The Cowboy War : La Saga O.K. Corral

This docudrama about the West, and more particularly, Tombstone and the Earps, is one of the best written, if not the best written, stories about what really happened. Through multiple sources looking at multiple aspects, we get a full idea of what was happening. How London to New York to Washington to Arizona all come into play between the Civil War, the railroad, the stagecoach, cattle, the newspapers, etc. Is a wonder. Marvelous writing and homework on the part of the producers and writers. It's literally like nothing you've ever seen before.

Why not a 10? Well, it's the acting. The acting isn't up to a 10 level. Everything else is, so that's why it gets a 9. The acting isn't bad, but when everything else is perfect, it could use a slight boast.

I like to think of myself as a student of History, and, I found this take of the Gunfight, to be very Informative. Nothing happens in a vacuum, and, it was interesting to see all the interlocking interests. There were many things, I did not know, and, I've seen many movies, and, other documentaries, that didn't describe all the outside impacts of this gunfight. It's definitely worth a look. Each episode, leaves you wanting to see, what happens next. Bravo, to all involved in the effort to flesh out the story. The series, could easily have been longer, because there were many things, that could have been discussed in a deeper dive.

My great-great grandfather was a Texas Ranger in Bell County, Texas during the 1870's. He participated in what is believed to have been the last known battle against the Comanche Indians near present day San Saba, Texas. His photograph used to be on display at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas.

I have always been absorbed by stories of Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, the James gang...etc. I have read books on those subjects and watched all the documentaries, tv shows, and movies. I've visited Tombstone, Arizona and walked inside the OK Corral. I even visited Jessie James's family home in Missouri. But nothing I've seen or read was as entertaining or informative as "Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War". It does a deep dive into everything the movies and books never seem to accurately or sufficiently cover. I learned things I never knew before.

It is narrated by Ed Harris, who I'm a big fan of. The reenactments are great and are filmed in a very dramatic and entertaining way. The casting, directing and acting is very well done. I also thought the music and narration were both top notch. I couldn't stop watching it and was sad when ended.

This is an outstanding documentary on the events surrounding the Earps and the Clantons. I have read and watched plenty of books and documentaries about the events and this still provided new facts I never heard. This is not a straight documentary as they have actors playing the roles in little vignettes of the events. They all do a very commendable job of giving a human touch to the events. Ed Harris is a fantastic narrator. He is not just reading the script.

He uses various inflections in his voice to provide either humor or tension to the events he is narrating. He needs to do more of this kind of voicework. Where this show really shines is taking a very broad approach to the the events and discussing outside factors that led to the conflict. Some of these are the hurt feelings still being held by the South after the Civil War, America's debt from the war, trying to pay off that debt with silver from Arizona, said silver getting hijacked by stage coach robbers, J. P Morgan trying to get investors in England to give him loans to buy up the railroads, the recent assassination of President Garfield, Wells Fargo bankrolling Wyatt's Vendetta Ride until it becomes too scandalous, and, finally, the impression people in the East were getting of the West based on the inflammatory news articles in the New York and Washington D. C. papers. President Arthur even sent General Sherman to Arizona to determine if the violence was getting out of hand. Hint: It was. The gunfight at the OK Corral and the aftermath were not happening in a vacuum. They were affecting events all the way to Washington and Europe.

All of this is handled with pinpoint storytelling. Each of the six episode focuses on a different aspect of events. In the first episode you get the backstory to include how Tombstone came to exist, the climate in America post-Civil War, and the background on the Earps' and Clantons' conflict. Then you get an episode dealing with the OK Corral gunfight and the alternate views of both sides. There is an entire episode on the preliminary hearing trying the Earps for murder. This was fascinating and the best part of part of the series IMO, as most of the movies skip right over or give very little attention to the details of how close the Earps came to hanging. Ike Clanton comes across as a pretty sly and wily opponent rather than a drunken fool like he is portrayed in the movies. Yes, he drank, but he was also ingenious at times in how he manipulated the press and the townfolk.

The one negative I found in this show is the way they completely ignored Johnny Ringo. He is not even mentioned. Michael Biehn deserved better. Haha.

I binged this entire series last night as I could not wait for the next episode. A very well done series that deserves to be watched by anyone who enjoys historical documentaries.

Love the buildup to the gunfight and the story of the aftermath. A piece of history that is normally unheard. Presents the characters as they were, not as popular history paints them. And Ed Harris's narration is the best I have ever heard. A thoroughly enjoyable series.

I love it when stories continue on and show what is historically accurate and where the characters end up. I was unaware that this tale was far more involved than the dime store novel version. I enjoyed every episode, the ending of one leaving you wanting more. This was the perfect series to binge watch, which I did while recovering from Covid. It also opened up a desire to learn more about each character. Kudos to Netflix for a wonderful job!!