Episode 1 had its moments, but was a bit confusing, too.
Elsa filled in the just enough backstory to bridge the 40 year gap from 1883. Excellent - no need to wonder why Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have been replaced by Harrison Ford and Helen Miram.
On the other hand, one might need the IMDB cast list to figure out things like which gray beard is the grown-up version of 1883's cute little John Dutton, whether Zane is a Dutton or just a top hand, or if any of these guys' wives have actual names. (I wasn't actually sure we had met adult John yet until the second viewing of the episode.)
Then there's Spencer, Margaret & James' son who was briefly introduced in a short scene in a Season 4 episode of Yellowstone. Since he's not called by name until THE END of the episode, I spent half the episode thinking the nameless hot guy (who clearly had to be a Dutton) was one of Margaret & James' GRANDKIDS.
Elsa filled in the just enough backstory to bridge the 40 year gap from 1883. Excellent - no need to wonder why Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have been replaced by Harrison Ford and Helen Miram.
On the other hand, one might need the IMDB cast list to figure out things like which gray beard is the grown-up version of 1883's cute little John Dutton, whether Zane is a Dutton or just a top hand, or if any of these guys' wives have actual names. (I wasn't actually sure we had met adult John yet until the second viewing of the episode.)
Then there's Spencer, Margaret & James' son who was briefly introduced in a short scene in a Season 4 episode of Yellowstone. Since he's not called by name until THE END of the episode, I spent half the episode thinking the nameless hot guy (who clearly had to be a Dutton) was one of Margaret & James' GRANDKIDS.