While Westerns have been an integral part of the cinematic ecosystem since the earliest days of the medium, the genre has seen just as much success on television.Classic Western shows likeRawhideandGunsmokebrought the exciting, action-packed adventures often seen in Western films to the small screen and fleshed out their narratives in far more depth than what the parameters of a two-hour film allow. In the 21st century, Western television has seen many novel reinventions, such as the Shakespearean tragedy ofDavid Milch’s work onDeadwoodand the science fiction twists ofJonathan Nolan’s reboot ofWestworld. While Western television is often an exciting piece of escapism, the genre is rarely reflected in a historically accurate way in prestige shows. However, the brilliant 2017 Netflix miniseriesGodlessdrew from historical facts about America’s frontier era to become the most accurate Western show of all time.
In the 1880s American West, murderous outlaw gang leader Frank Griffin hunts for ex-protege Roy Goode. Frank’s chase leads him to La Belle, New Mexico–a town inhabited, after a mining disaster, almost entirely by women.
What Is Netflix’s ‘Godless’ About?
Set two decades after the ending of the American Civil War,Godlessexplores the remote colony of La Belle, New Mexico, a peaceful community largely disenfranchised from the larger conflicts within the frontier. As Marshal John Cooke (Sam Waterston) travels across the frontier in search of the notorious mercenary Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) and his gang, he discovers that the outlaw’s son-in-law, Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), betrayed him and was left for dead. As the residents of La Belle nurse Roy back to health, he’s surprised to find that the town is entirely run by women. While Western archetypes like outlaws, gunslingers, and marshals play prominent roles in the series,Godlessis a far less idealized version of history compared toother Western television shows.
Series creatorScott Frankrevealed that he began working on the ideabecause of his fascination with history, intrigued by “creating that world, working in period, learning how people spoke.” While this level of attention to detail iscommon within Frank’s work,Godless’immersive story structure allows it to give insight into the day-to-day lifestyle of its characters. While the mounting tension of Frank’s return to take vengeance on the citizens of La Belle adds tension to the narrative, the majority ofGodlessinvolves Roy being re-acclimated to society. As Roy’s freedom becomes a subject of debate between the rancher Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery) and the headstrong widow Mary Agnes McNue (Merritt Wever),Godlessexplores how decisions are made in fringe communities.
This Western Anthology Series Was One of the First on Network Television
The Western was revolutionary in more ways than one.
While Frank was interested inincorporating recurring elements commonwithin the Westerns ofJohn FordandPreston Sturges,Godlesswas based on extensive research conducted on the development of small mining towns. Inspired byRobert Altman’s 1971 Western classicMcCabe & Mrs. Miller,Frank took an extended trip to New Mexico where he visited many of the historical sites that inspired La Belle. Rather than starting his script by conceiving his characters, Frank sought deeper knowledge of the reality these communities faced and created characters that could realistically survive the harsh living conditions. Calling it a “reverse adaptation,” Frank said that “there were a lot of characters I wanted to go deeper with and wanted to explore.”
‘Godless’ Is Loosely Inspired by a True Story
While characters like Frank, Roy, Mary, and Alice are fictional creations,the story ofGodlessis based on the real history of La Belle, New Mexico. The small settlementemerged in the 1890sduring the Gold Rush and attracted a robust population of ambitious fortune seekers determined to strip the land of its resources. After the gold was discovered to be relatively low grade, La Belle was almost completely abandoned by the dawn of the 10th century. Whilethe tragic mining disaster that claimed the lives of many of the men in La Belle did not occur within the actual town, Frank stated thatsimilar accidents occurred within its sister communities. While mining accidents might not seem like an exciting plot point compared to the more fanciful narratives withinpopular period television Westerns, it was a reality that many on the frontier had to deal with.
Although Frank’s experiences researching in New Mexico were highly informative within the creative inception ofGodless,La Belle was also inspired by the town of Jackson, Wyoming.After the town was damaged by an influx of public waste, Jackson elected an all-female governing boardto deal with its infrastructural issues. Frank saw this as evidence that frontier towns governed by female leadership were prosperous, as they were distanced enough from more socially conservative communities that they could reject discriminatory laws regarding women in government.Feminism is a recurring themethroughoutGodless, as Wever and Dockery portray characters that take on traditionally “masculine” roles of leadership and protection. The rise of women in positions of authority occurredthroughout the Depression era.
‘Godless’ Has a Realistic Western Villain in Jeff Daniels' Frank Griffin
Although the series features many great characters,Godlessstands out due tothe brilliant performance by Jeff Danielsas the notorious outlaw Frank Griffin. While the character is fictitious,Griffin was inspired by real outlaws who justified their violent actions with religious principles. Griffin often cites scripture, and feels that he has the power to dispense with justice because of his strong faith; Frank said that he “believes that he’s been a good father” and “feels betrayed because he has always felt that he’s done right by the people around him.“The best villainsare often those who see themselves as heroes, and Griffin’s determination to act in what he perceives to be a morally righteous way somehow makes him more terrifying.
No Western TV Show Features More Golden Era Stars Than This One
“Head ‘em up! Move ‘em out!”
While excessive research could have been a burden for most showrunners,Godlessis more effective because of its authenticity. Rather than lionizing a highly idealized version of the West that has itself become a cliché,Godlesschallenges the notion that this was an exciting period in history by examining what the lived-in experience was actually like. It’s perhapsthe greatest Western of the 21st centurybecause its strong characters, thrilling set pieces, and shocking plot twists are all rooted in historical fact.
