The Son - Il figlio

The series opens with what I would say is at least a 14 year-old boy being taken captive in 1849. The future is identified as 1915. That means the boy would be 80 years old. Seeing him on a horseback posse and being very physical in many ways doesn't make sense to me. Am I missing something?

This is a top-tier production in terms of acting, writing, directing, cinematography and the effort put into to accurately recreate 1915 south Texas. At first, I was a bit uncertain about Pierce Brosnan's seemingly self-conscious portrayal and iffy accent (he's an Irishman playing a Texan), but he quickly, comfortably settles in to his compelling character. The other actors are of the highest caliber, particularly the show's namesake played by Henry Garrett. The scenery is also beautifully shot. And the biggest surprise is the story itself, which becomes engrossing within 30 minutes into the pilot episode. I expect very, very good things from this show. Once again AMC proves they are serious about quality television, and I do hope viewers reward "The Son" because it entirely deserves your attention.

I should add a few people have noted some time-line discrepancies. These may exist, but they are completely unimportant. Some of the other reviews here seem to nitpick over ridiculous irrelevancies. I do not know how these people can enjoy television! We have to remember a product like this costs tremendous money for a television studio trying out an unproven new show without any guarantee of ratings, and we should at least be admiring of the effort put in.

I am only through the first two episodes, but I created an IMDb account just so I could review this program. It's awesome. Don't let the negative reviews keep you from watching it. I'm a seventh generation Texan from South Texas. It's as if the mythology of my family history has come to life. For anyone doubting the historical accuracy of the writing, simply google Mary Hefferman of Beeville, Texas for a brutal account of the violent clashes between whites and Indians. Or read up on the legacy of the famous King Ranch, whose Running W brand no doubt provided the inspiration for the McCoullough family ranch brand. The mythical depiction of the oil, the politics, the violence, the opulence, and the toughness of the people is all very real. Don't let some dumb dumbs who aren't from Texas tell you it isn't, because it is.

Well, after one episode, this series looks promising. Mostly I would like to speak to it's authenticity, at least in regards to Indian raids. My husbands's great grandfather was Dot Babb, an Indian captive taken very much like shown in this series. His family was one of 3 ranches in northern Texas and while his father was away on a cattle drive, the Comanche Indians raided his ranch, brutally knifing and shooting an arrow through his mother to death. His baby sister was left to die (neighbors rescued her). Dot and his sister, Bianca, and the governess were taken as captives. At one point, he tried to help the governess escape and he was tied to a tree and the Comanche braves tried to break him down by shooting arrows very close to him. Then he was tied up and they put brush around him and made it look like they would set it afire. He was so stoic and showed no fear that they decided to make him a brave. He lived as a captive until his father rescued him. He was a friend of the Comanches all his life. Anyway, this part of this series is historically accurate. Dot authored a book about his captive experience and his early years as a Texan rancher, In the Bosom of the Comanches, available online through the Library of Congress. There are other captive stories similar to his and it appears perhaps these stories were used as reference for this series. So those unfamiliar with Texas history should read some actual first hand accounts by Texans.

This show's focus is on the relationship of a father to his son, only in this case we have several father-son relationships, including the young Eli McCullough (Jacob Lofland) and his Comanche captor (Zahn McClarnon), the elder Eli (Pierce Brosnan) and his two sons (Henry Garrett, David Wilson Barnes), and Eli's son (Henry Garrett) with his own son (Shane Graham).

Add to the father/son relationships is a West in transition, with the end of the Buffalo hunts in mid 19th century, and the faint beginnings of the oil industry in Texas in 1915.

If this isn't enough to entice you, throw in race relations, between the whites and the Indians and the whites and the Mexicans, and within the races, between those who practice compassion and those who do not, and those who have power and those who do not.

Onto this broad landscape we have marvelous photography, great location shots, and terrific acting. This is TV at its near best, and I think it may be Brosnan's finest role.