American Primeval ending explained: Who dies?

American Primeval has arrived on Netflix to tell the terrible tale of several converging stories in 1857 Utah, and when it comes to the ending, not everyone makes it out alive. (Warning: spoilers ahead!)

Looking for a gritty Western drama to fill that Yellowstone void? Well, American Primeval is the brutish, violent older cousin to Taylor Sheridan’s drama, and with all six episodes out now, it’s just shot to the top of your January watchlist.

There’s a multitude of stories going on in the new Netflix miniseries, with characters traversing miles and miles of dangerous terrain to hunt or be hunted. All this means that by the time the final episode comes around, you might be confused as to who’s on whose side.

But don’t worry, because we’ve got you covered with a full breakdown of American Primeval’s ending and what happens to everyone. So saddle your horses…we’re going in.

Isaac saves Sara from the bounty hunters in American Primeval Episode 6

At the end of Episode 5, Sara, Devin, Two Moons, and Isaac had found an isolated woodland cabin to hide out in while Devin’s leg healed from his horse injury. But Sara was suddenly taken by Virgil Cutter and his crew of hunters, who are still out to get the bounty for her capture.

Isaac takes off on horseback through the night, dispensing one of Cutter’s men, Tilly, along the way.

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While he’s gone, Devin and Two Moons are attacked by a wolf breaking into their cabin. It grabs onto Two Moons and attempts to kill her, but Devin saves her by shooting it with his gun.

Isaac eventually tricks the hunters by riding Tilly’s dead body in on his horse to distract them. Then, he jumps in and starts taking them out one by one. It boils down to a fight to the death between him and Cutter. The two men battle it out, and Cutter is eventually killed when Isaac holds him down while Sarah stabs him in the chest.

The two take off back to the cabin, not knowing that Cutter’s younger brother Lucas is still alive, having seen the whole thing.

Jacob joins the Mormon militia with dire consequences

News of Abish’s survival has reached Young, as well as the fact that she’s tried to reach Washington to tell them about the massacre in Episode 1. Young tells his man, Wild Bill, to deal with it, and what comes next is a war between the Mormons and the Shoshone, who are hiding Abish.

Later, Jacob is told that Abish has been killed by the Shoshone instead, and he asks to join their upcoming fight as an act of revenge. Meanwhile, Abish has warned the Shoshone of the militia’s plan, and prepares to fight alongside them.

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The militia rides into the camp, but it’s a trap. The Shoshone knew they were coming, and jump out in an unexpected ambush. A long and brutal fight takes place, with bullets and arrows flying through the air. Red Feather is shot by Wolsey, but remains alive along enough to strike an axe through his head.

Abish, decked out in war paint, looks unfamiliar to anyone who would know her. She fights back against the militia, holding her own for a short while.

However, Jacob rides in on horseback, wearing a mask. Not recognizing his own wife, he shoots Abish in the chest with his gun. She collapses to the ground, gasping in pain. Soon, Jacob sees what he has done, removing his mask and getting on the ground, holding Abish in his arms.

As she dies, he kisses her goodbye. Then, he takes the gun and shoots himself, his bloody and torture-filled journey to locate his wife finally at an end.

Brigham Young burns Fort Bridger

Brigham Young had his eyes set on Fort Bridger from the beginning, wanting to strengthen his territory and control the traffic of supplies throughout the area. Unfortunately, Jim Bridger isn’t willing to bend to Young’s ways so easily, and consistently brushes off the religious leader with a variety of snide remarks.

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In Episode 6, Young makes one final offer to Bridger, who accepts. But despite getting what he wants, Young tells Bridger he plans to burn the fort down in an attempt to fortify their Mormon territory. He gives Bridger two days to get himself and his people far away.

However, Bridger does no such thing. Later on, Young takes the fort by force, sending in his troops who converge on those inside while they’re drinking in the bar. Bridger, hearing the news, simply continues drinking and tells those inside to loot as they please.

Young’s men then head into the fort and light fires to burn it all down. Bridger seems unbothered, telling Wild Bill that even an ape can start a fire, before he gets his things and calmly rides out of the fort.

Isaac’s sacrifice and Sara’s goodbye

Isaac and Sara continue their journey to Crooks Springs after escaping the bounty hunters. It’s then that Isaac reveals his true past: he was married before, with a child. But both have since died.

He helps make Devin a crutch for his leg, and when they reach a creek to clean up by, he tells Sara that he cannot stay with her and Devin once they reach Crooks Springs. He belongs in the wild, and has to remain on his own. Because of this, Sara asks him to let them ride into town on their own.

Distraught at the news, Devin and Sara say goodbye to their guide. But before he rides away, Sara tells him that the real reason she wants to ride in without him is so Devin’s father wouldn’t be able to see the way she looks at him. The pair kiss, and he soon gets on his horse and rides away.

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Once he’s done, Devin begs Sara for them to go to California instead. He has no interest in seeing his father, despite Sara’s instance that it would be safer for him if she was ever arrested for the murder she committed. Her protest is interrupted when she sees a wad of cash in her pack.

But there’s a problem: on his way out, Isaac spots the doll the bounty hunters had stolen from the French family’s campsite. He realizes Lucas is still alive. Well, meanwhile, Lucas catches up to Sara and the kids. He screams at Sara to get on her horse so he can take her away.

Thankfully, Isaac shows up, shooting at Lucas. He kills him, but looks down to see that he’s been shot himself. Sara runs to him, holding him as he dies on the ground. Together, Sara, Devin, and Two Moons have a funeral and set fire to his body.

The three get back on their horses and look over towards Crooks Springs in the distance. Sara asks Devin if he’s “sure about this”, and together, they ride off towards California instead.

That’s the American Primeval ending explained! All six episodes are available to stream on Netflix now. If you’re looking for more Western tales, check out our guides to 1883 Season 2, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2, and Yellowstone 1944.