‘1883’ Season 1 Episode 6 Recap: “Boring The Devil”

By
Rebecca Murray
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1883 Season 1 Episode 6
Sam Elliott as Shea and Isabel May as Elsa in ‘1883’ season 1 episode 6 (Photo Cr: Emerson Miller / Paramount+ © 2022 MTV Entertainment Studios)

Paramount+ gave 1883 fans a two-week break to recuperate from the devastating events in episode five, returning on January 30, 2022 with season one episode six, “Boring The Devil.” The group is preparing to get on the move as the episode begins and Elsa (Isabel May) remains inconsolable, stretched out in the back of the family’s wagon and crying over the tragic death of her first love, Ennis.

In a voiceover, Elsa reveals her mother’s tried to assure her the pain will fade but at this point, the wound’s still too fresh to even think about going on with life without Ennis.

Shea (Sam Elliott), Thomas (LaMonica Garrett), and James (Tim McGraw) spot a group of cowboys working cattle and Thomas suggests they try and hire away some of the men as well as the cook. “You can’t mess with an outfit’s cook. You steal their cattle, they wouldn’t be madder,” replies Shea.

That said, Shea’s still determined to hire a cook and more men at their first opportunity.

Elsa discovers she’s started her period. She won’t be raising a baby on her own after all.

Elsa finds an unlikely shoulder to lean on in Shea. He knows how she feels and has been in her place not that long ago. Shea admits he struggles with going on with his life without his family, and every day he still considers why he should continue to exist.

Elsa wonders why he chooses to keep on living and he confesses his reasons are different from hers. At least she still has a family who loves her. He’s alone.

Shea lets Elsa in on his well-kept secret. He passes on wisdom delivered to him by an Apache scout, explaining he believes that when you love someone you trade pieces of your souls. When his wife died, he retained a piece of her within him. He’s heading to the ocean and when he arrives he’ll sit on the beach and allow her to see the ocean through his eyes. That was her dream; his dream is to see her again. (Absolutely fantastic writing and acting in this scene.)

Elsa’s obviously moved by Shea’s story and by this quiet conversation she’s shared with the usually gruff cowboy. As he walks away, he says the herd could really use its cowgirl back in her saddle.

Elsa looks to the heavens for a few moments and then fetches her horse. She’s ready to get back to work.

The group pauses to do business with traders, and Thomas offers to help Noemi (Gratiela Brancusi) sell her husband’s belongings. He doesn’t think she should deal with the traders and instead should remain behind to keep her children safe.

Noemi wants to sell her husband’s shotgun, but Thomas advises her she’ll need it. He also offers to teach her how to use it.

Margaret (Faith Hill) swaps places with James and joins Elsa watching over the herd. Elsa doesn’t want to leave her post, but Margaret asks her to accompany her to do business with the traders. Wade (James Landry Hébert) asks for a chocolate bar and Margaret assures him she’ll buy one if they have any for sale.

Mother and daughter receive plenty of stares from the mostly male traders as they ride through the marketplace. Elsa calls out one man who won’t stop staring and he makes a huge mistake by telling her she dresses like she enjoys the attention. She pulls out her pistol and aims for his head. Margaret calls out to James who’s nearby helping John find something to buy. He arrives just as the man has also pulled out his gun while taunting Elsa.

James places his pistol to the side of the man’s head and assures him he’s willing to use it. The man holsters his weapon and James warns he’ll be keeping an eye out for him in the future. The man claims he’s heading to Fort Worth and James suggests he get on his way immediately.

After the stranger rides off, James makes Elsa hand over her gun. He warns her never to point it at anyone unless she’s going to use it, and Elsa assures her dad she was going to shoot the obnoxious stranger. James sends her back to camp and, surprisingly, she rides off without saying another word.

1883 Season 1 Episode 6
Rita Wilson as Carolyn and Faith Hill as Margaret in ‘1883’ season 1 episode 6 (Photo Cr: Emerson Miller / Paramount+ © 2022 MTV Entertainment Studios)

Margaret enters a store and the proprietor, Carolyn – played by Rita Wilson (hubby Tom Hanks cameoed in episode 2) – witnessed the altercation. “Pretty short fuse on that girl,” she says. Margaret agrees and then reveals she’s the girl’s mom after the woman makes a rude comment about Elsa’s upbringing.

Carolyn offers to make up for her error with a free lemonade. Margaret turns it down but says yes to the follow-up offer of a whiskey punch. Margaret’s amazed to discover the woman has ice, and they toast each other before sipping their drinks.

Minutes later, they’re like old friends relaxing in chairs outside Carolyn’s store. They have fun chatting while drinking.

Elsa returns to the herd and Wade asks about the trading post. She claims it wasn’t worth going and Wade says they never are. According to Wade all a cowboy (or cowgirl) needs is stars for a blanket, the ground for a bed, a good horse, and open country.

Back at the trading post, Thomas attempts to hire a cook who has his own chuck wagon. Thomas promises once the journey’s done he’ll put the man and his wagon on a train and send him wherever he wants. The deal’s struck as long as Thomas guarantees they’ll play by the man’s rules when it comes to meals.

The freshly hired cook asks for $600 to stock up since he won’t have another opportunity to do so until they reach Wyoming. He visits Carolyn’s store and leaves with plenty of fresh supplies.

Thomas sells Noemi’s husband’s belongings for $35 and then tosses in his own $15 to purchase a beautiful mirror. (This really seems to be an unnecessary extravagance for a man who claims not to want to be in a relationship with the pretty widow.)

Thomas successfully hired a cook and Shea’s also successful at hiring a cowboy named Colton to assist with the cattle and with keeping the group safe. Although Colton was initially hesitant, he changed his tune when he spotted Elsa on horseback.

The newcomer knows Wade well and asks about Elsa. Wade explains she and Ennis were a couple until Ennis took a bullet during an attack by bandits. Wade assures Colton that Elsa “won’t be in the mood” for him, but he doesn’t listen to the warning.

Colton attempts to introduce himself and Elsa gives him the cold shoulder. It’s not until Colton reveals he was a friend of Ennis’ and is sorry to hear he was murdered that Elsa actually pays attention. Colton thought Ennis was a good man and offers to help in any way he can.

Colton returns to Wade and says, “They were more than paired up. She’s acting like a damn widow.” Wade agrees and says Elsa is a widow.

James rides up with John and Elsa barely reacts. He warns her not to go looking for trouble, but Elsa insists trouble found her; she wasn’t looking for it.

Shea needs James’ help and James attempts to pass off John to Elsa to take to her mom. However, Elsa shocks the men when she reveals Margaret hasn’t returned from the trading post. James and Shea ride back to the post and spot Margaret’s horse outside a building. James checks around inside and she’s not there. He’s becoming increasingly concerned by the minute until he hears laughter from nearby.

James finds his wife and Carolyn obviously drunk and having a good ol’ time. They’re nearly rolling on the floor with laughter but James remains serious as he announces he has to go study the river. He doesn’t even crack a smile as he walks away shaking his head.

Margaret’s so tipsy she falls out of her rocking chair while Carolyn laughs hysterically.

James, Shea, and Thomas check out the nearby river and it’s going to be another incredibly difficult crossing. James believes the best way to cross is if they handle the wagons themselves and then use the small rowboats currently resting on the bank to take the immigrants over one at a time. Shea’s upset this will be a two-day delay and after James walks away, Thomas reminds him he doesn’t need to do what James suggests. Shea admits he’s actually angry because James is right. If they do it any other way, it will result in multiple deaths.

James retrieves his passed-out wife and as they make their way back to camp, she tells him she’ll never forgive him for what this journey has cost Elsa. “I look in her eyes and the person staring back at me I don’t recognize,” says Margaret. James confesses he doesn’t forgive himself and then rides away.

That night James joins Elsa watching over the herd and shares the story of the first man he killed. James never speaks about his time in the Civil War but now he describes shooting a boy who was a flag bearer for the Union army. They always took out the flag bearer first to confuse the enemy, and James confesses the boy’s face was burned into his brain. However, by the time the battle was over he’d killed so many men he could no longer picture his face. He still can’t to this day.

“That man you shot was already dead,” says James. He assures her she isn’t a murderer; that man would have either been hung or bled out anyway.

Elsa listens carefully with tears in her eyes as her dad continues to pour his heart out in hopes of soothing her broken one. “The meanest thing you can do to yourself is hate somebody else. I know what it feels like to hate the world. You don’t want to feel it, honey,” says James. He assures her it’s okay to be sad and cry, but not to hate.

“You leave hating to me,” says James before riding back to camp.

Thomas pays a visit to Noemi and tells her he got $35 for her items. She offers him a tasty stew of rabbit and rattlesnake, revealing she figured out how to use the shotgun. Thomas hands her the mirror and she’s shocked he’s giving her a gift. Thomas claims he bought her a present because she’s scared and sad, but Noemi’s confused since he won’t marry her yet wants her happy and safe.

“Me letting you take care of me is not fear – it’s loving you back,” says Noemi.

Noemi removes her clothing and closes the gap between them. She assures Thomas he’s the scared one, not her. She leans in for a kiss and Thomas doesn’t pull away.

The following morning Elsa wakes from sleeping in the grass and recalls being with Ennis and loving everything about him. These memories of their short time together bring a sense of peace and in a voiceover she reveals she can see in color once again.

She rides up to Colton and introduces herself as Elsa after having refused to share her name the first time he asked. She warns him not to flirt with her and then steals Ennis’ line, teasing that Colton’s too pretty for her.

Margaret and James are still a little at odds in the morning, and she doesn’t immediately embrace his suggestion that she ride his horse across the river while he handles the wagon. James doesn’t care if she forgives him; he’s not willing to lose her to a river.

Margaret forgives him and the discussion’s over.

Shea and Elsa share another quiet conversation before the hectic day begins. He’s happy there’s a spring in her step again, and she confesses he’s the only one who talked to her about Ennis. She thanks him and gives him a sweet peck on the cheek while smiling.

Elsa’s horse loves the water and she rides out into the river while Shea watches her, obviously moved by the simple act of gratitude. It’s also obvious he sees his own deceased daughter in this fierce young lady.

The episode ends with Elsa’s voiceover explaining they’re about to leave Texas and enter Indian territory.




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