A new limited series, American Primeval by Netflix, hit screens on January 9, ranking immediately among the best-rated programs. Peter Berg is directing this six-part historical drama written by Mark L. Smith. It brings audiences back to 1857 in the Utah Territory to violent clashes among Native Americans, pioneers, Mormon militias, and the U.S. government.
The series weaves a tale of survival against the backdrop of real historical events, such as the infamous Mountain Meadows Massacre. While the main storyline and several characters, like Isaac Reed (Taylor Kitsch) and Sara Rowell (Betty Gilpin), are fictional, the show includes real-life figures such as Brigham Young and Jim Bridger.
Berg was motivated by an article on the Mountain Meadows Massacre. This ignited the research he undertook to give an accurate impression of the period. The Mountain Meadows Massacre was an 1857 event in which Mormon militiamen dressed as Native Americans attacked a wagon train and killed more than 100 pioneers.
The writers focus on the harsh truth of life in the American West. “America was born through war, blood, and survival,” Berg said. The series covers such themes as the survival of man, cultural conflict, and sacrifice from those living within such a frontier that had no law.
While American Primeval takes great artistic license with history, history buffs appreciate such a nod; it gives readers a glimpse of a chaotic moment and sparks dialogues about the subtleties of the frontier life experience and the horrible tragedies that mark early American history.
The whole series is also available on Netflix, bringing some intense, unfiltered portrayals of one of the toughest times in known history.
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