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In Netflix’s Gritty and Ambitious American Primeval, a Wild West Melting Pot Boils Over

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In Netflix’s Gritty and Ambitious American Primeval, a Wild West Melting Pot Boils Over

Whenever there’s a resurgence in the popularity of westerns, like we’ve seen on TV since 2018 with the unexpected success of “Yellowstone,” it’s safe to say that our collective perception of American identity is evolving. After years of black-and-white cowboys-and-Indians films that bolstered the self-image of a burgeoning world power, revisionist westerns emerged during the Vietnam War, challenging the violence of white colonialism. More recent adaptations of the genre have centered around contemporary issues such as corporate greed and the intricate web of conflicts that can potentially tear apart—and even destroy—diverse societies.

Titled “American Primeval,” Netflix’s most daring western production yet, boldly delves into exploring frontier life in the Utah Territory during 1857, a time of growing tension between North and South as various factions vie for control of this unclaimed territory. The characters include mountain men, bounty hunters, and self-proclaimed pioneers. Brigham Young (Kim Coates) leads a militia of Mormons, who are fighting for their religious freedom in an increasingly ruthless manner; the U.S. Army is tasked with monitoring his actions to prevent him from amassing too much power. Native American communities such as the Ute, Paiute, and Shoshone, who have inhabited this land for centuries, are also present, each employing unique tactics to endure the encroachment of colonizers.

Sara (Betty Gilpin) and her son Devin (Preston Mota), traveling from the Northeast, find themselves seeking a guide for the dangerous remainder of their trip to rejoin Sara’s husband. They cross paths with Isaac (Taylor Kitsch), a nearly wild man who will later become their guide, at Fort Bridger in Wyoming. Sara is taken aback by Isaac’s casual nudity, but she conceals her own hidden past that intensifies her need for his assistance. The group is eventually joined by Two Moons (Shawnee Pourier), a young Native American woman escaping a terrible home situation. Like Sara, Two Moons embodies the classic trait of western heroes – resilience. Fort Bridger, under the management of its gruff but benevolent leader Jim Bridger (Shea Whigham), serves as the starting point for a sequence of harsh, violent confrontations involving Young’s militia, a Mormon couple (Dane DeHaan and Saura Lightfoot-Leon), a Shoshone warrior named Red Feather (Derek Hinkey), and an Army captain who becomes increasingly disillusioned (Lucas Neff).

In Netflix’s Gritty and Ambitious American Primeval, a Wild West Melting Pot Boils Over

It’s clear that the intense and impactful series, “Yellowstone,” currently stands as the dominant western TV show, giving rise not only to spin-offs like “1883” and “1923,” but also inspiring other productions featuring strong patriarchs defending their families’ ranches against external threats. This includes Netflix’s “Territory” (the Australian version of “Yellowstone”) and Amazon’s “Outer Range” (a sci-fi take on the theme). However, “Primeval” offers a different tone. It’s more raw than soap-operatic, reflecting creator Mark L. Smith’s gritty style seen in “The Revenant.” The show has a muted color palette reminiscent of an old sepia photograph and may not be suitable for the faint-hearted due to its graphic violence. At its core, the series shares some themes with the critically acclaimed 2022 Amazon-BBC miniseries “The English,” which explored both the brutal actions of various Wild West groups and the idealistic, yet realistic, vision of cross-cultural harmony.

In a less-than-optimal move by Smith and director Peter Berg, they chose to emphasize the overly familiar tale of Sara and Isaac – a woman of righteousness softening the harsh, injured man. Although their group is shown as a beacon of relative goodness amidst the relentless war happening around them, they are still capable of killing when necessary. However, as the six-episode season progresses, this storyline slips into sentimentality, even with standout performances from Gilpin, who’s known for his blend of toughness and vulnerability, and Kitsch, an underappreciated actor who gained recognition in Berg’s Friday Night Lights. As the romance between Sara and Isaac moves towards its expected ending, it overshadows the more compelling characters from Primeval, whose complex relationships reflect our current sociopolitical turmoil, becoming blurred by the smoke of gunfire.

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2025-01-09 12:06

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