I will not argue the mini-series vs. film format issue; how Costner chose to tell his story is his choice, like a cross between epic filmmaking and Lonesome Dove or The Winds of War. I liken Horizon to old school novels written by authors like James Michener, James Clavell, or Larry McMurtry; I think the key is clearly in the title / Horizon - the place where all of these various storylines will ultimately converge by the end of the 4 part saga. The story is about the characters; I think that Costner has done a beautiful job of balancing and focusing on their stories while choosing wonderfully authentic landscapes of the American West to use as a backdrop canvas to those characters’ stories- it’s a balancing act to prevent the vistas from overpowering the people. I’m obviously a fan of this project; Kevin Costner is the only actor/director actively working today who truly understands how to make a western. Given the enormous amounts of cash that have been invested and lost on the glut of recent superhero movies and countless failed rom/com projects, I think it would be a shame if Costner is unable to line up the $$$ it will take to bring his project to its conclusion with parts 3 & 4; only then will anyone truly be able to judge the quality of this project.