Isabel May, playing Elsa Dutton in the ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff, ‘1883,’ left the series after its first season in 2022. In a chat with TV Guide that year, the actress revealed that she already knew about the character’s ending:
“It was the first thing that Taylor [Sheridan] told me, so I already knew the trajectory of her story before I read anything. It was the first sentence he uttered when he called me, so I’ve had quite some time to just be comfortable with that.”
May took part in the series both as one of its leads and narrator. But her role in the story ended with the character’s death in the final episode of the show, which she talked about by adding:
“And I think it’s a beautiful, very real story. It’s tragic, of course, but it’s reflective of, unfortunately, most people’s journeys at that time.”
Sheridan himself later mentioned his thoughts about the finale in a chat with Deadline:
“I created this peek through time to show you this one specific journey. I’m not someone who likes to tie everything up in a bow and explain how everyone lived happily after — or didn’t. I’d rather you imagine it.”
While ‘1883’ wrapped up without a second season or new episodes due to being a limited series, Isabel May’s voice returned in its follow-up, ‘1923,’ serving once again as the narrator.
Reportedly, ‘1923’ will be renewed for a second season, although it’s unclear whether the actress will come back in the upcoming episodes currently on hold due to the writers’ strike.
Still, May left an open door for future projects with Sheridan while talking to The Hollywood Reporter about the topic. You can find her words on the matter here.