While the show has garnered mixed reviews for a variety of reasons, Peter Berg defends American Primeval from criticisms of changing real events. Created by Mark L. Smith, the Netflix Western focuses on several characters who traverse a conflict-ridden Utah Territory during the birth of the American West. American Primeval episode 1 ends on a dour note with the infamous Meadows Massacre, a real-life event that happened between Mormon settlers, Paiute people, and a mostly-Methodist Wagon train, resulting in the slaughtering of 120 people.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, American Primeval director Peter Berg defended the series’ portrayal of the Meadows Massacre and the portrayal of Mormon leader Brigham Young. Berg was quick to defend his creative decisions in making changes to the key event, acknowledging that his wasn’t a literal depiction, as the actual massacre took place over four days, while his version of the event was a swift and sweeping strike that seems to take place in a matter of mere minutes:
It’s not a literal depiction of the Meadows Massacre because those massacres took place over three days and ours takes place very quickly. I’ve heard some of the pushback, but I haven’t heard anyone from the Mormon side deny that the Meadows Massacre happened and that Mormons did it. I have had them express concerns that we do take other liberties.
He also pointed out a scene where Native Americans abducted Mormon women from the massacre, saying that while this didn’t happen during the Meadows Massacre, it definitely did happen. Many liberties were taken, the director confessed, but Berg stressed that he thinks he and his creative team were reasonably accurate in the depiction of key events, saying, “We never said we’re making a documentary.” Read his full comments below:
We have a sequence where some Mormon women are abducted by Native Americans and that did not happen around the Meadows Massacre, but it did happen. There are many documented accounts of Natives taking people. We never said we’re making a documentary and that it’s all based 100 percent on fact. There are many liberties taken. But I think we are accurate very much in a reasonable way concerning the key events, particularly the Meadows Massacre.
What This Means For American Primeval’s Historical Changes
It Doesn’t Seem To Have Affected The Show’s Performance Too Much
While there may be legitimate inaccuracies in American Primeval, those flaws seem to be minor and not that detrimental to the series, as the western’s been comfortably situated at the high-end of Netflix’s Top 10 chart of shows in the US, sometimes earning that No. 1 spot. As for its critical reception, while its first wave of reviews weren’t favorable, reviews after that established American Primeval’s status as relatively fresh with a 66% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics.
The gritty tone of the series worked in its favor, adding a taste of realism in all aspects of the show, including its most violent and disturbing moments.
Audiences, on the other hand, have been on board with the Western from the start, giving American Primeval an impressive 87% on RT. This general success speaks to the fact that historical inaccuracies don’t often make a significant impact on the potential of a fictional work unless it’s outright offensive. The gritty tone of the series worked in its favor, adding a taste of realism in all aspects of the show, including its most violent and disturbing moments.
Our Take On American Primeval’s Historical Inaccuracies
Any Work Of Fiction Comes With Creative Liberties
As with any work of fiction, there’ll be liberties taken with the real-life source material they’re based on for the sake of streamlining plot beats and lavishing them with a level of drama. I believe that the creative team behind American Primeval blended their liberties with authenticity enough for their portrayals of key events and figures to be convincing.
Related
American Primeval True Story Explained: Accuracy & Changes
Netflix’s epic period Western series American Primeval is based on a handful of real-life events and historical figures with some altered details.
Personally, I’d rather turn the other cheek to minor and inoffensive historical inaccuracies in fiction and instead celebrate filmmakers when they make research and historical accuracy a key part of the film’s composition and their creative style, like Robert Eggers’ flare for historical accuracy in minute details of his films. Ultimately, these inaccuracies shouldn’t be cause for viewers to miss out on American Primeval, a dark, gritty, and violent portrayal of conflicts between cults, religion, and dreamers during the birth of the American West.
Source: THR
American Primeval is a Netflix limited series that follows the lives of several men and women in the middle of the expansion of the American West. Social dynamics clash as men and women battle for a piece of the new world against rivals and each other.
- Release Date
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January 9, 2025
- Network
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Netflix
- Cast
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Taylor Kitsch
, Jai Courtney
, Dane DeHaan
, Betty Gilpin
, Nick Hargrove
, Kyle Bradley Davis
, Derek Hinkey
, Saura Lightfoot Leon
, Preston Mota
, Shawnee Pourier
, Joe Tippett - Character(s)
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Isaac
, Sara Rowell
, Gant
, Buffalo Run
, Jacob Pratt
, Abish Pratt
, Red Feather
, James Wolsey
, Virgil Cutter
, Two Moons
, Jim Bridger - Creator(s)
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Peter Berg
, Eric Newman
, Mark L. Smith - Producers
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Eric Newman
, Mark L. Smith - Seasons
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1
- Writers
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Peter Berg
, Eric Newman
, Mark L. Smith - Directors
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Peter Berg