Behind Us, A Cliff
We follow the Dutton family as they struggle to cope with the aftermath of the battle. James’s mother, Sarah, is particularly affected by the death of her son. She starts to drink heavily and become reclusive, while James struggles to deal with his guilt and feelings of responsibility. The family also deals with the fact that their home is now a crime scene.
The caravan makes camp at Trinity River in Texas. Unlike the harsh, inhospitable world of Fort Worth, Trinity River is heaven by comparison. Elsa’s narration is poetic and beautiful, with one line mentioning how the trees are dotted about like little villages.
The beauty of a country’s landscape can be deceptive. The long grass may look green, but hidden in its depths is the potential for disaster. The smallpox and other illnesses are a real threat, and the carriage host to several skeletal bodies is a reminder of that.
Claire is in camp, and some of the Germans are drinking from the river. Claire is not happy about this. She says, “Better to die out here than on the trail.”
Elsa tries to talk with the travelers about their fate, but they are too stupid to understand.
We know that Elsa is not like other women here, and James’s nicely worded dialogue about decent men typifies this nicely. He sees his daughter not as a stay at home girl but as one of the riders – and more than capable to hold her own.
As the sun slowly rises over the horizon, the horse riders all join together to round up some wild cattle. There are some absolutely gorgeous shots here, and for anyone who’s been there to watch a sunrise over the horizon, it really is an amazing experience.
Anyway, in their absence, things take a horrible turn. Back at camp, a whole bunch of arrogant cowboys show up. After allowing their horses to drink by the river, Claire appears and throws rocks at them. Margaret eventually pulls a shotgun when things turn violent, leading to a big fight around camp. In truth, it’s a bit of a massacre as many of the Germans wind up dead. ..
When Shea, Thomas, James and the others ride back to camp, they scoop up Josef, the German-speaking Englishman, and head to Fort Worth to find those responsible – and speak to the Marshall. ..
Josef points out the culprits in the saloon and they are subsequently killed for their actions. This singular action is bound to spark some backlash, and Shea knows that. He warns that there’s going to be heat on them now and they best be ready to move out in the morning.
Claire’s daughter, Mary, dies in the earlier shooting. Her cold demeanor and ill-temper make a lot more sense now.
Claire has had enough. She’s had seven children and all of them have died before her. It’s too much for anyone to bear, and Claire is now done. She’s going to stay at Trinity River with James. ..
James stays behind to bury Claire, and Shea shows his admiration for her courage by joining him in doing so.
The Episode Review
1883 has been a great watch so far, with beautiful imagery throughout. The sunrise scene with silhouettes of Elsa and James is magnificent and the show is full of these visual treats. ..
The juxtaposition of the beauty of Elsa’s walk through the woods with the horrors off the world is particularly interesting. ..
Similarly, the poetic opening of showing James rather than Elsa this time looking upon the horrors of war is such a great contrast. ..
Claire and Mary’s deaths typify 1883 as a whole and this episode we see both Claire and Mary perish. It’s perhaps been a delayed inevitability, although it’s nice to finally understand Claire’s hostility right at the end. Her tough love toward Elsa now makes a lot more sense; bearing witness to 7 children dying must be one hell of a burden.
The caravan is moving into uncharted territory, and there’s also the faint hint of some romance brewing between Wade and Elsa. We’ll have to wait and see on that front though!
