Tom Blythe’s Underrated Western Series Is Your Next Watch After Netflix’s ‘People We Meet on Vacation’

For a lot of viewers, Tom Blyth has become synonymous with yearning glances, emotional honesty, and slow-burning romance thanks to Netflix’s People We Meet on Vacation (PWMOV), based on the book by the same name by Emily Henry. But long before Blyth stepped into Alex Nilsen’s sneakers, he delivered a deeply compelling leading performance in one of the most overlooked Westerns of the past few years. Although MGM+’s Billy the Kid is not on the same level of popularity as the Netflix rom-com, it has developed a devoted audience and is a show that you should check out immediately after finishing Blyth’s on-screen romance with co-star Emily Bader.

Michael Hirst (Vikings, The Tudors) created the series, which takes a fresh look at one of the most famous American historical figures. Rather than focusing solely on Billy’s legend, this series will explore a much more basic, human side of Billy as an individual long before he became known as Billy the Kid.

'Billy the Kid' Reframes a Familiar Legend as a Coming-of-Age Story

Unlike other Westerns, Billy the Kid doesn't start with the exploits of a gunfighter or the legendary status attached to someone like him. It starts with Henry McCarty, who later became known as Billy the Kid, and develops from the background of an Irish immigrant who faced many challenges, including loss, wandering, and survival in America during the 1800s. The series explores Billy's journey from New York City to the New Mexico Territory and links Billy's story to issues such as class struggle, identity, and systemic injustice.

This approach allows the show to take its time. Season 1 focuses heavily on Billy’s upbringing, his relationship with his mother, and the circumstances that push him toward violence. By the time the Lincoln County War enters the picture, Billy’s choices feel less like the actions of a folk hero and more like the consequences of a young man repeatedly failed by the world around him. It’s a slower, more deliberate Western — one that’s more interested in how legends are made than in glorifying them.

Tom Blyth Gives 'Billy the Kid' His Most Human Portrayal Yet

Blyth’s performance is the show’s anchor. Billy, as portrayed by Blyth, is not born with a natural inclination towards risk; instead, he is made a risk-taker through time. The way Blyth plays Billy adds depth to the character through his sensitivity and idealism, somewhat contrary to the traditional depiction of Billy as a brash, confident gunslinger across many decades of film representation.

Most of Blyth's own stunts were performed by him, including riding horses and shooting; this adds an element of authenticity to the character because of the technical accuracy of his physical movements and body language. Also important to note is that Blyth's incorporation of regional accents into his delivery of dialogue was significant; the way he delivered it conveyed the feelings of alienation and disconnection from particular places that characterize Billy.

What makes Blyth so compelling is his ability to hold contradictions at once. His Billy is charming but volatile, compassionate yet capable of brutality. He’s often trying to do the right thing — until survival forces his hand. It’s a performance that asks viewers to sit with discomfort, rather than offering easy moral clarity.

Critically, Billy the Kid has always been something of a mixed bag. Early reviews were lukewarm, but audience response tells a very different story. Viewers connected with the show’s emotional core, and later seasons earned increasingly strong fan scores. That support has translated into tangible momentum. Ahead of its final season, Billy the Kid climbed into MGM+’s Top 10 most-watched titles, signaling renewed interest and rewatching as the series approached its conclusion. For a platform that often flies under the radar, that kind of sustained engagement speaks volumes. The reality, had the series launched on a larger streamer, it might already be part of the mainstream Western conversation.

'People We Meet on Vacation' Viewers Will Find a Different Side of Blyth

The brilliance of Billy the Kid as a follow-up for PWMOV is how clearly Blyth displays his full range of portrayals. In People We Meet on Vacation, Blyth plays the role of someone who is emotionally suppressed yet vulnerable in love. Conversely, in Billy the Kid, Blyth portrays characters whose emotional instincts manifest as anger, mourning, and a lack of morality.

Both projects show that Blyth has a focused, unique approach and demonstrates the ability to play characters who feel very deeply about what they feel, but struggle to express and convey those feelings verbally. This type of performance allows Blyth to have a deep connection with the characters, whether through a friendship that has turned into a romance or through a world where circumstances continually limit the characters' options. The energy Blyth brings to both roles maintains a low-key presence while drawing you into the character's world.