Why Tim McGraw Doesn't Want To See Any More 1883 Flashbacks On Yellowstone
As the origin story of "Yellowstone," "1883" follows John Dutton's great-grandparents as they traverse the Wild West as part of a wagon train searching for a new life — and land — along the Oregon Trail.
The Paramount+ prequel, which stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as James and Margaret Dutton, was released during Season 4 of "Yellowstone," where the original Paramount Network series used its prowess to promote "1883" via a pair of flashbacks spread out across the season. The strategy worked, and "1883" was a success.
Now that Season 1 of "1883" has ended, and the original cast is not expected to return for Season 2's spin-off "The Bass Reeves Story," fans may be wondering if they'll see the 19th-century Duttons in another flash from the past on "Yellowstone." The resounding answer is "no," if McGraw has any say in the matter.
During a recent roundtable interview that included Looper at the U.K. launch of Paramount+ — on which "Yellowstone" and "1883" are now available — McGraw revealed why he doesn't want to see any more "1883" flashbacks on "Yellowstone."
McGraw feels more flashbacks would 'water down' the series
In the first flashback on "Yellowstone," fans were introduced to McGraw's "1883" character James. In the second reminiscence, the audience got a glimpse into the future of "1883," fast-forwarding about 10 years beyond the show — but leaving several unanswered questions. It's always possible another recollection could occur, but it's highly unlikely.
"I don't feel like [more] flashbacks would be a good thing," says McGraw. "I don't want to water down our characters. I feel like the show stood on its own so well, and those characters are such a part of us, that I'd hate to go back and sort of just piecemeal them together and revisit them in little segments. I don't know that I'd want to do that."
So, for now, fans will just have to be content with the way "1883" ended and look forward to the new season, "1883: The Bass Reeves Story," which has no set release date yet.
Paramount+ is now available in the United Kingdom, where you can watch all available episodes of "Yellowstone" and "1883."