As someone who has never been further West than South Dakota, I wasn't expecting to enjoy much of Netflix's newest series Godless. How could I? I've never even seen an antelope in the wild, much less explored the rolling plains and towering mountains that dominate stories of the Old West! However, as someone who was devoted to Michelle Dockery's portrayal of Lady Mary in Downton Abbey, I was willing to sacrifice some of my very important Stranger Things screentime (I still haven't finished Season 2, don't judge me!) in order to check out what's being called one of the first modern feminist Western tales.
(And, of course, watching the show meant I had a chance to see the ever-handsome Jack O'Connell act as an outlaw with a heart of gold, which is reason enough to check out the show past just the trailer.)
Once I got down to watching the show, however, all my previous reservations about watching the show washed away. With stellar acting from Dockery, O'Connell, and their castmates Meritt Weaver and Jeff Daniels, along with some truly gorgeous cinematography that was complimented by the natural beauty of the Western desert landscape, I found myself watching episode after episode until I had finished the whole series in just a few days (thank goodness for Thanksgiving break free time!)
The plot of Godless follows the intertwining lives of widow Alice Fletcher (Dockery), outlaw Roy Goode (O'Connell), gang leader Frank Griffin (Daniels), and town mayor Maggie McNue (Weaver) as they attempt to stave off Griffin's band of bandits after a heist gone wrong. The story takes place in the Old West town of La Belle, which is occupied by only women after a tragic mining accident took the lives of most of the men in the city. Between intriguing plot developments and a fascinating backstory, Godless is able to take on a multitude of storylines without feeling to bogged down, and the viewer is continually encaptured by the twisting plot and captivating characters. Though I wouldn't go so far as to call this show wholly "feminist"--despite the fact that there are a number of well-written female characters, the majority of the plot still revolves around men--it certainly provides an excellent opportunity to consider the Western genre in a new light.
All in all, if you're looking for something new to watch, consider trying an episode or two o Godless. Who knows? Maybe you, like me, will discover a new interest in what lies West of the Dakotas.
