I found this series to be excellent. Scott Frank found a way to make a tired genre come alive for a more modern audience. The cast was excellent, with Jeff Daniels creating a formidable villain. Flashbacks reveal the source of his villainy to lie in the violence of his own childhood, the loss of his "mammy and pappy" and his religious extremism. That he is mentally disturbed is clear, but his childhood story both resembles and provides a contrast to that of Roy Goode in a way that moves the series toward its many lessons of redemption and love. Griffin is ruthless and obsessed --in ways that remind us of the extremism of some in today's society both here and around the world. His false and twisted idea of "family" contrasts with that of Alice Fletcher or Mary Agnes, who owns hard life experiences lead them to find real family, one based on more positive values. It is the message the late-arriving preacher gives at the funeral, one I found quite moving. It is the message Roy Goode came to find.
I found the series' treatment of minorities to be realistically refreshing-- a band of black people struggling to eke out an existence in the middle of nowhere. They remain wary of the neighboring white town, greeting each visitor with a gun in hand. That they could do such a thing testifies to why their choose to live in a god forsaken desert. That these experienced Buffalo Soldiers are admired for their past deeds and allowed to live as they choose is important to the story. Their reluctance to help the people of La Belle is clear but their humanity remains. The Native Americans in the story are human beings, individuals with warmth and humor and not just "noble savages" but people who make their own mistakes and struggle to live. I loved the character of Truckee.
I wasn't sure if the ending was over-prolonged, but have decided I like it. The series might have ended with a final shot of Goode as he left, but instead we follow him westward and I found it very satisfactory to do so. Finally, a word about Sam Waterston and Scot McNary. Each played a lawman, and each displayed a quiet and determined persistence to bring a man to justice and stop the carnage. Waterston was simply outstanding, and his final scene standing in bar, in total darkness, outlined in light, unknowingly standing amid the darkness of man's evil, was iconic. McNary found his shadow, and found a way to live with loss, and how to love his own child. I found the thematic and metaphorical material to raise the series to a level above the usual "shoot 'em up" nonsense often seen on TV. Bravo to Netflix and Scott Frank.
I found the series' treatment of minorities to be realistically refreshing-- a band of black people struggling to eke out an existence in the middle of nowhere. They remain wary of the neighboring white town, greeting each visitor with a gun in hand. That they could do such a thing testifies to why their choose to live in a god forsaken desert. That these experienced Buffalo Soldiers are admired for their past deeds and allowed to live as they choose is important to the story. Their reluctance to help the people of La Belle is clear but their humanity remains. The Native Americans in the story are human beings, individuals with warmth and humor and not just "noble savages" but people who make their own mistakes and struggle to live. I loved the character of Truckee.
I wasn't sure if the ending was over-prolonged, but have decided I like it. The series might have ended with a final shot of Goode as he left, but instead we follow him westward and I found it very satisfactory to do so. Finally, a word about Sam Waterston and Scot McNary. Each played a lawman, and each displayed a quiet and determined persistence to bring a man to justice and stop the carnage. Waterston was simply outstanding, and his final scene standing in bar, in total darkness, outlined in light, unknowingly standing amid the darkness of man's evil, was iconic. McNary found his shadow, and found a way to live with loss, and how to love his own child. I found the thematic and metaphorical material to raise the series to a level above the usual "shoot 'em up" nonsense often seen on TV. Bravo to Netflix and Scott Frank.