This says it all, an excerpt from a FAWNING review from a critic who loved this series: "I have faith that were I to map all its parts it would make perfect sense but I would genuinely need to sit down with a paper and pencil, and possibly a cartographer, to do so." Does that tell you what a convoluted mess this story is? I love Emily Blunt, my favorite actress. But as I watched, enjoying some parts, I became increasing frustrated by all the seeming loose ends, knowing that the director, confusing incoherence with depth, made all the time, place and subplot shifts with the idea that it added up to "art." Contrast this with another recent take on the old West imbued with realism-"1883"-a great story depicting the harsh realities of the West and the struggle between native Americans and settlers, but in a way in which you could get involved in the story and not be compelled to hit pause every ten minutes to try and figure out whether you missed something or had accidentally skipped one of the episodes. The big reveal in the final episode is supposed to tie things together, I guess, but even though that's a common device, when you've been wandering around so lost for so long, it just makes you crazy. I watched it to the end because there was some good stuff between too-long set pieces with lots of dialogue, Tarantino-style without the Tarantino touch. I'll stop here. Proceed at your own risk.
Review of The English
