Yellowstone's new prequel series, 1883, features diseases like smallpox and cholera in its two-episode premiere. The series arrived exclusively on Paramount+ on December 19th and is already poised to follow in Yellowstone's footsteps when it comes to family drama, violence, and classic conflicts of the Western genre. But the show is also notably set in a much different time period, that of the late 19th century when traveling West could mean certain death in any number of ways, and as such 1883 features some dangers Yellowstone's characters have never had to deal with: the time period's most life-threatening diseases.
1883's cast of characters features real-life country star couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as James and Margaret Dutton, the distant ancestors of Yellowstone's central ranching family. The first two episodes show the beginning of their journey West from Fort Worth, Texas, along with their daughter Elsa Dutton (Isabel May), who narrates the series, and a wagon caravan of European immigrants traveling to Oregon. Captain Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) and his partner Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) lead and protect the group, along with German immigrant Josef (Marc Rissmann) and cowboys Wade (James Landry Hébert) and Ennis (Eric Nelsen). The show also stars Billy Bob Thornton as real historical figure Marshal Jim Courtwright, and 1883 episode 2, "Behind Us, A Cliff" also incorporates a flashback featuring Tom Hanks as Civil War General George Meade.
But along with all of these talented actors, smallpox and cholera are also the stars of the show in 1883's two episodes thus far. Brennan loses his entire family to the former during episode 1's first twenty minutes, and the immigrant caravan suffers from both in the two-episode premiere. This is one way in which 1883 seems to be shooting for historical accuracy, as there were pandemics of both diseases in the United States and Europe around the same time that the series takes place.
Cholera, an infection of the small intestine that's transmitted mainly through food and drinking water, was a major disease of the 19th century, first occurring in an 1810s pandemic. There were several waves of it throughout the 19th century, during the latter of which it reached the United States. This is clearly the case in 1883, when Elsa, played by Young Sheldon's Veronica actress, Isabel May, notices several of the Oregon group members sick after drinking straight from the river near Fort Worth. Though cholera epidemics weren't quite as deadly in the U.S. as in Europe, Asia, and Africa, it was still a problem Westward travelers could expect to experience, particularly near more populated areas like Fort Worth with inadequate sewage systems.
Smallpox is a much older disease, though, unlike cholera, it has been deemed successfully eradicated by the World Health Organization. Back in the day, however, it claimed a staggering number of lives all across the world, including in the United States. Because it was highly contagious, smallpox was particularly feared, which is why Brennan immediately kicks a couple out of the Oregon group when he finds the disease's signature blisters on the husband's back. Given the setting of Yellowstone's prequel show in 1883, it's also especially relevant that members of the primarily German immigrant group are found with smallpox since a major pandemic of it swept Europe from 1870-1875 as a result of the Franco-Prussian War. This may not be the exact reason Brennan finds smallpox among the group in Fort Worth, Texas nearly a decade later, but it does indicate that 1883's creative team understands the show's setting. As 1883 releases more episodes, it's likely that disease will continue to play a significant role, along with the time period's, and the location's, other unique dangers.
1883 releases new episodes Sundays only on Paramount+