The Red Road

When a sudden tragedy connects two very different men, their lives start to come apart as old wounds, loyalties, and secrets surface. Harold Jensen is a small town police officer trying to hold his family and community together, while Philip Kopus is an enigmatic ex-con whose presence stirs suspicion and resentment. As their paths cross again and again, compromises are made and lines are crossed, pulling neighbors into dangerous overlaps of law, tradition, and personal history. The show keeps the tension tight, showing how one event can widen cracks that have been there for years without revealing its end.

The series premiered on SundanceTV in 2014, created by Aaron Guzikowski. It stars Martin Henderson as Harold Jensen and Jason Momoa as Philip Kopus, with Julianne Nicholson, Allie Gonino, and Tom Sizemore in supporting roles. Episodes were shaped by a variety of directors across the run, with Guzikowski guiding the overall tone.

The show did not rack up major industry awards, and it did not dominate awards season. It received modest attention from critics and viewers, but there were no widely reported wins at the Emmys or Golden Globes.

On a cultural level the series sparked conversations about small town strain, law enforcement pressure, and tensions involving nearby Indigenous communities. Jason Momoa's raw screen presence helped raise awareness of the show beyond niche cable audiences, and certain scenes and character confrontations became talking points among viewers who followed serialized, character-driven crime dramas.

Critics gave the series mixed to generally favorable reactions, reflected in moderate audience ratings, with praise for performances and atmosphere and criticism for pacing at times. Major themes include guilt, accountability, family fractures, and how past actions ripple into the present. The show leans on mood and moral ambiguity instead of neat answers, so viewers who like slow-burn dramas with flawed leads will find a lot to consider.