Warning – this article contains full spoilers for American Primeval.
The Western genre has been turned on its head with Netflix’s latest offering, American Primeval, which, despite soaring to the top of the streaming charts, is stirring up one of the biggest streaming controversies of the year – and it’s only mid-January.
Headlined by a star-studded cast, the series delves deep into the harsh realities of a turbulent era in US history, winning over a legion of subscribers.
Betty Gilpin of GLOW fame carries the show as Sara Rowell, a determined mother fleeing murder charges who bands together with drifter Isaac Reed, portrayed by Taylor Kitsch. Alongside her son Devin (Preston Mota) they navigate the treacherous path to Crooks Springs amidst the chaos of the Utah War, facing diverse adversaries including territorial Mormons, Indigenous tribes, and merciless bounty hunters.
Although the show has clinched top spot on Netflix’s viewership list this week in the UK, the audience reception is split.
Holding a mediocre 62 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, contrasted by a much favourable 88 percent from the audience, the chatter has ramped up particularly around the disheartening last episode.
Social media has buzzed with critiques, reinforced by Radio Times branding the finale “unbearably bleak”, a sentiment made heavier by the unexpected demises of characters like Jacob Pratt’s (Dane DeHaan) spouse Abish (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) and the stoic Isaac himself, reports the Express.
Following the conclusion of American Primeval, which ended in one of the bloodiest finales in Netflix history, viewers have taken to social media to express their opinions on the series.
Some viewers were left disappointed and frustrated with the final episode. One fan said on X: “American Primeval was amazing until the final episode and I’m super p***ed off about it.”
Another exclaimed: “I hate when shows make 5/6 great episodes for the fans and then tie it all together with some artsy BS ending that makes everyone feel jilted..”
The sentiment was echoed by others, including one viewer who stated “#AmericanPrimeval was so good until the last episode I couldn’t even finish after the first 30 minutes,” adding “So disappointing.”
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Another fan expressed outrage at the ending, “The creator(s) of American Primeval really bungled the ending of the show. Killing off Abish and Reed was unnecessary.”
While the reaction to the finale was largely negative, some fans did find some positivity in the series. One fan gave the show a glowing review, “One of the best shows I’ve seen recently”, despite stating that “It could’ve been a 10/10 but I didn’t like the ending but still amazing.”
A different subscriber wasn’t quite as tactful, summarising the finale with a simple “American Primeval ending sucks a**” accompanied by eye roll emojis.
American Primeval, directed by Peter Berg and created by Mark L Smith, is a brutal and hard-hitting western drama, still worth watching for fans of the genre, but viewers should be prepared for a potentially soul-crushing conclusion.
American Primeval is available to stream on Netflix.
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