Episode #1.1

The American West, 1857. Sara Rowell and her son Devin have arrived in Fort Bridger, Wyoming, and need a guide to get them to Crooks Springs, Utah, to meet her husband. The way there is dangerous - high mountains, bandits, Indians and the local Mormon population is essentially at war with the US government and suspicious of any newcomers - but she is determined to reach her goal.

A dark, violent Western in Deadwood mould. Certainly not your average Western: there's no good guys and bad guys - everyone seems bad and in it for themselves, similarly, there's not two sides but several factions all working against each other, characters are expendable - people you think are going to be important to the plot are killed off in a heartbeat and the plot is quite unpredictable. Very gritty and action-packed.

On that note, the action scenes are very well done, a maelstrom of confusion and random violence.

I look forward to the remainder of the series.

While the acting in this is terrible flat wooden like they're reading from a Teleprompter or something They're way too clean to be in that Time era.

The main woman she's the worst. The Mormons are pretty bad too. The kid is awful. Probably the best part is the Indians and the violence which is pretty greedy but I would bet back then the women didn't talk like this or act like this like I said, it's very flat acting it's very, wooden and very juvenile Sure the sets are cool and there well done but I'm only into 17 minutes if the first episode and I can't believe other people don't see this and comment on it I mean from the gecko the acting was like reading from my script. Too bad had potential I guess I'll continue on but, like I said the Indians are the best part.

If you kill people in a show you don't know or care about then it's not very dramatic or interesting. Tons of characters are shot or have arrows brutal killing them but I didn't really care since so little time was taken to have you invested in anyone. The lead woman is so dull I can't imagine watching her for 60 minutes let alone 6 episodes. Honestly everyone is dull..even Peter Berg's scene is supposed to be tense but it's not. The filming of it has everything so gray and blue it's tiring to look at.

I need to root for someone..hate someone..look at beautiful scenery or clothes or anything...this is a solid 2.

Superb opening to a season rivalling something like True Detective or Fargo. This show is already full with rich characters, excellent cinematography and an intriguing story line.

You just want to go straight to episode 2 which is the best compliment you can give to any new show.

Bravo.

Sara Rowell and her son Devin travel from Kansas to Fort Bridger, Wyoming, searching for Devin's father, Beckworth. They learn Beckworth is in a remote location called Crook Springs, deep in the Wyoming mountains. Despite warnings from fort chief Jim Bridger about harsh winter conditions and regional conflicts, Sara insists on continuing the journey. After their hired guide, Mr. Frye, is accidentally killed at the fort, Sara asks Isaac Reed, a skilled mountain man raised among the Shoshone and familiar with the terrain, to guide them. Reed refuses to join the expedition but later secretly follows Sara and Devin out of concern for their safety. Sara joins a Mormon group led by newlyweds Jacob and Abish Pratt for safety. A bounty hunter from St. Louis reveals Sara's true identity as Sara Holloway after her departure, a fugitive wanted for murder with a $1,500 bounty. The bounty hunter from St. Louis is killed by Virgil's group, local trappers, seeking the reward. Along the way, the group rests with a caravan of 200 settlers from Arkansas. During this time, Devin befriends Two Moons, a Native American woman who fled abuse and sought refuge with the group. Tensions escalate when a Mormon militia, claims the territory and demands the entire group leave, unaware that some among them are Mormons. When the settlers refuse, the militia, disguised as Native Americans, ambushes them with the aid of Paiute allies. Most of the group is massacred, and women are taken as payment. Mr. Reed, who had been secretly shadowing the group, intervenes and manages to save Sara and Devin. Jacob Pratt is gravely injured, and the Pratt party, along with the Arkansans, meets a tragic end.

American Primeval had a pretty solid first episode. The whole eerie tone and setting of the Western American plains really sets up what's to come. Instantly we have a clear goal and an obstacle layed out ahead of the characters. The story is instantly gripping, the combat is gritty and violent. The episode was paced extremely well as the forty-five minutes seemed to fly bye.

The whole cast of characters were very good. I'd only knew Taylor Kitsch from The Terminal List and Betty Gilpin from The Tomorrow War, but the rest of the cast really impressed me. Preston Mota gave a fairly good performance for such a young actor.

An excellent opening episode and I hope the rest of the show keeps up with this quality!