'Gritty' western series starring old Hollywood heartthrob has a 'gripping' finale

With a former Bond taking on the role of a restless cowboy, viewers were left with differing opinions on one "old western tale" Channel 5 TV show. Pierce Brosnan is the Hollywood star at the heart of The Son, a multi-generational story beginning in 1849 Texas.

The drama, which aired from 2017-2019, is based on the rise of the McCullough family as they build an empire and clash with rival families, but the focus remains on cattle baron Eli McCullough. Played by Brosnan, we watch as McCullogh faces a harsh childhood, as he was kidnapped at the age of 13 and raised by the Comanches as their adopted son.

Now, in 1915, as he grapples for power and switches from a cattleman to an oil baron, he's left with the struggle to maintain his own business empire for future generations.

A Rotten Tomatoes reviewer raved: "A pretty entertaining first season that can be a bit slow at times but builds to a very gripping finale. The show has lots of potential to move forward and is almost like a Dallas prequel. Brosnan puts in a solid performance and is the stand out."

Another view shared: "I absolutely loved this show. After a bit of a slow start, it really picked up into an epic period piece. It's set in a very interesting time and place that's not often shown on screen - South Texas in the early 20th century. Loved how the politics between the Comanche, Hispanics and Americans were told. Thought Pierce Brosnan was excellent - he's aged well!"

Someone else felt the show was "very gritty", with "authentic scenery" for the time and place. They continued to say that they felt as though they were right there and would "highly recommend" anyone to watch both seasons of the show.

However, not every viewer had quite as many nice things to say about Brosnan as he shapes up to be a tainted cowboy character. The Son only garnered a lowly 52% overall score on Rotten Tomatoes, and plenty of viewers felt that the Channel 5 creators missed the mark.

A critic at Variety wrote: "If you're looking for yet another show centred around a morally grey white man with a dark past, The Son might be right up your alley." While another dubbed the show as being "kind of a snooze".

Some viewers were in agreement, as one review states: "Had the director followed the book, he might have saved this abortion of a western. Either he has a problem reading, or he decided to rewrite the book. Bad idea. Good actors, but crappy direction and script. It would be good to get the location right if you are doing a western."

The TV series is based on a 2013 novel by Philipp Meyer, who created and developed the show alongside Brian McGreevy and Lee Shipman.

Despite the writer's close connection to the show, many viewers have criticised The Son's adaptation, preferring the book over the series.

First released in 2017, Brosnan starred in two bingeable seasons of the western before it was cancelled by AMC in 2019. To make up your own mind about The Son, you can stream all episodes now on both Channel 5 and ITVX.