Hugo Blick’s epic western whisks viewers back to the final chapter of the Old West across six gripping hours, with Emily Blunt delivering a

commanding performance that has prompted audiences to praise this as a hidden treasure alongside American Primeval and Yellowstone.

 

 

The series follows Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), a determined Pawnee ex-U.S. Army scout journeying to Nebraska to claim land promised in exchange for his military service, confronting betrayal, displacement and the broken promises of a declining empire, alongside Lady Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt), an Englishwoman who has travelled to America hunting down her son’s killer.

The English, broadcast on BBC Two and Amazon Prime in late 2022, consists of six episodes that have garnered praise from both classic western fans and those new to the genre, which is experiencing its own revival with the emergence of Yellowstone, American Primeval, and 1923.

“Fans of American Primeval should watch The English. Both are great Westerns featuring a strong female lead,” Emily Long says for Screen Rant, highlighting “Though each of the shows have their own stories and unique characters, The English and American Primeval are surprisingly similar. Both shows centre on a woman trying to make her way across the American West with a travelling partner, encountering numerous challenges along the way.”

Despite these similarities, fans of The English have questioned why it hasn’t received the same acclaim as other recent shows, despite being “Western in all the right ways”. One IMDB reviewer raved: “Instantly, The English has made my top 10. I have seen a lot of movies and series over the many many years I’ve walked this earth. And seldom have I been struck so profoundly”.

“Every scene, every word, each gesture, to a person reaches out, aiming for the heart. Relentlessly uncovering a story that weaves beauty and horror in equal measure.

“It never waits for you to catch up. But rather pulls you along as you follow- never really knowing what will happen and carefully doling out what has happened.”

The critically acclaimed drama earned significant recognition for its leads, with Chaske Spencer and Emily Blunt receiving nominations at the British Academy Television Awards for Best Actor and the Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series respectively.

Stephen Rea also bagged an Irish Film and Television Award for his captivating portrayal of Sheriff Robert Marshall.

The Western has captivated the 67,000-strong Reddit community r/Western, with user apswim22 lauding it as: “This was an amazing under-the-radar series. One of the better Western series in a while.”

Numerous viewers have praised the show’s narrative, with BeautifulDebate7615 posting on the Western subreddit: “We did not see the twist coming but kept wondering why things weren’t developing the way we expected. Then the twist perfectly explained things.”

Beyond the exceptional performances from the cast, the series features stunning cinematography by Arnau Valls Colomer, beautifully enhanced by Federico Jusid’s classical score to establish the perfect mood.

Certain reviewers have expressed reservations about the show’s tempo, characterising the opening episode as somewhat sluggish. Nevertheless, these objections typically diminish once the second episode gains momentum.