- Jason Momoa’s lesser-known police thriller The Red Road is now available to stream on ITVX
- The series, praised for its gripping plot and performances, ran for two seasons from 2014 to 2015
- Fans loved the show but lamented its cancellation after only 12 episodes, with calls for its revival ongoing
We know and love Jason Momoa for his roles in blockbusters such as Aquaman and hugely popular shows like Game of Thrones – but there’s one epic thriller that’s slipped under the radar.
The American movie star’s police drama, The Red Road, is being rediscovered after landing on ITV, where all episodes are now available to binge.
It sees Martin Henderson take the lead as police officer Harold Jensen, whose investigation into the disappearance of a college student leads him to the neighbouring mountains.
There, he encounters a federally unrecognised Native American tribe, of which Phillip Kobus (Momoa) is a member.
The dangerous ex-con returns with the sheriff to his peaceful town, which, you guessed it, doesn’t stay peaceful for long, as Kobus takes full advantage of Jensen and forces him to compromise his beliefs or risk destroying his already fragile family unit.
It’s your classic, tried-and-tested story of dodgy things happening in a small yet unassuming fictitious town, as growing tension and a series of events forever change the lives of those who live there.
The gripping SundanceTV original drama ran for two seasons from February 2014 to May 2015, and production was set in Atlanta, Georgia, while, on-screen, the town is called Walpole and is part of New Jersey.
Other cast members include Julianne Nicholson (August: Osage County, Boardwalk Empire), Tamara Tunie (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, The Good Wife), Annalise Basso (Oculus, Standing Up), and Allie Gonino (The Lying Game, Hidden Away), among many others.
The Red Road has long been praised by viewers, with season 1 earning a respectable 80% score from audiences on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, while season 2 sits at 92%, suggesting this cop drama gets better as you go.
Among reviews, viewers have praised the twisty plot for ‘keeping the surprises coming’, even hailing Momoa’s performance as one of his ‘finest’ ever.
‘This show is beyond excellent. the writing the acting. Simply amazing. I can’t get enough’, says one review.
‘Best show on television, bar none! Intense!’, echoes another five-star response.
Heaping high praise onto The Red Road, one user writes: ‘You can’t top this. This is the most well-written, well thought-out, well produced, 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 rolls, even hilarious at times. The creators of this show should take over Hollywood, and teach them how it’s done.’
Long-time fans also continue to rage over the programme’s cancellation, gutted that it had only 12 episodes to tell its story and left them ‘without closure’.
The Red Road’s axe has since been declared the ‘biggest mistake’ by Sundance, as many demand: ‘Bring it back!’
Momoa himself confirmed the cancellation a decade ago, having previously said he was keen to tackle the role of Kobus to change perceptions about him.
‘I hadn’t done anything like this before, really,’ the 46-year-old explained to Daily Actor. ‘I’ve never played anything like this or reached into those places as an actor: being vulnerable, killing things that you love the most, hurting ones you love.
‘So I had to convince them that I had it in me, which I do; I just never got the opportunity.
‘Normally, I’m like, gutting something, killing something with my shirt off, and grunting. I mean, people don’t know I smile and speak English. They’re always shocked, like, “Wow, you don’t speak gibberish?”‘
As for how he got into his character’s mindset, Momoa went all out when committing to playing the tribe member.
‘I actually went to study with the Ramapoughs in New York,’ he shared. ‘I wanted to be able to see the mountains and the forest, be around the people.
‘My character, Philip, has been in prison for six years. What would he be thinking about? I wanted to have images in my head to reference.
‘Being raised in Iowa, I know what a cornfield does for me, and I wanted to have that same kind of feeling for the Ramapo Mountains. He has to feel a certain way about returning home.’
Stream The Red Road now on ITVX.
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