We had a huge tidal wave of non-fiction shows this Spring, some felt like I could've skipped this while others didn't feel like they were unique enough to be labelled as must-watch TV, which I'd say in regard to this show. By no means is it bad or say terrible, instead, it's on par with True Detective Season 3, an intriguing detective story that required a cinematic eye to prevent the writing from dragging it and feel like a more mature Law and Order. It's a diss sure, but the reason HBO and FX are considered the places for top tier entertainment is due to being the place for shows that would get a-list talent but also feel like stories that big creatives could only tell. This has those two aspects, being led by Andrew Garfield and showrun by Dustin Lance Black. The result feels like a poor man's True Detective, one that's too informative with Morman history (and a character literally saying "this is what I was doing by doing this"). And sure, it's a true story but one that literally uses the beats of HBO's 2014 hit (a series that almost feels like a distant memory but may come back with a vengeance very soon). By no means is this bad and is very entertaining at many moments however, the series barely wows. Ever since Chernobyl hit the small screen in 2019, limited shows based on reality prove to be cultural phenomenons, some that even rival the likes of what is shown on the big screen, however, such a series requires a heavy cinematic eye to capture the views of TV watchers. Perhaps had David Mackenzie stuck around as a director and not relied on the TD formula of two cops solving a mystery, there'd probably be something unique but that's not the case. Don't get me wrong, I love how unconventional a duo Garfield is with Gil Birmingham (who steals the show constantly since everyone else is a devout Mormon). Performances are great but like its opening logo, it feels familiar and generic.
Not quite the "feminist Western" which Netflix seemed to promote it as, but that's fine because it didn't need to be. Godless is a lush and rich Western miniseries which somehow feels fresh while still embodying many tropes of the genre. We have a tired sheriff with an overeager deputy, a band of outlaws seeking revenge and a mysterious stranger on the run. All this happens in and around a town populated almost entirely by (badass) women.
It's to the shows credit that it makes each of these clichés feel unique and interesting. The sheriff is losing his eyesight and is regarded as a coward by the women he's charged with protecting, while simultaneously struggling with feelings of resentment to his own little daughter. The evil outlaw (played superbly by Jeff Daniels) is actually a man capable of incredible compassion and acts of love alongside his brutality. And Whitey, the overeager deputy, turns out to be one of the most enjoyable and unpredictable characters in the whole thing.
But it's the girls of La Belle who do manage to steal a good portion of the show. Maggie is tough as nails and doesn't back down an inch when confronted with male posturing, as well as being engaged in a very natural relationship with Callie. Meanwhile, Alice lives her life exactly on her own terms as she raises her son along with her (awesome) Native American mother-in-law.
Godless is not an action-fest, although when things go down it's extremely satisfying. This is more of a measured story which lets things breathe. The cinematography is absolutely glorious and my jaw dropped at the staging of several scenes. I found it to the show's benefit that we spent so much time just taking things in as my attachment to the characters grew more and more. To give a specific example there's an episode in which a lot of time is spent with horses, and while it doesn't further the plot significantly, it pays off down the line and only allowed me to enjoy the experience all the more.
The cast are uniformly excellent, and it's easy to forget that three of the main characters are Brits. The writing is also of a high quality, and while this is not in the same league as the poetry and magnificence of Deadwood, it's very much going for a different vibe and doing its own thing. This feels more like an epic Western whereas the HBO show had a tighter focus on the comings and goings of the town it was set in.
That's not to say the show is perfect. I'm definitely not the first to notice, but there are a number of plot threads which are introduced but go absolutely nowhere. We meet characters like John Doe who have a mystery set up and then no more is given to us. We don't really get any huge revelations into Bill's past with his wife or situation, and what the Indian and his dog were all about. The (fantastic) German character Martha is only introduced at the very end. And we don't even get a proper explanation as to why Roy betrayed Frank in the first place. It definitely feels to me like there is plenty of room for a continuation, but this appears to be a one-off.
But I absolutely loved Godless. It manages to be incredibly satisfying despite its flaws, is one of the best looking shows you can watch right now and when it kicks off the thrills are absolutely glorious.
