1883 Lands Rita Wilson In Guest-Starring Role

The "Yellowstone" prequel "1883" will air its fourth episode on Sunday, January 9. In the three episodes we've seen so far, we've had two big cameos: one was from Billy Bob Thornton (whose take on his character you can check out in our coverage from the red carpet for the show's premiere), one from Tom Hanks who played Civil War General George Meade in episode 2, and now we're getting yet another. Variety reports that Rita Wilson (who is married to Tom Hanks, in case you didn't know) will appear in an episode of the Paramount+ show. 

According to the site, Wilson will play the role of Carolyn, "a storekeeper at Doan's Crossing who helps Margaret (Faith Hill) decompress with some whiskey punch." If you've been watching the series, you'll know that the group of settlers that include the ancestors of "Yellowstone" characters in the Dutton family has been having a rough go of it. There have been deaths, infighting, attacks from bandits, and smallpox before they even set off to find a new place to live. 

If Wilson's Carolyn is meeting up with Margaret, let's get an idea of where she is right now. Margaret Dutton is accompanying her husband James (Tim McGraw), her daughter Elsa (Isabel May), and her very young son, John Dutton Sr. (Audie Rick, the cutest of the cute), from their former home in Tennessee to a new home in the northwest of America. We know they end up in Montana, of course. They're accompanied by Pinkerton agents Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) and Shea (Sam Elliott), as well as many immigrant families. 

Margaret has lost family already in the series, though she has a wonderful relationship with her husband, daughter, and son. She's dealt with an attack on the camp that caused massive issues, and though Margaret has had a great attitude about it all and clearly wants to be there, it's a whole lot to deal with. You can kind of see why some whiskey punch might be helpful. 

Wilson is known for her work in projects like "Girls," "The Good Wife," "Sleepless in Seattle," "It's Complicated," and "Now and Then." We don't yet know which episode she'll appear in, but it might be soonish judging by the location mentioned. The group started the journey at Fort Worth, Texas, and from what I can find online, Doan's Crossing was established by John Doan and his nephew Corwin Doan in 1878 in modern Oklahoma, just north of the border with Texas. In 1879, Corwin Doan became the postmaster. It catered to those on cattle drives, and soon had a store, a hotel, a saloon, and a school. 

"1883" is doing really well for Paramount+. Are you all watching and hooked like I am?