Une nature sauvage

Untamed is a good watch-the stunning backdrop alone, will make it worth your while. Bana delivers an intense performance, embodying both vulnerability and strength, while Santiago adds emotional depth with her portrayal, creating a strong chemistry that will draw you into the story. It was also good to see Raoul Max Trujillo (Apocalypto). The cinematography is great, and captures the majestic landscapes, enhancing its menacing atmosphere. However, the pacing is a little off, it feels somewhat rushed, with key plot developments and character arcs lacking exploration, which will tend to leave you wanting more depth. Despite these issues, it's engaging with a blend of suspense and emotional resonance, making it captivating. Give it a shot.

This review is only based on the first two episodes. Bana as always gives a good watchable performance and Neil is always solid. Also good is Santiago from the La Brea series. Beautiful landscapes though I've read it's not filmed in Yosemite where we've been to so that's a shame. It is a slow burn but so far not the least bit boring. Good mystery so far and there was a twist not related to the crime which was shocking but makes sense in the proceedings. So far the only detraction is the pining of the ex wife who obviously still cares for him but settled for some boring dude. Perhaps this will become relevant in succeeding episodes but for now the scenes just drag. Despite that at a short 6 episodes this is an easy watch. Don't let the haters of virtually just about everything except of course when it's pretentious junk ( which is the only thing they like) deter you from a good show. Try to give it a chance and you might find some great entertainment here. Highly recommended so far.

In 2016 I fulfilled one of my life's dreams and I stayed 2 nights in Yosemite park, at the Ahwahnee Lodge. From this point of view the series is a true reward. The plot is a different thing. At the end you can't help but ask yourself what was the core story to begin with: the Caleb story, the Lucy story, the drug subplot... The problem with convoluted plots is that they get too twisty for their own good, and as a screenwriter and novelist myself I know what I'm talking about. The main character, a federal agent in charge of crime investigations in national parks, never connects with the viewer, or with other characters for that matter; not once he allows himself to even grin, never. His detachment from everything, except from his obsession to solve Lucy's death, puts us off from his emotional core as a human being. We care more about Vasquez, a normal person, or even Jill, his ex wife. Main characters don't need to be too complex or traumatized to be interesting, especially if they have to solve complex crimes. What about just doing their job in a professional and efficient way without spending too much time brooding? Direction is functional, acting won't earn them any awards, writing wants to be clever sometimes, and there are even some magic realism touches. All in all is a quite pleasant series to watch, but 4 episodes might have done it just as well. 7/10.

A mediocre drama in the genre of Virgin River.

Supposedly set in Yosemite National park it revolves around a death of a young girl. The story meanders, involving drug dealers, squatters and various shady characters. First of all it is not filmed in Yosemite and old abandoned mines would not contain drug labs. Squatters could not possibly live in the park and drunk park employees would not be tolerated. Again a story of inept police and ranger investigators stumbling around the park finding errant bullets in tree trunks in thousands of acres of trees. Just take this for what it is, a lifetime like series.

Overall this is a good short series. This is about grief more than anything, the thing everyone goes through at some point. It also gives a slight nod to what happens to people who fall through the cracks, and how easy it is to fall.

Good parts: The first two episodes are the best - it does go downhill a bit after that, but the other episodes are still pretty good. The landscape is gorgeous. The people look real - they are not fake looking, which is nice. The actors are great, all of them. Writing is good.

Bad parts: The murderer doesn't feel right. I get the point, the cracks have to be shown, and the decisions the murderer made were selfish and led to a crappy life led by the victim, who had no chance. But the whole investigation was a big "so what" at the end. Also, it's tiring, that whole renegade cop trope.

But it's very good. I cried. More than once. I recommend if you like character development and beautiful scenery. If you need some car chases, this isn't for you.