Back to the Frontier

It feels like these people have never seen anything like the series 1883. I have to wonder what they were told before they signed on. I really love the concept, and the exploration of going back to a simpler time. The real simpler time. Not the romanticized version Hollywood so often gives us. 1883 was one of the best things I've ever seen on tv. It felt real.

So, basically love the concept, but... These 3 families are so American, it's incredibly cringe. Snooty teen age girls, overly materialistic guys. It's the American nightmare. I'm currently watching the first episode. I hope I make make it to episode 2.

3 families try to live the 1880 homesteading life. They seem to have no knowledge of history. They arrive in summer by car and only for the summer. They are given a homestead with a shelter, furniture, food, outhouse and crops and they do nothing but whine and complain. Real homesteaders would travel for weeks, if not months by wagon, without roads. Arrive tired to nothing but raw land. An outhouse is a luxury and they complain about it. They are given a shelter where real homesteaders would be living in a tent or wagon till they built something.ready for winter. Have they never heard of the Donner Party? These are people who have never camped, never been hungry, unaware of how most of the world lives and unable.to appreciate what they have. They have modern medical support and law enforcement something real homesteaders could not even dream of. They know they can tap out of the show, real homesteaders faced death if things went wrong. I hope the families are not representive of Americans, but fear they are.

First episode. A woman has a meltdown because of an outhouse. Uh, what did she expect it is back to the 1800s It's hard to believe she didn't reach what she was getting into. Her husband seems great, but the episode ends with him talking about how much anxiety he has of what's ahead. It's an 8 week experience so it just seems insane. The other family is the usual whining entitled kids we have seen from other pioneer shows. Then they have a couple of hyper neat freak gay dads who like tech. So obviously they recruited families not really suited for the 1800s. It would be more fun if it was a game show with 1800s challenges and they could win prizes or money and be more motivated. I predict there will be lots more kids whining and contrived drama.

I'll start by saying I'd never do this. And for those that expected the producers to be homophobic, shame on you.

That said, the first episode was enlightening. Each family has their own strengths and struggles. It is odd that they didn't research what a family needed or did during that time. Although I'd never do this, I would've looked I to that.

I don't like that the homesteads are broken and missing walls etc. I think that was unfair. And I'm hoping they were given a means to purchase goods or barter.

I'm going to stick with this as all three families are interesting. I hope they all succeed but my money is in the Lopers as their kids seem to get it and want to help.

As others have said in their reviews the concept of the show is fantastic and a really fun idea.

Watching people live out the lifestyle of frontier America is a huge contrast to modern life and an interesting watch.

However the families chosen seem like a strange fit for the environment.

They don't seem to have many practical skills and there doesn't seem to be any real urgency for them to learn any since their homes and necessities have been pre built and given to each family.

Building one's own home would be a huge challenge and one that could have been a way to bring the families together in it's requirement for cooperation but instead the challenge just seems to be going without WiFi in a shed in the woods.

Since I've only seen the first episode I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt but it doesn't give much hope for the show as it continues.