Lonesome Dove Reviews

Truth be told, Netflix was made for binge watching a mini-series like Lonesome Dove, which I might have abandoned watching on TV in 1989 had I not been two-years-old at the time. It’s not that Lonesome Dove is bad, far from it actually, but it just takes quite some time to get going, and the first episode is filled with most of the problematic writing that keeps it from being perfect.

Having said all of that, it remains a flawed but indelible classic. It’s a towering achievement as far as television mini-series’ go, and rivals many western films in sheer scope, unique characterizations and artistic merit.

I know that I am treading on sacred and beloved ground when I bring things in Lonesome Dove that aren’t perfect, but don’t try and scalp me just yet. The main problem with the whole series is that it gets too literal and obvious. For example, a character’s death practically comes complete with a clock running down the time until they exit the story as soon as they mention something that they greatly desire even at their own peril or that they’re afraid of. One character says that he fears water, and it’s only a matter of time before there’s a scene in which he must cross a large body of water. And, naturally, he doesn’t make it out alive. This kind of sign-posting doesn’t make for good, engaging or interesting drama.

Another major problem is that character’s consistently turn up in the story despite it straining logic and our suspension of disbelief to a very precarious limit. These characters constantly appear, disappear and reappear right where our main group is, or has just been or is about to go. It’s satisfying to keep up with these characters on an emotional level because they’re very dynamic and interesting, but I found it near impossible to believe that Chris Cooper’s character would constantly reappear as often as the story progressed. There’s a lot of land and undiscovered territories around this time, especially when you factor in that the main thrust of the story is a cattle drive, and it just seems faintly ridiculous that they keep hitting the same towns practically in tandem.

Yet what Lonesome Dove does so wonderfully is cultivate rich and complicated characters. Most welcome and delightful of all are the female characters who manage to escape the Madonna-Whore complex that normally befalls the distaff side of western characters. Diane Lane’s character may begin life as a prostitute, but she’s full of fire and determination to get out of the life and become something more. Her character has a nice strong arc from girlish hooker to fiery, strong independent woman. And Anjelica Huston, always a welcome sight for me and a good part of the reason that I watched this in the first place, plays a woman who runs her own farm, is capable, tough and in-charge of her life and destiny. She doesn’t need a man, but her long and complicated love affair with Robert Duvall’s character is a joy to watch since they seem to be having fun playing characters who understand each other deeply, yet still fight and bicker with fire and brimstone despite it all.

Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones seem to have been born into these parts which they tackle with such grace and ease. Of course, aging them is far easier than the rest of the cast members. Even in their first few films they looked old and middle aged. Duvall in particular is clearly having fun playing a rascal of a character, he manages to continually showcase his caring, heroism and sense of justice, but along the way he’s quick to dish out sarcastic jabs and enjoy as many drinks and women as he can before he dies. Jones is stuck with the crustier, crankier part, which comes as no surprise, but he does manage to give this character a deeply wounded soul. He is a man of limited emotional intelligence and few words, but he demonstrates his deep caring in many small ways that are very subtle to the others around him but feel like momentous achievements.

It’s this peek into their lives, over a period of a few years, which makes Lonesome Dove linger in the imagination. They are quintessentially American creations, given vivid life in a sparse, violent story. While it may have its faults, Lonesome Dove does deserve to be remembered so fondly, for it created some of the richest characters in the Western tradition.