YELLOWSTONE 1883 aired its season finale at the weekend and the series said goodbye to its narrator Elsa Dutton. Why did Isabel May leave the series?
Yellowstone fans were left heartbroken following the tragic finale to Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 series. The Paramount TV drama confirmed Elsa Dutton (played by Isabel May) died after she was shot with an arrow. Express.co.uk has all you need to know about why the actress left the prequel.
Why did Isabel May leave Y 1883?
Elsa Dutton was a fan-favourite in the series and she suffered a terrible fate in the penultimate episode.
Having tried to warn the group of a revenge attack, Elsa was shot by a dirty arrow which caused an infection.
Fans were left on the edge of their seats as they hoped she would survive the rest of the journey.
Yet she was seen entering her own version of Heaven, where she met Sam (Martin Sensmeier) and they had their happily ever after moment.
With her death confirmed, viewers are wondering why she chose to leave after just one season.
Sadly it was always Elsa’s destiny to die as it was her legacy that led to the founding of the Dutton ranch in Montana.
Her story is a self-contained arc, meaning her death was a creative decision.
Elsa needed to die in order for Montana to be established as the site for the Yellowstone ranch.
This would explain why James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret (Faith Hill) Dutton chose to settle where they did.
James had sadly foreseen his daughter’s death and as a father, he wanted to make plans for after she was gone.
Fans may be wondering whether Elsa will continue to narrate the series in a second season.
In theory, she has been narrating from the grave this whole time, so it is entirely possible.
Yet the star has remained tight-lipped over whether she will return in any capacity in future episodes.
Speaking to TV Guide May said: “It was the first thing that Taylor 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.
“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.”
The series confirmed more episodes would be on the way later in 2022, so only time will tell.
The star is on Instagram and she paid tribute to her time on the show.
She posted a black and white photo of herself as Elsa, with a yellow heart.
Fans took to the comments to share their thoughts on her exit and they admitted they had been left heartbroken.
kdeenihan said: “I was not prepared to have mascara running down my face.”
a_spoiled_wifes_life added: “I’ve never cried so hard at a tv show!! You are an AMAZING actor!”
bakascakery said: “Omg. I will miss you. How can they let you go????!!!!”
She may have been a pivotal character in the Western melodrama but there was a solid reason for her demise.
The entire Yellowstone timeline would have been altered had she survived from the arrow wound.