AMC’s “The Son” takes place mostly in the 1900s and the early 20th century, but its producers believe the story of the McCullough family is still very relevant today.
“The book does such a deep dive into all of these different cultures that clash and mix into each other over people who are vying for the same beautiful, wonderful piece of land,” showrunner Kevin Murphy said during the show’s panel at the Television Critics Association’s press tour Saturday. “I feel that’s something that transcends what we think of as a Western, that we see reflected in our politics, in that we have cultures that don’t understand each other.”
“The Son,” starring Pierce Brosnan, follows three generations of the McCullough family as they clash with other forces — including Native American tribes and Mexican aristocrats — over land, money and power as Texas becomes contested territory.
“Honestly, we live in a very divided nation right now,” Murphy continued. “A lot of people after the last election were surprised to see how many people in America believe in very, very different things. That’s not new for America. That’s something that’s always been there. We’ve always been a nation of oppressor and oppressed, slave and master, conqueror and conquered. We tend to whitewash that because the winners of these conflicts are the ones who actually write the history books.
“Reminding people that that divide exists and asking questions about how do you bridge that divide, that’s something we need to ask ourselves as a nation, moving forward in 2017.”
Earlier, AMC announced “The Son” will premiere Saturday, April 8 at 9 p.m. ET.