Jason Momoa has a pretty packed year ahead of him, with prominent roles in Dune: Part 3, Supergirl, and the new Street Fighter movie. But that only adds more excitement around seeing him return to the small screen, something that has only happened four times since his run in the first two seasons of Game of Thrones as Khal Drogo, a Dothraki chieftain and husband of Daenerys Targaryen. He’s back now in a two-season series that was removed back in 2019 after its licensing rights expired—though it might only be on Netflix for a short, six-month window, so catch it while you can.
The Red Road centers around the disappearance of a college student from a small town in New Jersey. This disappearance kicks off a series of events that slowly start unraveling the life of local sheriff, Harold Jensen (Martin Henderson), as he gets deeper into the investigation that leads him into the neighboring mountains, where a federally unrecognized Native American tribe makes its home. Jensen eventually finds himself face-to-face with an ex-con and tribe member, Phillip Kopus (Momoa), whose return to the town threatens the unsteady peace.
Despite Mixed Reviews, There Is Serious Potential In The Red Road
Critics weren’t particularly impressed by The Red Road, giving it only a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences enjoyed it much more, though, and it was able to get an 86% on the Popcornmeter. “From beginning to end, The Red Road lets Jason Momoa walk all over it, trampling any potential for conflict or spark. The best shows can dazzle us with strong characters. But strong characters can crush weak shows,” says Andy Greenwald of Grantland. Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter agrees, saying, “If The Red Road had stronger writing, then the series would have been significantly more compelling. It’s exciting to watch Momoa and Henderson give riveting performances, so it’s not like there’s nothing to recommend here. It’s just that in watching them do it, you wish the story was giving them more fodder and not bogging itself down in side arcs.”
Audiences disagree, however, with one viewer saying, “You can’t top this. This is the most well-written, well-thought-out, well-produced, and the best of everything is right here in this show. Entertaining every minute, keeping you on the edge of your seat. It is so down-to-earth and so many well-thought-out roles, even hilarious at times. The creators of this show should take over Hollywood and teach them how it’s done.” Another added, “I love this show. I wish Netflix would pick it up and finish it. I wanna know what’s going to happen to all of the characters.” Hear that, Netflix? There might be a new project for you here.
Are you a fan of The Red Road? Let us know why in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.