laMonica Garrett, left, Sam Elliott in the original Paramount + Series LaMonica Garrett, left, Elliott Medal in the original Paramount + Series "1883."
(CNN) For fans of the West, "1883" definitely looks like a real deal, coming from "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan and featuring Sam Elliott as a complex cowboy. However, the execution feels antiquated, and offers less incentive to turn around and see how these pioneers behave on their journey than to go, for example, to see "Deadwood", which occupies roughly the same historical period.
One problem is the heavy narration, which is very similar to those letters read during Ken Burns' "Civil War". Here, the sound belongs to Elsa (Isabelle May), the daughter of James and Margaret Dutton (Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, who provide a powerful sound to country music while letting the couple act).
& # 39; Yellowstone & # 39; Season 4 premiere breaks records
Season 4 premiere of 'Yellowstone' breaks records
A Civil War veteran (filmed in flashback during a later episode), Dutton takes Horace Greeley's "Go West" advice to heart, seeking a better life by making the perilous journey from Fort Worth, Texas to Montana, where the Duttons are currently from Yellowstone resides. (While ostensibly this is an introduction, this is a very poor connection.)
James is a tough guy, but lacks the weapons to survive in the wilderness, as he makes the journey with four women and a young boy (his family, plus a widowed mother and daughter). Reluctantly, he takes on the ill-tempered Elliott's Shea Brennan, who leads a group of immigrants in search of a better life with his companion Thomas (LaMonica Garrett), who shares Brennan's penchant for laconic answers and tough solutions.
To the series' credit, the show doesn't pull much punch in painting its picture of a semi-outlaw, with James receiving plenty of warnings when he arrives in Fort Worth before his family. Interspersed, however, is a choppy dialogue that often seems to be taken from old Westerns, as James was told, "You draw your gun in this town, sir, you'd better know how to use it."
Writing and directing the premiere, Sheridan has orchestrated some of the standout characters, and Elliott remains born to this type of role, providing the absolute best reason to give the shot "1883." There are also consequences along the way, underlining the significant risks associated with westward expansion while adding an element of unpredictability to the drama.
Sheridan built on the popularity of Yellowstone to become a major supplier to Paramount, as 1883 approached in the wake of the forgettable "Mayor of Kingstown."
