If you missed out on The Son Season 1, you missed out on an exceptional show. The story of the Eli McCullough both as a young boy and an older ranch owner was mesmerizing in every way.
Check out what we thought stood out the most on The Son’s freshman season.
If you want to see what you missed, you can watch The Son online right here via TV Fanatic!
Favorite Moment: Sally’s Night Out with Phineas
After the horror of watching her son, Jonas, get shot (and eventually recover), Sally deserved a little bit of me time. Phineas took her for a night out on the town and it was probably the most delightful thing she’d ever done in a long time. She never wanted to spend her entire life on the ranch and going out with Phineas reminded her of that. We loved seeing Sally dressed up, and her antics at the club were a lot of fun to watch.
Favorite Couple: Maria and Pete
From the very beginning, it was obvious these two had intense feelings for each other. While it might not be fair to Sally and the kids, the fire between Maria and Pete can’t be denied. These two belong together.
Character We Want to See More Of: Neptune
Neptune came onto our screens during the ambush on the seditionists. He has no fear, not even of someone as horrible as Niles Gilbert. He has super skills in the gun department and is fiercely loyal to the MucCullough family. Who is this guy and where did he come from?! We want to know more!
Creepiest Moment: The Curse
Eli scoffed when Maggie read his fortune from her hat full of rocks. What he didn’t know was that she didn’t tell him everything. She kept the darkest parts of his future secret until he stole her horses and left her to die. Then she shared everything and put a curse on him to boot. It all seemed crazy until it all came true. It makes you wonder what else Maggie might have shared that we weren’t privy to.
Craziest Scene: Eli’s Scalping Fantasy
What a shocking opening to The Son Season 1 Episode 3, “No Prisoners”! We all knew that Eli had a dark side, but we never knew how dark it was. After being turned down for a loan, Eli fantasized about scalping the banker. As far as he was concerned the banker was now the enemy and fair game for attack. While it didn’t really happen, It certainly caught our attention. Not only was this one of the craziest scenes of the season, it was also one of our favorites!
Worst Character: Niles Gilbert
We have nothing but contempt for Niles Gilbert who seethes with hatred for those he doesn’t quite understand or want to understand. If they’re different from him, they’re the enemy. We still don’t understand his tolerance of Neptune, but we have an idea it has to do with Niles’ respect for Eli. Still, we can only imagine what horrible thoughts rumble through his sick, racist mind. If only someone would tie him up and teach him a lesson!
Best Shootout: Pedro Saves the McCulloughs
Pedro had to make a choice when Jeannie came to his ranch begging for help. He was caught between wanting to be faithful to the seditionists and wanting to be a good neighbor. Even though he’d never be fully accepted by the McCullough clan, he decided to do what was right and brought his men to save the McCullough family. Eli was more than grateful, but as we know, the good will fostered by the Garcias’ brave act went to hell not long after.
Most Shocking Moment #1: Charges the Enemy Pushes Eli Off the Cliff
We knew that Charges the Enemy never liked Eli and the feeling was mutual. Nothing like a couple of guys fighting over a girl. Charges the Enemy knew he had no chance with Prairie Flower as long as Eli was around. He didn’t plan on pushing Eli off the cliff, but when the opportunity arose, he did what he needed to do in his mind. Of course, he never expected Eli to come back. Still, we admire Charges the Enemy for admitting his wrongs and asking Eli’s forgiveness even if it was on his deathbed.
Most Shocking Moment #2: Eli is Shot
After everything Eli’s been through in his life, the last thing we expected was for him to be shot. It’s not that he didn’t deserve it. Eli’s done enough bad things in his life to earn a ton of guns pointed at him, but he always seems to get himself out of any sticky situation. That’s why this was such a surprise. Even more surprising was the arrival of his younger self to take him to whatever afterlife he was going to. Luckily for us, Phineas came just in time and Eli lived to see another day.
Most Heartbreaking Moment: The Garcia Family’s Fate
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. The Garcia family risked their lives to save the McCulloughs and it should have garnered enough good will to last a lifetime. But when it came down to it, Eli was a man out for himself and his family. He should have walked away from the oil and sold the ranch. Instead, his greed overtook his good sense and it set off a chain of events that meant the demise of the Garcia family in the most brutal way possible.
Girl Power Moment #1: Sally Stands Up to Pete
Sally is the type of woman who’s not going to take much of anything from anyone, especially from Pete. She was angry with him for not coming to Austin to see Jonas and let him know how unhappy she was with him. She also had no problems standing up to Eli and Phineas when they were feeding her lies about what happened at the Garcia ranch. Sally isn’t a fool and she’s not afraid to let people know it. Sally is a strong woman and will get to the bottom of the situation. No matter how difficult or hurtful it will be for her, Sally can handle anything.
Girl Power Moment #2: Maria Stands Up to Niles
Maria may be in a small town with small minds, but that doesn’t mean she can’t show her girl power. She wasn’t about to let a simple-minded fool (and racist pig) like Niles Gilbert get to her when she started tearing down the paper signs he and his crew posted all over town. She wasn’t afraid to tell Niles exactly what she thought and didn’t back down not even when he tried to intimidate her. We admire her for standing her ground and taking control of a tense situation.
Girl Power Moment #3: Prairie Flower Stands Up to Her Father
Prairie Flower is one of a kind and we love everything about her. She takes what she wants and she isn’t afraid to let people how she really feels. Although her father wanted to marry her off to Charges the Enemy, Prairie Flower won’t have anything to do with it. She stands her ground and earns the respect she deserves. Even though she ended up marrying Charges the Enemy anyway, it was her choice, not one that was forced on her.
Best Father Figure: Toshaway
Eli’s had to do so much on his own, it was good for him that he had someone looking out for him. Toshaway may not have been perfect, but he looked at Eli as his own son. He taught him in the ways of the Comanche and protected him when he needed protecting. Toshaway was not only a father figure to Eli but a true friend as well.
Overall Grade: A+
The Son Season 1 was a surprise gem that was outstanding in every way. Sure, we got our weekly dose of Pierce Brosnan, but he was only a piece of the many parts of the show we fell in love with. The intertwining narrative of young and old Eli was rich and complex. Add in strong female characters, compelling bad guys, and two brothers on opposite ends of the spectrum and it was a win all around.
