The narrative follows the ancestors of the Dutton family — specifically James Dutton (played by Tim McGraw) and his wife Margaret Dutton (played by Faith Hill) — as they leave poverty in Tennessee/Texas and join a wagon‑train expedition across the Great Plains toward Montana. Their journey is guided by Shea Brennan (played by Sam Elliott), a rugged ex‑Union captain turned Pinkerton agent, among other characters. The series is heavily grounded in the reality of the American West in 1883: dangers of frontier life, immigrant experiences, Indigenous conflicts, disease, weather, and the dream of a new life.
| Name | First Aired | Runtime | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S01E01 | 1883 |
December 19, 2021
Paramount+
|
67 | |
| S01E02 | Behind Us, a Cliff |
December 19, 2021
Paramount+
|
59 | |
| S01E03 | River |
December 26, 2021
Paramount+
|
43 | |
| S01E04 | The Crossing |
January 9, 2022
Paramount+
|
54 | |
| S01E05 | The Fangs of Freedom |
January 16, 2022
Paramount+
|
55 | |
| S01E06 | Boring the Devil |
January 30, 2022
Paramount+
|
51 | |
| S01E07 | Lightning Yellow Hair |
February 6, 2022
Paramount+
|
52 | |
| S01E08 | The Weep of Surrender |
February 13, 2022
Paramount+
|
55 | |
| S01E09 | Racing Clouds |
February 20, 2022
Paramount+
|
56 | |
| S01E10 |
This Is Not Your Heaven
series finale
|
February 27, 2022
Paramount+
|
66 |