Godless

            Seeing as this week was dedicated to studying and understanding long-form television, we decided to give the Netflix original show Godless a chance, on recommendation from a number of friends. Having watched the miniseries almost through to its entirety, I can say that my opinion of it is mixed. Usually, the difference between streaming television and cable is substantial, but lately I’ve felt that a lot of shows are hit or miss. Godless was somewhere in the middle for me. While it was nice to see a return to the western, there elements of the narrative and worldbuilding that I was not particularly fond. The premise was interesting enough with a entirely run by women, as all the men are dead, and the bandit gang headed by the ruthless leader played by Jeff Daniels. Perhaps it was the pacing, or the execution overall. I’m still unsure, but I know I didn’t love this series, despite my admiration for westerns. Netflix’ own The Crown suffered a similar fate for me. I think that with the “binge” scene here to stay, pacing will become more and more important. If streaming providers are seeking these bingers, they need to be more away of better-paced plots in episodic format. Both Godless and The Crown were interesting enough, but they seemed a bit stretched out for the sake of filling episodes for a season, rather than placing the story at the forefront. And if the constant filler bores me over substance, you can bet I won’t be bingeing the show again. I’ve found far more strength in Netflix’s bingeable documentaries like Making a Murder and The Keepers.