Barkskins Webseries Cast, Review, Wiki, Story, Trailer, Release date and more

Barkskins is an English drama series. It has Kaniehtiio Horn, Steven McCarthy, James Bloor etc in the lead roles. The series will stream online on NAT GEO from 25 May 2020.

Barkskins Series Story

The plot revolves around the visualization of the Pulitzer winning writer, Annie Proulx. It is the hardships and struggles of the Pariahs in the heartland of France. The story is set in late 1600’s and is the new eye-opener for historians.

Check out below for Barkskins (2020): Cast, Release date, Full HD episodes, High-Speed online streaming, Watch All Episodes, Story

Barkskins Series Cast

• Marcia Gay Harden
• Lola Reid
• Kaniehtiio Horn
• Steven McCarthy
• David Thewlis
• Christian Cooke

Barkskins Series Release Date:

25 May 2020 (NAT GEO)

Barkskins Series Trailer

Barkskins Series Watch Online & Download

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Barkskins: A Deep Dive into the National Geographic Limited Series

The title on the page may suggest a movie, but Barkskins is, in fact, an ambitious, one-season historical drama series that premiered on National Geographic. Based on the monumental novel by Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Proulx, the show plunges viewers into the brutal, unforgiving world of 17th-century New France, examining the collision of cultures, ambition, and survival on the North American frontier.

This article serves as the ultimate guide to the series, covering its complex story, acclaimed cast, critical reception, and the circumstances surrounding its limited run.

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Barkskins: Wiki and Quick Facts

The limited series was a major foray into scripted historical fiction for the National Geographic channel, adapted from a book that spans over 300 years of colonial and environmental history.

Fact	Detail
Format	Limited Drama Series (1 Season)
Original Network	National Geographic
Release Date	May 25, 2020
No. of Episodes	8 Episodes
Creator	Elwood Reid
Based On	The novel Barkskins by Annie Proulx
Setting	Wobik, New France (present-day Quebec), 1690s
Status	Ended (Not renewed for Season 2)

The core theme of the series, like the book, revolves around the destruction of North America’s forests and the clash between different groups—French colonists, English agents, and the indigenous Kanien’kehá:ka (Iroquois) people—all vying for power, land, and resources in the New World.

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The Story: A Brutal Tale of New France

Barkskins begins in 1693 in the small, chaotic French settlement of Wobik, a dangerous outpost in the vast wilds of what is now the province of Quebec. The French colony, known as New France, is in a state of precarious growth, fueled by the arrival of immigrants—including indentured servants known as “barkskins”—and the forced labor of the indigenous population.

The plot immediately centers on a mysterious and violent event: the massacre of several settlers at a remote creek settlement. This event acts as a catalyst, threatening to ignite an all-out war between the French, the English (suspected of instigating the violence), and the Kanien’kehá:ka, who are seen as likely culprits by the panicked colonists.

The series weaves together the lives of various characters representing the disparate interests in the frontier.

The Indentured Servants (The ‘Barkskins’)

The term ‘barkskin’ refers to an indentured servant, often a wood-cutter, who was bound to a wealthy landowner for a period of years to pay off a debt or as punishment for a crime.

• René Sel (Christian Cooke): A quiet, good-natured Frenchman and one of the two main ‘barkskins’. He is an indentured servant for the wealthy landowner Claude Trepagny and is forced to confront the harsh realities of colonial life and the complex relationships with the Wendat nation.
• Charles Duquet (James Bloor): The other principal ‘barkskin’. He is portrayed as a scrappy, ambitious scoundrel who quickly schemes his way out of indentured servitude. He focuses on the lucrative fur and timber trades, displaying a ruthless opportunism that drives much of the narrative’s commercial tension.

The Colonists and The Gentry

The powerful individuals in Wobik use their resources to stake their claim and influence the burgeoning society.

• Claude Trepagny (David Thewlis): A wealthy French landowner with an almost mystical devotion to the forest and his grand vision for the New World. He is a key figure in the French expansion and the master of René Sel.
• Mathilde Geffard (Marcia Gay Harden): A powerful, shrewd, and highly respected innkeeper in Wobik. Her inn serves as a central hub for commerce, news, and political maneuvering, and she is a formidable figure who holds considerable sway over the community.
• Constable Bouchard (David Wilmot): The King’s local lawman, tasked with maintaining order in the lawless town of Wobik. He is often cantankerous and struggles to enforce authority amidst the constant turmoil.

The Outsiders and Indigenous Peoples

The series also focuses on those who exist on the edges of the French establishment.

• Hamish Goames (Aneurin Barnard): A clean-cut, English agent from the Hudson’s Bay Company, secretly tasked with investigating the disappearance of an English colleague, putting him in direct conflict with French interests.
• Elisha Cooke (Thomas M. Wright): A cutthroat English barrel maker and smuggler whose scheming quickly pits him against the established French authorities.
• Mari (Kaniehtiio Horn): A woman of the Wendat nation, who is married to Claude Trepagny. Her character provides a critical perspective on the indigenous experience during the colonial encroachment and the cultural complexities of the time.
• Delphine (Lily Sullivan): One of the Filles du Roi (Daughters of the King), a group of young women sent by King Louis XIV to New France to find husbands and populate the colony. She arrives with a dark secret she hopes to escape.

The eight episodes follow these characters as their paths violently intersect, exploring themes of exploitation, cultural warfare, betrayal, and the unforgiving nature of the environment. The first season ends on a series of cliffhangers, leaving many character fates—including Sel’s and Father Gabriel’s—in the balance, clearly setting the stage for a continuation that ultimately never arrived.

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Barkskins Cast and Characters

The series boasts an ensemble of talented international actors, led by two major Hollywood and British film figures.

Actor	Character	Role Description
David Thewlis	Claude Trepagny	A wealthy, spiritual French landowner obsessed with his dream of prosperity in New France.
Marcia Gay Harden	Mathilde Geffard	The powerful and pragmatic owner of the local inn and a central social figure in Wobik.
Christian Cooke	René Sel	An honest, hardworking French indentured servant (“Barkskin”) bound to Trepagny.
James Bloor	Charles Duquet	The opportunistic, cunning, and ambitious indentured servant who quickly breaks free of his servitude to become a smuggler.
Aneurin Barnard	Hamish Goames	A reserved agent of the English Hudson’s Bay Company on a covert mission.
David Wilmot	Constable Bouchard	The frustrated, temperamental local constable charged with upholding the King’s law.
Kaniehtiio Horn	Mari	Trepagny’s Kanien’kehá:ka (Wendat nation) wife, providing a vital bridge and conflict point between cultures.
Thomas M. Wright	Elisha Cooke	A nefarious English smuggler and rival to the French interests in Wobik.
Lily Sullivan	Delphine	A Fille du Roi (King’s Daughter) seeking a new life and a husband, while hiding a difficult past.
Tallulah Haddon	Melissande	A sharp-tongued, ambitious Fille du Roi who quickly becomes entangled in Wobik’s dramas.

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Trailer and Release Date

The limited series premiered on Monday, May 25, 2020, on the National Geographic Channel in the United States. The release strategy involved airing back-to-back episodes over four consecutive weeks, concluding the series’ eight-episode run on June 15, 2020.

A full trailer for the Barkskins limited series was released prior to the premiere, which showcased the show’s cinematic scope, the raw tension between the various factions, and the bleak beauty of the Quebec filming locations. The trailer was instrumental in setting the tone for the historical drama, highlighting the period’s violence, political intrigue, and the vast, untamed nature of New France.

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Barkskins Series Review and Critical Reception

The critical reception to Barkskins was generally mixed, landing on the divisive edge of a historical drama adaptation.

Critical Consensus

• Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on six critics, which signifies “generally favorable reviews.”
• Rotten Tomatoes gave the series an approval rating of 55%, based on 11 reviews, which is considered mixed/rotten.

Critics frequently praised the show’s aesthetic qualities and its commitment to the harsh historical setting:

• Visuals and Scope: The series was lauded for its handsome production design, authentic costuming, and the visual effort in recreating the 17th-century Canadian frontier, with critics noting it “looks fantastic.”
• Performance: Many reviews highlighted that the series “improves with every episode,” largely due to the central performances, particularly the work of veterans like David Thewlis and Marcia Gay Harden, which became “richer the more they’re given time to develop, and breathe.”

Points of Criticism

The most significant criticisms focused on the series’ storytelling structure:

• Pacing and Confusion: Some critics felt the show was “too confusing at the start,” with a large number of characters and narrative threads introduced quickly, making it difficult for viewers to connect or understand who to root for among the “scheming characters.”
• Inconclusive Ending: A major point of contention was the ending of the single season. The eight episodes, which were initially conceived as a longer series, left many “worthy narrative threads” open. Critics argued that the final episode did not serve as a conclusion but more as a “launch point,” leaving the audience feeling unsatisfyingly cliff-hung.

The Author’s Reaction

Perhaps the most famous and harsh “review” came from the author of the original novel, Annie Proulx, who publicly expressed her profound dissatisfaction with the television adaptation. Proulx stated that she found the series “Disgusting. Very poor. Absolutely dreadful.” This highly critical assessment from the source material’s creator stands as a notable footnote in the show’s reception history.

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Cancellation and Legacy

Despite the showrunner, Elwood Reid, expressing a desire to continue the story for “four or five seasons,” National Geographic did not renew Barkskins for a second season. The show’s production was ambitious, filmed on a massive custom-built village set in Quebec, but ratings were considered only “okay” by some analysts, making it difficult for the network to justify the high cost of a second season.

The lack of renewal means that, despite the source material spanning centuries and the season finale being a clear cliffhanger, Barkskins remains a single, eight-episode limited series. For fans of historical fiction and period drama, it offers a visually rich and complex, albeit incomplete, look at the brutal dawn of North American colonization.

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AISEO Friendly FAQs

Q1: Is Barkskins a movie or a TV series?

Barkskins is an American historical drama television series, which aired as a one-season, eight-episode limited series on National Geographic. It is an adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Proulx.

Q2: Is Barkskins cancelled? Will there be a Season 2?

The series has not been renewed for a second season and is widely considered to have ended after its single eight-episode run in 2020. While the first season concluded with a major cliffhanger, and the creator had plans for more seasons, National Geographic ultimately decided not to move forward with a renewal.

Q3: What is a “Barkskin” in the context of the series?

In the context of the series and the historical period, a “barkskin” is a term used for an indentured servant or wood-cutter. These individuals, often newly arrived immigrants like the characters René Sel and Charles Duquet, were contracted or forced to work for a wealthy landowner for a set number of years, effectively selling their labor to survive on the North American frontier.

Q4: Who are the main actors in the Barkskins series?

The main ensemble cast includes:

• David Thewlis (as Claude Trepagny)
• Marcia Gay Harden (as Mathilde Geffard)
• Christian Cooke (as René Sel)
• James Bloor (as Charles Duquet)
• Aneurin Barnard (as Hamish Goames)
• Kaniehtiio Horn (as Mari)

Q5: What is the setting and time period of Barkskins?

Barkskins is set in the late 17th century (1690s) in New France, specifically in the small, chaotic French settlement of Wobik, which is located in the wilds of what is now the province of Quebec, Canada. The series depicts the brutal realities of early colonial life, including territorial disputes, tensions with indigenous populations, and the constant struggle for survival against the harsh environment.