Did Isabel May’s Elsa Dutton Leave 1923?

Isabel May’s Elsa Dutton is one of the major characters in the entire ‘Yellowstone’ franchise. In the first prequel series ‘1883,’ she joins her father, James Dillard Dutton, and mother, Margaret Dutton, to leave for Texas from Tennessee in search of better living conditions as part of a wagon train. Elsa, among her parents and allies, faces several challenges and life-threatening predicaments. Tragically, towards the end of the period drama, a poisoned arrow shot by a Native American warrior kills her. Despite her death in ‘1883,’ she remains a part of the franchise by becoming the narrator of Paramount+’s ‘1923.’ However, the second season premiere creates a concern regarding the character’s existence in the installment! SPOILERS AHEAD.

1923 Season 2 Premiere Does Not Feature Elsa Dutton’s Narration

‘1923’ introduces Jacob and Cara Dutton, the protagonists, with the help of their niece, Elsa Dutton, as the narrator. Since Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren were not part of the cast of ‘1883,’ it was important for Taylor Sheridan, the creator and writer of the show, to establish their characters in the series premiere properly. Elsa’s narration helps this process immensely, especially because of her personal relationship with the current Dutton patriarch and matriarch. Since she is a dead character, the show also succeeds in presenting her as an omnipresent and omniscient narrator. Her words and explanations provide the viewers with adequate context regarding the lives and actions of the Duttons.

However, Elsa’s significant narration and invisible presence cannot be found in the second season premiere. The episode begins with Cara Dutton’s words to Spencer, explaining the hardships in the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. She writes to her nephew, Elsa’s brother, that Jacob had to sell a large portion of their cattle not to let the money they owe Donald Whitfield suffocate them. Cara’s narration raises the question of why she is employed as the narrator rather than Elsa. Does this mean Isabel May is no longer a part of the period drama? Not really.

1923 Season 2 Will Feature Isabel May’s Voice

Isabel May has not departed from ‘1923.’ The actress is part of the Western show’s second season, and she is even listed among the main cast members in the title sequence, which clarifies that we haven’t listened to the last of her in the period drama. First of all, not every episode of the series features a narration from May’s Elsa. In the first season, only five out of eight episodes include her words, which means that her absence as a narrator in the second season premiere is not out of the ordinary or something concerning.

Secondly, using Cara’s narration over Elsa’s in the second season premiere is an apt choice that enhances the episode’s storylines. The first episode of the sophomore installment mainly revolves around the hardships Jacob and Cara face while trying to save their ranch. They are immersed in the sadness of having to sell their cattle just to partially pay back the money of a vicious and wealthy businessman named Donald Whitfield. Since these plot developments concern Cara directly, her words hold more strength than Elsa’s, especially since these materialistic concerns no longer matter to the latter.

In Cara’s voice, we can observe her helplessness and sadness, which enhances the depiction of her wait for Spencer. The war veteran’s plight to return to Montana becomes more moving and effective after listening to his aunt worry about the fate of their land. Thus, the selection of Cara as the episode’s narrator does not mean that Elsa is no longer a part of the show. We can now expect to listen to May in the upcoming episodes of the second season of the Western drama.