Rita Wilson Gets Faith Hill Drunk On ‘1883’

After much anticipation, national treasure Rita Wilson has made her 1883 debut! It’s a well-known fact that Wilson and her husband, Tom Hanks, are old friends with series stars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. In fact, Hanks himself has already appeared on the Western in a flashback as General George Meade, a Union officer who is kind to McGraw’s James Dutton after the Battle of Antietam. While Hanks’ cameo illustrates the brotherhood between soldiers no matter which side they are on, Wilson’s role is decidedly more fun.

In Episode 6, “Boring The Devil”, our intrepid pioneers arrive at Doan’s Crossing on the border between Texas and the Oklahoma territories. Still reeling after the death of Elsa’s love Ennis (Eric Nelsen), Margaret (Faith Hill) and Elsa (Isabel May) come into town to purchase some supplies. After a tense and potentially violent confrontation with a leering stranger, Elsa heads back to camp while Margaret continues to the trading post where she encounters Carolyn, a storekeeper played by Rita Wilson!

As Margaret browses, Carolyn immediately and accidentally insults her by remarking on Elsa’s behavior: “Some of them cowgirls are ranker than those cowboys. Like they never had a mother.” When Margaret replies that she is Elsa’s mother, Carolyn offers her a lemonade as an apology, which Margaret swiftly declines. With a wry smile, Carolyn tries again, “How about a whiskey punch? Look like you could use it.” How could Margaret refuses that offer? When Margaret asks her Carolyn to join her, Carolyn tells her, “Sister, I’ve been joining you since noon.”

Margaret then marvels over Carolyn’s ice (very rare in those days), and Carolyn tells her, “This is the last of it and I ain’t letting one bit go to waste.” Margaret takes a big swig, and Carolyn kindly tells her, “Children can have that effect. Mine sure did.” Carolyn and Margaret then go out to the back of the trading post to relax and get properly drunk. Lord know these pioneer women deserve!

When James goes back into town to find Margaret, he is not one bit amused to find her wasted with a stranger. Wanting to go study the river before the crossing, he asks Margaret, “Can I trust you to stay here?” Margaret drunkenly replies, “Yes, this long!” and gestures to the half-empty bottle, clearly intending to finish it all with her newfound friend. Though this will likely be Wilson’s only appearance on the series, Carolyn the shopkeeper brought some much needed levity to 1883 as our settlers continue West into even greater danger than before.

Where to stream 1883