Drama
Chief of War
Apple TV+’s ‘Chief of War’ paints an interesting portrait of Hawai’i’s history circa the 18th century. But like many historical dramas, it’s painted in blood.
You might not expect it, but Cody Gunner finds bull riding quite therapeutic.
He’s one of the best riders there is. Holding onto the bull despite all that thrashing and bucking makes him feel like he has a sense of control on his life. He needs it, because he’s never quite recovered from his father walking out the door and never looking back—allegedly because his younger brother, Carl Joseph, was born with Down syndrome.
Cody loves his brother, but he has no love to give to his father. So when his dad shows up unexpectedly one day to plead for forgiveness for his actions, Cody’s not interested.
“It is so much harder to stay angry,” Cody’s mother tells him.
“That’s where you’re wrong, mama,” Cody responds. “You have no idea how good being angry makes me.”
Indeed, that anger keeps Cody on each bull. But then he begins forming a relationship with horsewoman Ali Daniels—a woman who embraces life from a happier point of view despite her difficult circumstances.
And slowly, Cody finds that if he wants to conquer the real bull—life—anger just isn’t going to keep him in the saddle.
A Thousand Tomorrows is a six-part miniseries that follows the plot of Karen Kingsbury’s Christian fiction novel of the same name. It’s also the latest to arrive on Pure Flix.
But unlike many Christian fiction stories, the protagonist of this one isn’t a professing Christian—at least, not at the start. Cody’s relationship with his earthly father is so broken that he hasn’t even given any thought to connecting with his Heavenly one. Of course, both of those relationships begin to change for the better through his experiences with Ali and her family.
The story doesn’t shy away from tougher issues, including a father who abandons his children because one of them has Down Syndrome and a woman who grapples with cystic fibrosis. And it should be noted that while Cody engages in a few activities that Christians would frown upon, they’re much more sanitized than any streaming service not named Pure Flix would handle them.
A Thousand Tomorrows is a story of forgiveness and love, one that weaves the occasional Bible verse into the mix as a guiding light for the characters. So while there are a few small bucks on this ride, including some suggested sensuality, most fans of Kingsbury’s novels will likely find this small-screen adaptation of A Thousand Tomorrows a satisfying one.
Cody goes through the motions of life, even though he’s one of the best bull riders around. But when he connects with a horsewoman named Ali, he begins to feel something more than his typical apathy.
Content-wise, Riders get bucked off their bulls. Cody sprains his hand when it gets stuck during a ride. A father leaves in a divorce. People drink and take shots, and Cody’s friend Dalton implies that he’s going to get intoxicated.
Offscreen, it’s implied that Cody and a woman have sex. We see the two of them leave a bar. In the next scene, she’s walking out of his room the next morning, fully clothed.
We hear someone say “gosh dang it” and “screwed.”
Cody’s father tries to reconnect with the family, but Cody wants no part in it.
A bull pins a man behind a gate. Rodeo participants get bucked off of their bulls. People drink beers and shots, and we later see Dalton grappling with a hangover. We hear a reference to a child who passed away. Two people share a quick kiss.
Someone mentions going to cowboy church, which Cody says isn’t really his thing. Carl Joseph prays for Cody to feel better.
Someone says “dang.”
Ali is ready to return to riding following a surgery, but Cody isn’t sure if it’s such a good idea.
Cody and Ali are seen kissing passionately in bed before the scene fades to black.
Ali’s father tells Cody that “God has the length of our days … once you believe that, your faith grows deep roots that’ll hold.” He also references reading Proverbs 3. Later, Cody struggles a bit with why God would allow Ali to be sick.
Cody commands a bull to begin bucking, but inattentive viewers might mishear that command as another, more profane word.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
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