Every American Primeval Episode, Ranked Worst To Best

Warning: This article contains spoilers for American Primeval.

This article contains mentions of sexual assault.

Netflix's newest Western series, American Primeval, has quickly become one of the streaming service's most popular shows only days after its release. American Primeval combines the story of the founding of Utah with the lives of fictional characters, which makes for a very entertaining watch. In addition, American Primeval's cast all give very compelling performances as characters who have to fight relentlessly to stay alive and make their mark. Each episode will have viewers on the edge of their seats waiting to know what could happen next.

While all of American Primeval's episodes are quite impressive, some of them do stand out above the rest for varying reasons. Since there are only six episodes, the show uses its time wisely, with very little filler to be found. Additionally, the performances of the cast are great throughout the series, making it difficult to judge from that perspective as well. The largest consideration for the ranking, then, comes down to the plot of the episodes and the importance of the events in building towards American Primeval's surprisingly sad ending.

6 Episode 2

The Second Episode Focuses Primarily On The Aftermath Of The Massacre

Episode 2 of American Primeval picks up where episode 1 left off, directly after the Mountain Meadows massacre. Many of the characters that had been seen briefly in episode 1, were quickly killed off, establishing who the true main characters were. The episode also helps to establish who the different conflicting groups are; Sara and Mr. Reed, the Mormons, the US Army, Mr Bridger, the Shoshone people, and to a lesser extent the bounty hunters after Sara. By defining the groups, the episode helps audiences better determine each of their goals and the obstacles in their paths.

The characters are mostly in transit throughout the episode, with Abish being taken by the Shoshone and Sara and Reed's group attempting to make their way towards Crooks Springs.

While these details are certainly important for setting up what is to come and giving more context to the historical setting of the show,American Primeval episode 2 is simply not as interesting as the other episodes. The characters are mostly in transit throughout the episode, with Abish being taken by the Shoshone and Sara and Reed's group attempting to make their way towards Crooks Springs. The biggest event of the episode is Reed killing a group of people after they attempt to turn Sara in for the reward money, but this does little other than confirm she is a high-value target.

5 Episode 4

Tensions Continue To Grow In Episode 4

Moving past the halfway point of American Primeval, episode 4 is the second-worst episode because it gets too caught up in confirming things that the audience already knows. The show largely uses its short runtime wisely, but certain scenes at Fort Bridger and with the US Army seem a bit redundant. The series quickly establishes that the Mormons are the primary enemy of most of the other groups, and episode 4 doubles down on that by having Wild Bill negotiate with Jim Bridger and Captain Dellinger do nothing with the Mormon militia despite knowing their role in the massacre.

The moments between the Mormon leaders and Bridger and the US Army respectively continue to enforce that they are willing to do anything to keep their control of Utah, even if it means threats and violence. Episode 4 also sees Abish finally decide to side with the Shoshone and rightly point out the Mormons will stop at nothing to kill her and anyone who gets in their way. Meanwhile, Sara and Reed continue traveling, but their plans are complicated when Sara's son, Devin, is injured by his horse, creating the most interesting moment of the episode for that party.

American Primeval currently holds a 67% critics approval rating and an 88% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, showing how successful the show has been with audiences.

Perhaps the most critical moment in episode 4 is Brother Pratt killing Cook over the watch. After realizing that the Mormons were behind the massacre, Pratt kills Cook out of revenge and is subsequently kicked out of his traveling group. While this moment is attention-grabbing, it actually does not have much impact on the direction of the plot, since the bounty hunters are not looking for Pratt's wife, Abish, and Pratt ultimately rejoins the Mormons in the finale anyway. If anything, it actually raises whether Pratt accepted and forgave the Mormon militia for killing so many people or simply did not care anymore.

4 Episode 3

The Show Finds Its Groove But Is Brought Down By Disturbing Scenes

While episode 2 feels like American Primeval finding its footing, episode 3 is where the show truly finds its groove. In episode 3, the tensions between the Mormons and the opposing groups continue to grow, as Brigham Young attempts to buy Fort Bridger but is turned down by Jim Bridger, and the Mormon militia attempt to keep Jacob Pratt from finding out the truth about the massacre. Sara and Reed's party continues traveling toward Crooks Springs, but they meet trouble and are captured along the way.

Sara, Mr. Reed, and Devin's capture is the most difficult part of the episode, and its graphic nature brings down the episode's ranking. The group is captured after Sara is tricked into helping a young girl, and Sara is later sexually assaulted. Though American Primeval does show sexual assault as the horrifying and heinous crime that it is, its inclusion at all makes the scenes of Sara's captivity very difficult to watch. Ultimately, the shocking moment does not add anything to the episode that the characters could not have learned without the addition of the assault.

Despite episode 3 containing some of the most difficult scenes in the entire show, the performances of the main actors in these scenes display a lot of talent. Betty Gilpin's portrayal of Sara in the aftermath of her assault, and her anger both at what happened to her and, unfairly, at herself for walking into a trap is heart-wrenching. Likewise, Jacob Pratt's further descent into anger and despair is disturbing but difficult to look away from. While all the episodes feature great performances, episode 3 is a stand-out in that respect.

3 Episode 5

Episode 5 Creates A Great Set-Up For 6

Episode 5's biggest moment is the Mormon militia massacring the US Army camp. After realizing that Dellinger was attempting to send word about the Mormons' involvement in the Mountain Meadows massacre, the Mormon militia killed the entire Army camp, including the man who was a spy for them. However, this moment does make clear that they are still on the hunt for Abish, who was living safely with the Shoshone.

These more heartfelt moments give American Primeval episode 5 a great contrast between the feelings of the characters and the violence.

The penultimate episode also features a lot of great moments emotionally, which don't happen a ton in the show. In particular, a little bit more of Reed's background is finally revealed through brief flashback shots, and he slowly begins to be more emotional in front of his companions. His and Sara's affection for each other is quietly visible, as is her concern for her son as his leg gets worse. These more heartfelt moments give American Primeval episode 5 a great contrast between the feelings of the characters and the violence that takes place all around them.

Importantly, episode 5 also works as a perfect set-up for episode 6. All the tensions come to a head, and, when the episode ends, audiences are waiting for the tensions to boil over in the finale. The final moments of episode 5 see the Shoshone coming to terms with the knowledge that they will have to fight the Mormon militia and Sara being taken by bounty hunters. The circumstances for many of the characters look quite bleak, but there is still hope that Sara can be rescued and Abish and Jacob can be reunited.

2 Episode 1

The First Episode Introduces The Players And The Violence

A woman protects her son from attack in American Primeval

Episode 1 is one of American Primeval's best episodes because it lets audiences know exactly what they are getting into. The series opens with Sara and her son Devin waiting on a train platform, seeming anxious. The audience soon learns that they are headed for Crooks Springs and are making a stop at Fort Bridger. The appearance of Fort Bridger, including a man hanging from the entrance gate, along with Jim Bridger's brusque nature, immediately tells Sara and the audience that it is not going to be an easy journey.

It is the massacre that truly establishes what American Primeval is all about and tells audiences to get prepared for what happens next.

Sara meets Jacob and Abish, and simultaneously, Two Moons runs away from home by sneaking into Sara's wagon. These moments introduce the important characters, the violence of the Utah territory, and Sara's goal, which are all crucial to the outcome of the show. However, the biggest moment in episode 1, and the event that determines the rest of the season, is the Mountain Meadows massacre that happens at the end of the episode. It is the massacre that truly establishes what American Primeval is all about and tells audiences to get prepared for what happens next.

1 Episode 6

American Primeval's Finale Really Sticks The Landing

Episode 6, the finale, is the best episode of American Primeval. After watching the different groups struggle against each other in the preceding five episodes, episode 6 sees those battles come to a head with devastating outcomes. In the first half of the episode, Brigham Young finally succeeds in buying Fort Bridger from Jim Bridger, Jacob rejoins the Mormon group, and, elsewhere, Reed is able to rescue Sara, killing many of her captors in the process. This part of the episode fully cements the groups and circumstances going into the finale's battles.

The largest battle in American Primeval is between the Mormon militia and the Shoshone people, with Jacob fighting for the Mormons while his wife Abish fights with the Shoshone. In one of the most shocking moments, Jacob unknowingly kills Abish and then kills himself after realizing what he has done. In the aftermath of the battle, the Mormons are victorious, and Brigham Young succeeds in burning down Fort Bridger. Elsewhere, Sara and Reed share a kiss, but he is ultimately killed by Sara's one surviving captor, who comes back for revenge.

American Primeval Surviving Characters	Their Final Plans
Sara Rowell	Decided to go to California instead of Crooks Springs
Devin Rowell	Continued traveling with his mother and Two Moons
Two Moons	Continued traveling with Sara and Devin Rowell
Jim Bridger	Decided to let Fort Bridger burn and leave town
Brigham Young	Continued to govern Utah but resigned in 1858
Wild Bill	Worked for Young but was excommunicated in 1868

While the endings for many of American Primeval's characters are devastating, the show does do a great job of actually wrapping all of them up. It is a very common problem for shows to leave plot points unanswered, but American Primeval satisfactorily covers all of them. The Mormons are victorious, Reed dies to save Sara, and Fort Bridger is destroyed to keep the US military from using it. The only slightly open-ended moment is that of Sara, Devin, and Two Moons continuing their journey to California, which points to how the events of American Primeval have changed their goals.