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The Ending of Netflix's 'American Primeval' Will Really Piss You Off

By Dustin Rowles | TV | January 15, 2025 |

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Header Image Source: Netflix

I’m not sure what the general consensus is on Netflix’s American Primeval, but for the most part, I liked it. It has its flaws, sure, but I can overlook the gratuitous violence and that awful brown Instagram filter Peter Berg slapped over everything. This is peak Dad TV: a gritty, ultraviolent Western about the journey west, laced with historical drama involving the Mormons, the U.S. military, the residents of Fort Bridger, and the Shoshone and Ute tribes.

But that ending can go straight to hell.

Earlier this week, I wrote about how Taylor Sheridan borrowed liberally from Peter Berg’s Friday Night Lights for his Billy Bob Thornton series. So, in fairness, I should note that Sheridan ventured into similar territory with the Yellowstone prequel, 1883. Like American Primeval, it was violent and relentlessly bleak, documenting every conceivable way people could die on the Oregon Trail. Spoilers for 1883: Nearly everyone died, including the fan-favorite Sam Elliott and the show’s narrator, Isabel May.

I get it: the journey west was dangerous. Tens of thousands of people died. But here’s the thing — 1883 and American Primeval are works of fiction. Couldn’t they capture the brutality of the era without massacring all the best characters? Would it kill anyone to give the audience a shred of hope? CAN WE LET THE BEAUTIFUL MAN LIVE? Ahem.

Betty Gilpin stars as Sara Rowell, a woman fleeing Boston with a bounty on her head for killing her abusive husband. She’s headed west with her son, Devin (Preston Mota), hoping to cross the Utah mountains to safety. Along the way, she’s joined by Isaac Reed (Taylor Kitsch), a reclusive mountain man raised by the Shoshone, and Two Moons (Shawnee Pourier), a young Native girl who’s escaping her own violent past. Their journey isn’t easy — they’re pursued by a relentless bounty hunter (Jai Courtney) and his posse while battling harsh elements.

Meanwhile, at Fort Bridger, Jim Bridger (the ever-reliable Shea Whigham) contends with his own problems. Brigham Young (Sons of Anarchy’s Kim Coates) has plans to seize the Utah Territory for the Mormons. His army, led by James Wolsey (Joe Tippett, aka Mr. Sara Bareilles), orchestrates a massacre loosely inspired by the Mountain Meadows Massacre. They slaughter settlers and pin the blame on Red Feather (Derek Hinkey), a member of the Shoshone.

One of the Mormons on the receiving end of Mormon-on-Mormon violence, Jacob Pratt (Dane DeHaan), spirals into madness after the massacre while searching for his wife, Abish (Saura Lightfoot-Leon), who eventually finds refuge with the Shoshone. The U.S. Army investigates the massacre, and Brigham Young is determined to eliminate any surviving witnesses, including Abish.

The result is an unrelenting, brutal odyssey. Berg sacrifices character development for sheer carnage, but the stellar cast carries it through. It also helps that Berg is a far superior filmmaker to Sheridan. Whigham, as always, is fantastic. Dane DeHaan’s portrayal of Jacob Pratt’s descent into insanity is haunting, especially after he’s partially scalped by his own people. (An infection creeps across his stitched scalp, making his unraveling all the more gruesome.) Kim Coates rules as Brigham Young, a calculating, charismatic cult leader bent on domination. The Mormons are the villains here, and their storyline evokes the real-life violence depicted in Under the Banner of Heaven.

Then there’s Gilpin. She’s flawless, as usual, bringing kick-ass grit and compassion to Sara Rowell, a mother whose only vulnerability is her humanity. Taylor Kitsch, a frequent Berg collaborator, delivers one of his best performances since Friday Night Lights. He’s perfectly cast as the brooding Isaac Reed, a man of few words but deep emotion. Kitsch excels in roles where he doesn’t have to talk too much —- not because he’s just a pretty face (he’s buried under a scruffy unkempt beard here) but because he’s a strong nonverbal actor. His grunts and glances speak volumes. spoiler Which is why it’s a gut punch when his character doesn’t make it to the end.

And here’s the thing: almost no one makes it. Jacob Pratt joins the U.S. military, accidentally kills his own wife, and then blows his own brains out. The U.S. Army is decimated. The Mormons and Shoshone suffer massive losses. In the end, the Mormons emerge victorious, wiping out the military, the Shoshone, and burning down Fort Bridger. Brigham Young gets his way. It’s bleak as hell.

But no, Berg couldn’t leave it at that. Isaac Reed survives long enough to kill the bounty hunter and his crew, all except one: the brother. The moment the brother escapes, you know where this is heading. Thirty minutes before the finale ends, I muttered, “Oh, come on, Berg,” because it was painfully obvious the brother would return and kill Kitsch’s character. Yes, Sara Rowell, her son, and Two Moons survive, continuing their journey to California. But Isaac? Dead. Because apparently, a conclusion that’s not completely nihilistic is simply out of the question.

On the whole, I still liked American Primeval. But f**k that ending.