It sounds like the stars behind Yellowstone 1883 had a blast, not least because of how they all met. While coming together to make the Yellowstone spin-off, their first meetings weren’t what you might imagine for one of the best TV series currently running.
In fact, the 1883 cast members came together literally on Cowboy Camp, where they got a rundown of life in the old west. LaMonica Garrett, who played Thomas on the drama series, recalled meeting Sam Elliot in a particularly unusual way.
“It was at the shooting range, and I didn’t want to approach him,” Garett told TVLine. “Like, how are we going to do this? And he kind of looked at me with that wry look, and I’m like, ‘He’s staring at me. OK. This is about to happen.’ And he came over to me and he gave me a hug, and we just hit it off from the absolute beginning and just built on the relationship.”
Certainly an appropriate way to get into the vibe of the thriller series! Garrett and Elliot worked closely together, since Thomas helps Shea lead their group of travelers making their way across the United States.
Garrett adds that their bond is unique, even among the best Westerns, in how it explores masculinity and race. “The genre is a gruff, hard [place]. You don’t see a tenderness between people like this, like a brotherhood, you know?” he explains. “They held each other accountable and they were loyal to each other, and they were all each other had, especially after Shea’s family, what happened in the opening scene, Thomas and Shea just grew closer from that, and then I think it resonated.”
All of which contributes to 1883 being one of the finer parts of the Yellowstone timeline so far. There won’t be a second season per se, but we do have Lawmen Bass Reeves release date to look forward, which is set around the same period.
We also have the 1923 season 2 release date. They help take the sting out of Yellowstone season 5 part 2 being in limbo. If you’re someone who’s struggling with that, you might enjoy our feature on Yellowstone breaking up with you.