The gritty Netflix Western series American Primeval wasted little time in garnering the attention of audiences, doing so immediately after its release. Around every corner you turned, from East to West, danger lurked as we were introduced to a nigh-lawless America before civilization took a firm hold. Series creator Peter Berg talked to Esquire about the success the series enjoyed and how it might potentially build momentum for the future. American Primeval told its story in a six-episode run, which ended with Isaac (Taylor Kitsch) dead despite surviving many other ordeals. Isaac wasn’t the only one who met his demise on the show, as many other characters equally met similar fates.
This suggests that, should a second season of the show emerge, American Primeval would need to seek out a different approach to follow. With so many key figures on the show dead, another season of the show might prove difficult to create. However, Berg reveals that the team won’t be held back by such an obstacle.
“Fans are calling for season 2, and at the same time they’re saying, ‘Well, how could you possibly do a season 2, because everybody’s dead?’ And if you wait a year to do season 2, those kids that survive are going to all go through puberty and be unrecognizable. So we’re figuring that out now. But we definitely want to do a season 2.”
‘American Primeval’ Showcased a Dark Side of American History
American Primeval has a 66% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes against an 88% audience score. Collider‘s Maggie Lovitt lauded the series, with the performances of its lead actors receiving a special mention. Netflix is yet to renew American Primeval for another season, but Berg‘s comments can be viewed as a very good sign. Berg‘s belief in another season is also not without substance. After only 35 days and having amassed 13.8 million viewers, American Primeval is the 12th most-viewed series across any platform for 2024-2025, according to a recent report from Nielsen.
American Primeval told its story through several different groups, including the Mormons, the Army, Sara and Isaac, and the Shoshone Indigenous group. With an engrossing storyline and intense battle sequences, the series was able to deliver a tale rich in American history. Joe Tippett plays James Wolsey in the bloody drama as he stands at the head of the Mormon militia. The show focused on a dark part of American history, and this might be how American Primeval endures for another season. In a conversation with Collider’s Joe Schmidt, Sara Bareilles, Tippett‘s partner, praised her partner’s work in the intense series:
“I mean, he’s incredible. I can’t say enough about how good it feels to not only love him for the person he is, but to deeply admire his work. It is such a beautiful feeling. That show is intense. It is intense, and it’s intense to know that it’s based on true events. It’s a really hard and uncomfortable look at history, which I think is really important. And I think that they did an incredible job.”
American Primeval is now streaming on Netflix.
via Collider