Lonesome Dove (TV Miniseries)

⭐10/10

This is the entry for the TV miniseries which came out shortly after the novel. It too won it's share of accolades and is celebrated as some of the best the genre has to offer. It has a loaded cast and was clearly working with a pretty significant budget. Indeed, similar to The Lord of the Rings, I think a lot of people's entry into this story was the adaptation, but like good adaptations, I think both versions help you appreciate the other. 

Admittedly, to start, I did not think the tv show was anywhere really close to the novel. I thought all of the shortcomings of the medium were there, where you don't really get into the head of the characters, which is super important for a story that's as light on plot as this one. As a result, all of the characters seemed a little flimsy, especially characters like Lorena who has all of her depth removed when you don't get to know her thoughts. The few actions shots felt a little cheesy because this was filmed in the 80s. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. 

I think that thought was pretty consistent for the first 3 episodes. Good, not great. But that final episode? Oh my goodness, I was in tears for probably 40 minutes straight. The show is mostly carried by Robert Duvall, who played Augustus perfectly. However, the final episode is all about Tommy Lee Jones, who I thought was not bad, but totally unlike his book character. But in that final episode, he absolutely nails it. It's hard to describe without spoiling, but he puts on this very powerful performance about a man who is quiet, stern, and by the book, yet beneath it all has deep insecurities. That's something that I think would be very hard to capture, but he does it here. It was super moving. 

However, I think the most distinct advantage this show has over the book is the audio/ visual. Honestly, if you give me sweeping shots of Montana with this glorious, orchestral music, I will love it. Add to that a bunch of cowboys wearing those big coats and raised collars as they ride through light snow, and you have a masterpiece. It's really that simple. That final 40 or so minutes were made just for me. The show goes much harder than the book, trying much more for a viseral, evocative response, and hey, they got it for me. The book has something of an anti-climax, but this show is trying to make you cry. 

For a final episode that long, with that kind of sustained brilliance, I have to give it a ten. Again, similar to the novel, this is why I watch TV. You can only hope to get this type of emotional response from art, and this got it. Even if the first episodes were imperfect, it's just rare to feel something so strongly. Thinking back now, the first episode illicited similar emotions, but I attributed it to my memory of the book. 

But again, that's what great adaptations do. I love both the show and book more because of the other. Wonderful stuff.