Pioneer fantasy media: inclusive representation and imperial logic in contemporary television

Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone franchise has garnered acclaim for redefining the Western genre in the era of streaming television. In the limited-run prequel 1883 (Paramount+, 2021–2022), the fictional Dutton family, the series’ central protagonists, serves as the focal point for tracing both the intergenerational plot and the narrativization of the U.S. frontier. In this manner, U.S. history is miniaturized. Rather than concentrating on the more unsavory aspects of U.S. imperial history, the historical fiction series turns its attention to matters more narratively alluring – such as, romance, visceral thrills, and interpersonal dynamics. I call this approach pioneer fantasy media, a subgenre that centers its dramatic arcs on the relationships of diverse and gendered characters in an attempt to settle the contradictions of U.S. imperialism. My framing question is why these stories return to a national originary moment, while war, genocide, climate crises, mass migration, and wealth inequality run rampant. To answer, I explore how dominant television production sustains the inertia of imperial expansion while integrating marginalized populations into the national narrative. Through an interdisciplinary framework that considers nineteenth-century literature and art history, I argue that these modifications are crucial re-tunings that ensure the continuation of imperial ideology.