Ep 1. An Incident at Creede

The opening episode of the Netflix limited series Godless is titled "An Incident at Creede" and it sets the stage for the rest of the season. The episode opens with a violent scene as a group of outlaws raid a mining town in Creede, Colorado. The marshal of the town, John Cook, leads a small group of men in an attempt to fend off the raiders, but his efforts are unsuccessful.

The story then shifts to the main character of the show, a notorious outlaw named Frank Griffin. Frank is riding through the territory with his gang of outlaws, seeking vengeance against one of his former partners, Roy Goode. Roy has betrayed Frank and run off with a large sum of money, and Frank is determined to track him down and make him pay.

Roy Goode is introduced shortly after as he seeks refuge in the town of La Belle, New Mexico. La Belle is an isolated, mostly abandoned town populated mainly by women, as most of the men were killed in a mining accident years earlier. Roy is taken in by a kindly widow named Alice Fletcher, who teaches him to care for her horses and offers him a place to stay.

Meanwhile, back in Creede, the marshal's wife Mary Agnes is dealing with the aftermath of the raid. She is frustrated by her husband's lack of action and decides to take matters into her own hands. Mary Agnes is a complex character who challenges the traditional gender roles of the time, and her story arc will be an important one throughout the series.

The episode ends with Frank and his gang arriving in La Belle, searching for Roy. Alice confronts Frank and tells him that Roy is not there, but Frank is not convinced. The tension is palpable as the episode ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the audience anxious to see what happens next.

Overall, "An Incident at Creede" is a strong opening episode that sets up the main conflicts and introduces the key players in the story. The show's attention to detail in recreating the western frontier is impressive, and the performances by the cast are excellent. The episode does a good job of establishing the themes of the show, including the struggle for power, the tension between law and order and lawlessness, and the complex relationships between men and women in a patriarchal society. Fans of the western genre will enjoy this gritty and realistic take on the traditional cowboy story.