
Initially i Wrote this series off because westerns and the great frontier era don't really interest me, but i ended up checking it out anyway because I needed something to watch, and i Like Taylor Kitsch because of his role in 'Friday Night Lights'.
Despite not being on my radar, it ended up being a gritty, thrilling, moving and intense watching experience that I greatly enjoyed. i Binged the whole thing in 2 days and had a surprisingly good time watching it. Here’s why you might enjoy it too:

it's a Standard story trope: gruff loner who knows how to handle himself gets enlisted to help a mother-son duo get to their destination safely. It’s not new, but it is well-executed, so if you like those kinds of found family stories, you should like this.

Strong representation of native americans, with multiple characters representing the diversity of character types within this group.

Has everything from action and romance, to humour, drama, and thrills . It’s quite a varied watching experience which keeps the watching experience fresh and exciting .

american primeval really drives home the intense cruelty of the old west, which made me thankful I wasn’t around back then, but also made me sympathise with some of the characters, which forced me to engage emotionally and pulled me deeper into the story.

The entire main cast does a fantastic job playing their roles authentically.
Taylor Kitsch is well-cast because he can really pull off the whole “acts like a douche but is really a nice guy”, so it feels like you’re earning it as you get to know him better and discover the depth of his character.
Child actor Preston Mota does an incredible job of selling some mature, and at times quite intense, feelings & situations and his performance definitely contributes to the overall quality of the show.
Betty Gilpin’s performance is often quite subtle/reserved, reflecting the expected temperament of women at that time, but she’s still able to convey the strength, personality and emotional depth of her character,

because of the straightforward nature of the story, i think american primeval is best watched as a short-term binge rather than spreading it out for too long. there are only 6 episodes, so it's the kind of show you can easily get through in a weekend or a couple of evenings during the week.

There’s nothing massively unique or ground-breaking about 'american primeval', but that’s not an issue because it achieves everything it sets out to: it's a western, It tells a found family story, and handles various story elements with the right level of seriousness, which helps the show provide an immersive, engaging and entertaining watching experience. due to the lack on online interest & the positive critical reception, i'm gonna dub this show the first hidden gem of 2025. you don't need to rush to watch it, but it is a quality series that you should definitely add to your watchlist for a rainy day.

have you seen 'American primeval' yet? is it even on your radar? let me know in the comments, and be sure to keep scrolling for some interesting trivia about the show below!

trivia
Writer Mark L Smith's second Western screenplay after The Revenant (2015)
According to Betty Gilpin, the cast had to undergo a month of cowboy camp in preparation for the grueling shoot.
In 2023, the production had completed about 7 months of the shoot when the Hollywood writers' and actors' strike put a hold on everything for 5-6 months.
In 'Inglourious Basterds', Brad Pitt's Lt Aldo Raine says that he's "a direct descendent of the mountain man Jim Bridger" one of the lead characters played by Shea Whigham
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