Esperanza is set in the bloody simmer of Utah Territory in 1857, where the settlers, the Native tribes and the immigrants’ lives intersect in a battle for survival. The region becomes a potential powder keg as the U.S. Army, Mormon settlers and local tribes appear on a collision course toward bloody conflict. Against this backdrop unfolds a riveting story of resilience, betrayal and the fight for redemption.
Sara Holloway (Betty Gilpin), a tough, resourceful woman, is trying to escape a previous life as a fugitive wanted for murdering her wealthy, abusive husband in Philadelphia. She’s trying to restore a connection between her disabled young son, Devin Rowell (Preston Mota), and his estranged father in Crook Springs, Utah. Devin is a sensitive and brave child, acutely aware of his limitations, but giving his parents glimpses of light during their arduous journeys.
Sara and Devin thus set off westward, guides and trade posts helping them risk their way through dangerous terrain. At Fort Bridger, they encounter Jim Bridger (Shea Whigham), the shrewd, experienced founder of the trading post. Short on resources and time, Sara's plea for help leads her to Isaac Reed (Taylor Kitsch), a taciturn man of the mountains who was raised by the Shoshone people. Isaac’s a man of few words, traumatized by the death of his wife and child and still haunted by the violence of his past.
Sara and Isaac’s rocky relationship takes shape after a Mormon caravan reluctantly decides to take Sara and Devin under its wing, whose members include the religiously minded and behaviorally impaired Jacob Pratt (Dane DeHaan) and his dutiful wife, Abish Pratt (Saura Lightfoot-Leon). But violence soon erupts when a Mormon militia, led by the savage James Wolsey (Joe Tippett), clashes with Native troops led by Red Feather (Derek Hinkey), a resentful Shoshone fighter hellbent on avenging his people’s torment by white settlers.
It’s against this backdrop of rising tension that Sara and Devin make their home for Two Moons (Shawnee Pourier), a mute, headstrong young Shoshone woman who escapes her captors’ abuse. Two Moons serve as an unlikely ally, leveraging her wits, bravery and keen sense of humanity to try to save Sara and Devin.
Meanwhile, a no-nonsense bounty hunter, Virgil Cutter (Jai Courtney), along with his crew and younger, savvier brother, Lucas Cutter (Andrew P. Logan), is on Sara’s trail for the bounty on her head. They follow relentless through deadly encounters, driving Sara, Isaac and their crew into life-or-death showdowns.
Paige is also caught up with the political machinations of the governor of Utah, Brigham Young (Kim Coates), the leader of the Mormon community and president of the LDS Church. As Young consolidates his power and cuts deals to have Breeder hand over control of Fort Bridger to the Mormons, he wages campaigns to stomp out dissent and prove Mormon superiority.
And we feel, within the text of its narratives, flow: full Abish Pratt, until then a pillar-of-faith believer, struggles to reconcile her faith and the violence done in its name. Her husband, Jacob, is losing hold of the faith he has in the disintegrating Mormon militia, with disastrous consequences for the couple.
The action builds to a series of bloody showdowns: Sara, Isaac and their compatriots must face down human as well as natural antagonists, and the Mormon militia and the Shoshone fighters choke one another in an apocalypse that offers no quarter to anyone. The personal stakes are amplified when Sara divulges the motivation for her crime — to protect Devin from abuse by her husband — and Isaac struggles to cope with his grief and guilt over losing his family.
Sara and Devin do eventually get to Crook Springs, but not as the same people. Isaac dies saving her and Devin, placing him on an arc toward redemption. Devin’s fortitude and Two Moons’ loyalty are their hopes, Sara’s bravery and her ingenuity allowing her to navigate a cruel and unforgiving world.
Key Characters
Sara Holloway (Betty Gilpin): A fugitive mom determined to keep her son safe and trying to escape her haunted past.
Devin Rowell (Preston Mota): A disabled, sensitive boy trying to survive with his mother.
Isaac Reed ( Taylor Kitsch ): A trained mountain man raised among the Shoshone, haunted by the deaths of his wife and son.
Two Moons (Shawnee Pourier): A mute, rebellious, young Shoshone woman searching for freedom and belonging.
Jacob Pratt (Dane DeHaan): A fervent Mormon whose faith and loyalty are challenged by his community’s acts of violence.
Abish Pratt (Saura Lightfoot-Leon): Jacob’s wife, whose bravery and questioning nature make her a central figure.
Red Feather (Derek Hinkey): A little bit of a steel-eyed Shoshone warrior who’s our man in the fight against the settlers who are encroaching on his people’s land.
Virgil Cutter (Jai Courtney): A merciless bounty hunter bent on getting Sara — whatever the cost.
Jim Bridger (Shea Whigham): The pragmatic and resourceful owner of Fort Bridger, positioned between the competing interests of establishing settlers.
Brigham Young (Kim Coates): The power-hungry leader of the Mormon community, whose ambition leads him to eliminate all obstacles–including anyone who threatens his power.
Set amidst the wilderness and violence of the American West, this passionate story with themes of endurance, fidelity, and the price paid for bloodshed.
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