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Wild western

Netflix's new series Godless is a Western with villains, shootouts, dusty towns and lots of horses. It's an operatic, juicy drama that thrives by embracing the best, and side-stepping the worst, Western tropes. Created by Scott Frank, Godless is set in late-19th century La Belle, New Mexico, a community populated by women after a mine accident killed most of the men. Those left are trying to rebuild their lives when marked man Roy Goode (Jack O'Connell) takes refuge there, chased by outlaw Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels), who has threatened to slaughter anyone who harbors him.

Godless embraces the Western genre, from the twangy score to wide shots of the idyllic New Mexico landscape to the dastardly bearded villain. But while it revels in the Western's best elements, it wisely discards some of the more problematic devices, such as portraying Native Americans as savages or female characters as waif-like arm candy.