In all fairness, maybe I just don’t like Westerns.
It’s not a genre that piques my interest. In general, I feel only indifference towards old-timey saloons and cowboys with southern drawls. I know most of the Western cliques—thanks to specific SpongeBob references. I know that, generally speaking, it’s not a Western if the film doesn’t end in a quick draw between the local sheriff and the enemy outlaw.
In this new Netflix Original series, Godless follows Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), a young sharpshooter running from his former boss and father figure, Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels), the charming, but ruthless one armed outlaw. Roy finds shelter in La Belle, a town that’s seen its fair share of death—years ago, a mining accident killed 83 men, leaving behind the grieving widows to run the town. Now, Roy shows up seeking asylum, while the infamous Frank Griffin roams the countryside, burning down villages in the name of revenge.
I'm hooked from the trailer, with its sultry soundtrack that builds to what promises to be an epic showdown between a classic crew of outlaws and gunslinging ladies. From the trailer, I’m expecting a Western series that twists the charged masculinity associated with the genre, by placing guns in the hands of women.
Godless markets itself as a “feminist Western” when really . . . it’s just a Western. That’s the problem, because the “feminist” aspect is the biggest draw. I'm promised a show with strong, harrowed, flawed female characters, but really, La Belle is a B-story. Roy Goode is the star, but he's such a basic hero. He's noble, a infamous sharpshooter, and a typical, handsome, brooding gentleman. Not exactly reinventing the metaphorical wagon wheel with this guy.
Also, this show is really slow. The series was only seven episodes long, but each one can range from thirty-six minutes to an hour and a half (for the finale). I keep telling myself, this is just build up. It’ll pick up next episode. Before I know it, I'm on episode six, still waiting for a big pay off.
We still have the finale, I think to myself. We’ve made it this far, let’s see what happens.
*Spoilers for last episode ahead*
The finale promises an epic showdown between La Belle's women and Frank Griffin’s men—a battle between underdogs and seasoned gun shooters. But when the big, bad outlaws ride into town, I’m mildly disappointed. Despite the rapid gunfire, the billowing dust, and the bloodshed, it's not a particularly exciting fight. It's a rather polite standoff, actually: the women take aim from the windows of the La Belle hotel, and Frank's men stay on the ground - stationary targets, in plain view. There's no strategy involved, just a straightforward point-and-shoot fight.
Then, just when the end looks bleak for La Belle's women, who comes riding in and saving the day? Roy, fucking, Goode. Adding insult to injury, Roy Goode's expert shooting becomes a major assist that scares off Frank's men (of course, the women couldn't win without him). Later on, it's Roy who tracks down Frank in the woods, and faces off in a mandatory Western movie quick-draw. Fucking Roy delivers the fatal kill shot, leaving us with an anticlimactic, predictable end to a great villain.
*Spoilers over.*
Godless, objectively, is a well-made series. It has all the makings of a great piece of visual media: impeccable acting performances and stunning visuals. But the story is poorly paced, and the show’s most interesting concept is just a marketing ploy. If you enjoy a good Western, Godless might be a good fit for you. But the trailer is full of empty promises.
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