Barkskins

Barkskins is set during one of my favorite periods of Canadian and American history. The series is populated with a number of unusual but sharply drawn characters driven by diverse set of motives as only Annie Proulx could write them. Entertaining and highly educational, Barkskins paints a detailed portrait of an important and interesting period of Western history.

I loved this historical series & hated for it to be over. I'm hoping it continues for more seasons... I am planning on watching the first episode again to put the rest in context. The first couple of episodes were a little hard to place everyone, but well worth hanging in there..

I never read the source novel by Annie Proulx, and maybe that's an advantage, but I found the first two episodes to be enthralling. It's as if you have been inserted into a foreign society and you are trying to figure out the norms and the rules that govern.

The world of Wobik, "New France", and its surroundings feel authentic. An uneasy and changeable peace exists between the various cultures in the area, and justice is usually negotiated at the end of a knife. It's a look at one of the antecedents of modern society. Within this grimy province lie dreams of homesteads, cities, and even empires.

The acting is strong and the sets evoke the ethos of a burgeoning society, rising out of the mud and darkness.

It helps to pay close attention to the character's names so as not to be confused in the first episode. But like the best historically-based narratives, it is worth the effort.

I believe from some people that this series doesnt have a 8 or 9 score on IMDb is because of the darkness. as someone who watched tv series for 10's of years this definitely is a VERY good series. i rated it 9/10 and from what i hear is that the showrunner is wanting a season 2 and so do i. make this happen please.

The limited series starts off gritty and, while it's a slower build, it seems to keep things interesting combining an early American historical setting with an element of mystery - shady characters, native American lore and a mysterious beast. I personally can't speak to how closely it follows the book but I thoroughly enjoy this genre, historically-based thrillers that build on mystery without turning into a complete fantasy. The program bears a similarity in style at least to The Terror which aired on the History Channel a few years back and was an amazing limited series. If you happened to enjoy that program, you likely enjoy this one as well.