This 13-Episode Short-Lived, Female-Led Western Drama Tells a Story Unlike Any Other

Western television has long been one of the most enduring genres, stretching from classic series to modern icons like Deadwood, Hatfield & McCoys, and, more recently, American Primeval. In many of these stories, the focus has traditionally remained on rugged male figures struggling for survival while positioning themselves as protectors of family and community. While women are often present and sometimes richly developed, they are more frequently relegated to supporting roles, love interests, or symbolic figures rather than fully centered protagonists.

That’s why when the Canadian Western Strange Empire premiered on CBC in 2014, it felt like a striking anomaly. Airing for just one season, the series reimagined the Western through a distinctly female lens, centering its story on survival, power, and community without the men in their lives. Its cancellation after only 13 episodes meant it never had the chance to fully find its audience, but viewed through today’s streaming landscape, Strange Empire feels less like a misfire and more like a series that arrived slightly ahead of its time.

What Is the Western Series 'Strange Empire' About?

Set in the late 19th century, Strange Empire takes place in the isolated frontier settlement of Janestown, which is suddenly left without male leadership after a mysterious mass death. Rather than focusing on restoring order through traditional Western power structures, the series asks a far more subversive question: what happens when women are left to govern themselves in a lawless, hostile environment shaped by exploitation and control?

At the center of the story is Kat Loving (Cara Gee), a woman in mourning whose grief hardens into resolve and, at times, violence. Kat is a formidable presence, driven by survival and revenge, and the series never softens her edges. Around her is a richly layered ensemble, including Isabelle Slotter (Tattiawna Jones), a brothel madam grieving the loss of her child while trapped in a marriage to the ruthless John Slotter (Aaron Poole). Rebecca Blithely (Melissa Farman) offers a striking contrast as a brilliant medical savant whose social awkwardness and emotional detachment set her apart. Each woman represents a different response to trauma, power, and survival, and the series allows them to exist as fully realized characters rather than symbols.

Like many Westerns, Strange Empire can be difficult to watch at times, unflinching in its depiction of brutality and hardship. The violence is not diminished by the show’s female-led focus, nor is it romanticized. Instead, the series makes clear that women in this world are just as capable of cruelty, vengeance, and moral compromise when protecting themselves or those they love. What makes Strange Empire especially compelling is its refusal to present an idealized vision of female solidarity. These women are often at odds with one another, shaped by fear, scarcity, and survival in ways that mirror the men who once ruled the frontier, giving the series a refreshingly distinct edge.

'Strange Empire' Deserved to Continue, but Was Cancelled Too Soon

Looking back at shows that may have been ahead of their time is easier in the streaming era. Series with shorter seasons now have the opportunity to reach broader audiences on platforms like Netflix and Apple TV+, where creative risks are more often encouraged, and genre storytelling has greater flexibility. While Strange Empire didn’t benefit from that when it premiered in 2014, it did feature strong performances and sharp writing that likely would have allowed it to grow into a more lasting series if it were released today.

What truly sets Strange Empire apart is its commitment to ensemble storytelling. The women of Janestown are layered and complex, giving the actors material that would have been far less common in a more traditionally male-driven Western. The series also stands out for centering Indigenous perspectives, particularly through Kat Loving as a Métis woman, and by drawing from the historical realities of that period in Canada rather than shying away from those brutalities.

Even with just one season, Strange Empire leaves a lasting impression. Its dedication to female perspective, emotional realism, and ensemble-driven storytelling sets it apart not only from traditional Westerns but from much of the genre television of its time. In the years since, series like Godless, starring Michelle Dockery, and more recently The Abandons, led by Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey, have landed on streamers and have proven there’s an appetite for this kind of storytelling when it lands in the right place at the right time. Strange Empire may have been ahead of its time, but it remains a series well worth revisiting today.

All episodes of Strange Empire can be streamed for free on Tubi.