A decent docudrama exploring the American Frontier
Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
Trouble in Tombstone
The Gunfight
Trial of the Century
The Cowboys Strike Back
The Vendetta Ride
The Final Showdown
There are a good number of docudramas on Netflix right now so perhaps it’s unsurprising to see that the latest to join those ranks takes place right in the heart of the Wild West. Specifically, the misadventures of Wyatt Earp and the bloodshed that consumed a portion of the Old West, moonlit by a small town called Tombstone and a robbery gone very wrong that sets off a powder keg of epic proportions.
The two main players we follow across these six episodes come from two polar opposite worlds. On one side, you have the notorious Cowboy Ike Clanton, and on the other, justice-seeking Wyatt Earp.
After a stagecoach is robbed and Earp loses someone near and dear to him, what results is an escalating feud between Clanton and Wyatt Earp, that eventually includes various shootouts, deaths and even Federal government jumping in to try and simmer down this bitter conflict.
The documentary actually does a pretty good job of not just painting Earp as this out-and-out western hero either. We see that this guy has shades of grey and there’s a distinct desire to really show both sides of his psyche and how, for all his actions of being an anti-vigilante, he engaged in murder just like his opponents. Unlike the Hollywood renditions, the Wyatt we see here is far more of an antihero.
This conflict bubbles up with the infamous shootout in O.K. Corrall before eventually spilling over to courtroom drama and eventually Arizona and beyond. There’s a good deal packed into this series, and the show does a decent job of balancing all of this out across the six 30-40 minute long episodes. If I’m being super nit-picky, the editing could have been tightened up to around 5 rather than 6 episodes, especially given the amount of repeated re-enactment footage at times, but it’s not a dealbreaker.
One of the bigger highlights in this show though actually comes from the presentation. Netflix have always been on the money when it comes to adding in stylistic cues and stand-out elements and this show, with all its colour, overlaid newspaper clippings, talking head interviews and re-enactments, really comes to life thanks to the narration of Ed Harris.
It’s ironic too that Harris is the narrator here, given he also played the Gunslinger in Westworld! He has such an easy way with words and his conversationalist manner allows one to really get invested in this story, with its twists and turns and jumps backward and forward through time.
However, the only part of this presentation that doesn’t quite hit the right notes, comes from the music. The questionable choice of adding in electronica, rock and a variety of different genres alongside the usual Western-style music is an odd one and it doesn’t always work. Especially that electronica. Who wants to have a rave while watching a docudrama about the Wild West?!
Beyond that though, Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War is an engrossing and well told series. It’s a story that manages to blend all the usual elements you’d expect from this genre (talking head interviews from experts, re-enactments and deep history) into one digestible six part episode package. If you’re a fan of the American West or want to learn more, Wyatt Earp is definitely worth checking out.
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Verdict - 7/10
7/10
What is the name of the song played over the end credits (as well as a little earlier) in episode 1?
Much of the music used is very famous classical music! As for the series, excellent. It really puts the events into perspective in their effect on the nation.