Miniseries · Netflix
American Primeval
No one survives alone.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Taylor Kitsch
Isaac Reed
6 eps
Betty Gilpin
Sara Rowell
6 eps
Dane DeHaan
Jacob Pratt
6 eps
Saura Lightfoot-Leon
Abish Pratt
6 eps
Derek Hinkey
Red Feather
6 eps
Joe Tippett
James Wolsey
6 eps
Jai Courtney
Virgil Cutter
6 eps
Preston Mota
Devin Rowell
6 eps
Shawnee Pourier
Two Moons
6 eps
Shea Whigham
Jim Bridger
6 eps
Kyle Davis
Tilly
6 eps
Tokala Black Elk
Buffalo Run
6 eps
Nick Hargrove
Cottrell
6 eps
Dominic Bogart
Cook
4 eps
Alex Fine
Gant
6 eps
Kip Weeks
Pepper
5 eps
Andrew P. Logan
Lucas
6 eps
Mark C Westberg
William
1 eps
Tom Sons
Thomas (Tall Man)
1 eps
Marco Fuller
Paiute Leader
2 eps
Olivia Taylor
Ezrie
2 eps
Lily Smith
Alivan
2 eps
Peter Berg
Fancher
1 eps
Jenny Marie Mitchell
Oaklyn
2 eps
Mark Wiggins
Cole Dawson
1 eps
Martha Magruder
Pioneer Woman
2 eps
Clint Obenchain
Frye
1 eps
Sheldon Silentwalker
Arapaho Man
1 eps
Carma Harvey
Two Moons' Mother
1 eps
Manto DeRoin-Silva
Ute Child
2 eps
Kim Coates
Brigham Young
4 eps
Lucas Neff
Captain Edmund Dellinger
5 eps
Irene Bedard
Winter Bird
5 eps
Nanabah Grace
Kuttaambo'i
5 eps
Alex Breaux
Wild Bill Hickman
5 eps
Jeremiah Bitsui
Grey Fox
3 eps
Jeremy Gauna
Tall Shadow
5 eps
Mosiah Aaron Crowfoot
Young Elk
5 eps
Lily Joy Winder
My Heart
5 eps
Harrison Lowe
Sleeping Deer
5 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How American Primeval actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
American Primeval reads strongest on Bingeability, Character Depth and Serialized.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
A mother and son fleeing from their past form a found family while confronting a harsh landscape of freedom and cruelty in the American West.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E05
Episode 5
As Devin's leg worsens, Sara faces a terrifying choice. Brigham Young makes Bridger an offer. Abish delivers a stark warning to the Shoshone.
- Directed by Peter Berg
- Written by Mark L. Smith
S01E04
Episode 4
Red Feather vows to fight, Jacob acts on his suspicions and Abish receives shocking news. En route to Crooks Springs, the elements intensify.
- Directed by Peter Berg
- Written by Mark L. Smith
S01E06
Episode 6
Ignoring the danger, Isaac sets out to rescue Sara. Jacob's search for Abish comes to an end. Bridger celebrates before saying good-bye.
- Directed by Peter Berg
- Written by Mark L. Smith
S01E03
Episode 3
Following a lead, Jacob joins a bounty hunter's search. Brigham Young rides into Fort Bridger. Sara, Devin and Isaac come face-to-face with evil.
- Directed by Peter Berg
- Written by Mark L. Smith
S01E02
Episode 2
A frightening encounter takes Sara's party by surprise. A deeply wounded Jacob forms a posse to find Abish. Isaac reconnects with his past.
- Directed by Peter Berg
- Written by Mark L. Smith
S01E01
Episode 1
At a desolate outpost, Sara and her son Devin forge new connections while searching for a guide to help them navigate treacherous trails further west.
- Directed by Peter Berg
- Written by Mark L. Smith
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Alexander H. GaynerExecutive Producer
- Eric NewmanExecutive Producer
- Peter BergExecutive Producer
- Mark L. SmithExecutive Producer
- Sam TischlerProducer
- Robin Le ChanuProducer
Writing
- Mark L. SmithWriter
Direction
- Peter BergDirector
Cinematography
- Jacques JouffretDirector of Photography
Music
- Chris HraskyOriginal Music Composer
- Munaf RayaniOriginal Music Composer
- Mark SmithOriginal Music Composer
- Michael JamesOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
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Need something lighter afterwards? Start here.
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Another invented world built with the same seriousness — start at episode one.
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If the world-building is what held you, this is the next map to walk.
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Another morally complex epic for anyone who wanted more grey.
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Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
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