Netflix Fur Trade Tale ‘Frontier’ Gets Trapped by Lack of Focus and Repetition

Aryeh Harris-Shapiro

Jason Momoa is a star. Anyone who doubted that after his tenure on “Game of Thrones” should be convinced by “Frontier,” Netflix’s new series set in the Canadian wilderness at the height of the fur trade in the 1700s. Creators Rob Blackie and Peter Blackie have created an appealing series anchored by Momoa’s magnetic presence. However, as the six-episode first season progresses, it becomes apparent that the series has little to offer beyond surface appeal as stories circle aimlessly towards a conclusion that isn’t a conclusion at all.

Momoa stars as Declan Harp, a half-Irish, half-Native American trapper and outlaw who has made a habit of picking off British soldiers and antagonizing the Hudson Bay Co., which ostensibly has the monopoly on the Canadian fur trade. Harp is the series’ center, the legendary figure whose war with the cartoonishly sadistic Lord Benton (Alun Armstrong) drives the show’s conflict, but the viewer experiences the show through the eyes of its whole cast. Harp and his pal Michael Smyth (Landon Liboiron), an Irish stowaway, may be the series’ ostensible protagonists, but “Frontier” makes ample time for a whole host of colorful characters. Some, such as Harp’s sister-in-law Sokanon (Jessica Matten), leave a memorable impression, expanding the series’ scope beyond the bloody men at its center. Others, such as Lord Benton’s insecure subordinate Captain Chesterfield (Evan Jonigkeit), dramatically overstay their welcome. Most of the actors, especially Zoe Boyle as devious innkeeper Grace Emberly, and Christian McKay as alcoholic priest Father Coffin, are underserved by their material.

“Frontier” carries itself like a historic “Game of Thrones,” presenting its characters as canny operators jockeying for leverage in the powder-keg of Fort James. As you progress through the short season, however, you realize that the characters just travel in circles, making and breaking alliances without purpose or weight. Too much of the series is spent with Samuel Grant (Shawn Doyle), an American fur magnate and the other industry players he fights with. Only Michael, Harp, and Benton are truly important to “Frontier.” The snowy Canadian mountains make for a beautiful backdrop, and the lawless violence of the frontier setting lends the show an unpredictable charge. But by the end of episode six, characters have been captured, escaped, hidden and been captured again so many times that repetition is a problem. “Frontier” and its finale leave you hanging, without knowing if Harp or any of its other characters survive its bloody climax, but you likely won’t care.

“Frontier” is streaming on Netflix beginning Jan. 20.