First aired on Paramount+ on December 21, 2021.

Elsa Dutton is crawling away from a wagon on fire. There is a massacre, and she pulls a gun on an Indian who gives her an arrow to the stomach. Is it real or a dream? We don't know.

Shea Brennan is saying goodby to his wife and daughter who died of smallpox. He burns his house to the ground and considers killing himself.

His friend, Thomas, pretends he doesn't notice, merely asking if he's ready to go. It shakes Shae out of his stupor.

A group of cowboy criminals is chasing James Dutton. Shae and Thomas watch, predicting how it will unfold. But they don't know James Dutton. He's not a normal farmer.

James gets every one of them. Thomas and Shae are impressed.

James sarcastically thanks them for the help.

John may have had the upper hand, but that kind of violence makes him sick. He loses his lunch.

James arrives in town and has his horses and wagon watched while he arranges for his family to join him.

The town is a bustle of activity. John has his wallet stolen and takes down two men to get it back.

Shea and Thomas are going to take a caravan of foreigners to Oregon. The people are unprepared at every level.

They don't speak English. They aren't allowed to carry weapons. Their oxen and luggage won't make the trip.

They need more men and to somehow prepare these people for the backbreaking and treacherous trip.

The other Duttons are on the train west. Young Elsa has snuck into first class to see the sunset, which at home in Tennessee is hidden behind the trees. A man flirts with her before Margaret drags her back to their overly full train car.

Margaret's sister doesn't like Elsa's smart talk, and smacks her several times while her daughter says Elsa had it comin'.

Shea finds a couple of cowboys who think their stories are nuts, but they'll probably join them anyway.

When the fellas leave, Shea spots James across the room. They'd like to speak with him. James is suspicious, but they hope he might be willing to help them with the foreigners.

When the conductor announces they've arrived at Fort Worth, Elsa couldn't help but to reach the tail of the train and look outside. She spots her daddy and climbs down to run into his arms.

Margaret is always yellin' at Elsa, but when she gets into James's arms, she softens a little.

Claire tells James his children are positively feral. He offers condolences for her husband Henry, who was a patient man.

James warns Elsa it's a dangerous town and not to wander.

Elsa is enthralled by the fighting and language she sees in town.

Once they get to hotel, James passes out the rooms and shows Margaret their room with a bathtub, which pleases her greatly.

A young woman tries to get close to Shea, but he's not having it. She finds him fascinating and thinks he doesn't want to be alone with his memories, which is why he sits there waiting until he's too tired to have memories.

She sits on his lap and asks him to call her Helen and she can give him a piece of his wife again. Things go haywire, and when he does whisper Helen into her ear, je says it doesn't work.

Later, Elsa watches a saloon girl have sex outside her window.

Margaret and James get a bath, discussing where they'll settle.

Moments later, a drunk gets into Elsa and John's room by mistake, but when he sees her, he tries to attack her.

James shoots him, and covered in blood, Elsa runs into her mama's arms.

Shea and Thomas try to arrange for more livestock. Thomas is worried that the longer they postpone, the worse off their trip will be. But Shea wants to wait until he considers them ready.

James settles up with the livery for his horses and wagon.

Shea tries to tell the migrants about the dangers of being on the road, including rattle snakes and poison oak and ivy.

They digress into a funny conversation about shitters before James arrives to help. They need to start checking all of the travelers for smallpox.

They find someone with it, and Shea tells him he'll die and give it to everyone in three days. Get out of town and lie down by a river and die.