Hatfields & McCoys (Mini Series)

I don't believe I have ever written about a TV series, but this was no ordinary series. It was hyped and hocked and shoved down our throats for a month, and then it came and went. It came and went in a 3 day period, yet I and I'm sure you, cannot stop thinking about it. To say it was good or even great would be disrespectful for a story that took up over 6 hours of our time. Well, 4.5 hours for those of us with a DVR. I was looking forward to a little American history lesson starring two greats. Bill Paxton as Randall McCoy and Kevin Costner as Devil Anse Hatfield. The lore of these two are as American as it gets. Most of us know these two families spent their existence in a war with each other, often killing members of each other's clan, but no one I talked to really knew why. It starts us out during the civil war where Randall and Anse or actually friends. They watch each other's backs and then out of the blue, Anse abandons his men to return home. From here he goes on with his life, while Randall ends up as prisoner of the north to return some time later. Things are never the same between them and the lines are very blurry as to what is fueling the hatred. At first it was just petty stuff, but after a while it is pure hate that gets passed to the next generation who go to even more extreme measures to display their true feeling for the other family. Basically it turns into 4 hours of senseless murder. Trials, lawsuits, and the over seeing judge is Wall Hatfield (Powers Booth). Talk about the opposite of a blindfolded justice. Randall and Anse hardly go after each other. It's their kids that have turned a dispute into an all out war. The writing and flow is so good, the whole series could be watched in an afternoon. When Monday's episode was over I was unhappy I had to wait 22 hours to see more. Same feeling on Tuesday night, and when it concluded on Wednesday night I didn't know what to do with myself. It is that good. The way the writing is done (Perfectly) we as an audience cannot pick a side. When we begin to lean toward the McCoys being in the right, they do something unforgivable. Truth be told, everyone is a victim and no one is a victim. Just a bunch of rednecks who don't know how to use their words and wisdom instead of guns and knives. As much as this series is fueled by Kevin Costner, it is actually an unrecognizable Tom Berenger that steals the show as Uncle Jim Hatfield. He is the baddest of either group. He has no remorse for any of his actions and to him it is all justified because their name is McCoy. I will also add that this series had one of the best TV scenes of all time. It is when Anse is having a talk with his son Johnsie while fishing. It is intense and very hard to get through, and though I am sure it was for entertainment value only, you have to appreciate that scene for all it represents. I love stories like this, but I also wonder what was added in for entertainment purposes. I wonder if the feud began over Anse's defection from his southern brothers in arms during the Civil War, or if it was really about the land dispute, or if it was a perfect storm of several factors that led to a lifetime of war and pain. In the end we learn a lot about America's most notorious feud. I believe it is even better know than the EAST COAST / WEST COAST feud between Tupac and Biggie. I was extremely happy to read that Monday's premier episode was the most watched event (non sport related) in over 14 years at 13.8 million viewers only to break its own record with Wednesday's conclusion with roughly 14.1 million viewers. Nice. There is nothing not to like about this mini series. It is made by The History Channel and available On Demand and DVD.


NBM rates Hatfields & McCoys - A Work of TV Art