Godless (Netflix)

All the clichés of the Wild West are given substance and depth in this brutal drama set on the frontier in 19th century New Mexico. The mining town of La Belle has been inhabited and run mostly by women since a tragic accident took out almost all of the men. Everyone has had it tough, but none more than twice-widowed Alice Fletcher, an outsider who struggles to run a horse ranch with her native American mother-in-law and mixed race son. La Belle’s precarious existence is threatened when runaway outlaw Roy Goode stumbles into town, chased down by wrathful criminal boss Frank Griffin. Flashbacks illuminate how the main characters came to be whom and where they are, but are occasionally confusing as to timeline. No character is entirely good or entirely bad; the outstanding cast, including Michelle Dockery and Jeff Daniels, brings nuance and shades of grey to the sunny prairie skies. Complex relationships, an evocative soundtrack and touches of humour leaven the violence of this powerful and moving series.