

introduction to Sheridan’s writing style because it shows how strong he can be at recollecting nuanced historical details and building a robust ensemble of fascinating characters with unique motivations. Despite being a single season consisting of only ten episodes, 1883 showed that Sheridan wasn’t content to just play the old hits and could do something innovative and experimental within the franchise that he crafted.

 

 

Sheridan has often been accused of lionizing aggressive, toxic male anti-heroes like Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) in Landman or Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) in Tulsa King, but Elliott’s performance as Brennan is among the most sensitive, vulnerable heroes that Sheridan has ever created. The gruff attitude that Brennan has is a result of the violence that he has witnessed on the battlefield and the crushing loss of losing his loved ones, both of which have taught him not to take anything for granted; it’s a particularly powerful performance for those who have followed Elliott’s career, as he is one of the most recognizable modern Western stars.

Sheridan has often been accused of lionizing aggressive, toxic male anti-heroes like Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) in Landman or Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) in Tulsa King, but Elliott’s performance as Brennan is among the most sensitive, vulnerable heroes that Sheridan has ever created. The gruff attitude that Brennan has is a result of the violence that he has witnessed on the battlefield and the crushing loss of losing his loved ones, both of which have taught him not to take anything for granted; it’s a particularly powerful performance for those who have followed Elliott’s career, as he is one of the most recognizable modern Western stars.

Few things are more important to Brennan than loyalty, which is why he gets so infuriated when he finds that members of the expedition have been feuding and stealing from one another. Brennan’s reluctance to ask for help does not come from haughtiness, but rather an inability to put more lives at risk; he seeks to survive not for selfish reasons, but because he doesn’t believe anyone else would be equipped to lead the trip safely. This sparks a fascinating dynamic with James Dutton, a character whom he has political reasons for distrusting. While they are both veterans of the Civil War, Brennan fought for freedom in the Union Army, whereas Dutton served the Confederacy.