Yellowstone’s Perfect Replacement Is A Rare Gem You Can Binge On Netflix In 7 Hours

Yellowstone has the perfect replacement on Netflix, and while it’s an underrated gem, you can catch up with this one-of-a-kind Western series from 2017 in just seven hours. Taylor Sheridan’s flagship neo-Western show ended in 2024 with Yellowstone season 5. That said, Sheridan will continue expanding John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) universe with several upcoming spinoffs.

Of course, there are other amazing Western TV shows out there beyond Sheridan’s universe. So if you’re tired of the Yellowstone hype, or just looking for something that packs the same punch while waiting for its spinoff shows, the answer you’re looking for is Godless. Godless is a Netflix original Western drama miniseries set in 1884 that preceded Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone.

Godless Is A Rare Female-Driven Western Series

Godless Is Set In 1884

Like Yellowstone, Godless stands out because it is subversive, aiming to tell a different kind of Western story than what we’re used to seeing. Godless is driven by female leads, with an enticing plot that sets up a town of women existing in La Belle, New Mexico, almost entirely on their own, leading to robust character development and unique storylines.

Despite its female-driven premise, Godless does not compromise on a single moment of action or violence. Moreover, I would say that Godless is more gruesome and gory than any of Taylor Sheridan’s Dutton-driven narratives. Many of the women who drive Godless prove as resourceful and gritty as the men, while realistically accomplishing the reversal of traditional gender roles.

In particular, Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery) and Mary Agnes McNue (Merritt Wever) bring something special to the series. Both women have been forced to take unconventional paths due to tragic circumstances claiming their partners’ lives. When the story begins, both have risen to the challenge of surviving alone in the American West, forging compelling leads.

Why Yellowstone Fans Will Love Godless

Godless Is A Lot Like 1883

Yellowstone fans will love Godless because, like Sheridan’s Western shows, it rethinks what’s possible for a Western. Godless subverts the traditional genre tropes by putting women at the forefront, and with guns, grit, and backbone. Beyond just that, it explores the various reactions that women have had to losing all the men in their town to a tragic accident.

Moreover, while it aligns with many of the positives across all of Sheridan’s Yellowstone shows, Godless is the most like 1883. Considered by some, including this writer, to be Sheridan’s best Yellowstone saga, 1883 follows the earliest-known members of the Dutton family tree as they make a journey on the Oregon Trail from Texas to Paradise Valley, Montana.

Godless takes place just a year after 1883, with its characters living in a mining town in New Mexico in 1884. That said, Godless presents a slightly different aspect of life in the American West, depicting those who didn’t aim to reach Oregon but stopped along the way to establish mining towns around a wealth of natural resources.

It’s a fair bet that anyone who liked 1883 will enjoy Godless. It depicts the same pivotal time in American history, and like 1883, it does so from a different lens. Moreover, I would say that many aspects of Godless are superior to Yellowstone. It features more female leads and greater diversity, while adhering more closely to traditional Western motifs.