Includes SPOILERS for Territory season 1.Netflix’sTerritorybegins with the death of Daniel Lawson, but more information regarding his death is revealed throughout season 1.Territory’scastprimarily compose the fictional Lawson family, the owners of Marianne Station, the world’s largest cattle station. Aconflict of succession ensues following the death of Daniel Lawson, who’s shown in the first episode to have fallen from his horse in the desert, resulting in him being eaten alive by wild dogs. Alone, it’s a brutal death that establishes the harsh environment of the Australian outback, but there’s more to the neo-Western than that.
At its core,Territoryis a Western about family and the nuances of familial relations. For example, Colin Lawson is the patriarch of the family, and Graham Lawson is his eldest son, yet Daniel is the one who inherited the station when Colin stepped down. Rather than exploring a traditional monarchy-style inheritance,Territory’ssuccession is a result of dynamics. This makes matters more complex when Daniel dies, and events build towardTerritory’s climactic ending, as the perceived bounds of family ties constantly come into question.
Emily Lawson Shot Daniel & Left Him For Dead
Flashbacks Reveal The Incident That Led To Daniel’s Fate
There’s only one flashback scene inTerritory, and it demonstrates the precise nature of Daniel Lawson’s death. Prior to the show’s events, Daniel and Emily had made a deal that would see them make a jump in power at Marianne Station, though at the sacrifice of the long-time, family dynasty that had been in place. The flashback reveals thatDaniel betrayed Emily and sought to cut her from the deal at the last moment. Emily fired her gun in Daniel’s direction, intending to scare him, causing him to threaten her and demand that she and Graham leave the property.
Rather than bring her brother-in-law back to the station, Emily abandons Daniel to the wild, leaving his fate in his own hands.
Now, realizing that she’s at risk of losing everything, Emily fires her next shot directly at Daniel, causing him to fall from his horse. The white horse runs off, becoming a mystery throughout the season. Rather than bring her brother-in-law back to the station, Emily abandons Daniel to the wild, leaving his fate in his own hands. Subsequently, he’s found by wild dogs and killed, resulting in his death. WhileEmily claims she just meant to scare him, there were few other possible outcomes to leaving him out in the wilderness as she did.
Daniel Was Planning To Betray His Family To Sandra Kirby
Sandra Kirby’s Plan Would Have Ruined The Lawson Family
An important aspect of the Lawson family dynamic that’s established by this flashback is that Daniel was planning to sell out his father.Daniel and Emily were pursuing a deal with mining magnate Sandra Kirby for a deal that would rope her into the family business, eventually forcing Colin out. This is likely similar to the deal that Sandra offers Graham and Emily again throughoutTerritory, suggesting a council-run version of Marianne Station that would grant Sandra and other Lawsons seats to vote on issues.
30 Best TV Shows On Netflix Right Now (April 2025)
From classics like Suits and Seinfeld to twisty sci-fi like Stranger Things, the best shows on Netflix have something for everyone.
Sandra Kirby often states that she only has it out for Colin Lawson and that she bears no ill will toward Emily or Graham. However, the conniving billionaire has a master plan of her own that would essentially put the Lawsons out of business.She’s not in it for cows; she’s in it for uranium, and she has a plan to enrich the uranium on the station’s property. The ensuing radiation would essentially make the cattle unusable. Daniel planned to betray Colin and Emily to Sandra in a decision that would ultimately destroy the Lawson dynasty.
What Daniel’s Betrayal Really Means
Colin’s Golden Boy Was Bringing Marianne Into Ruin
A crucial dynamic at play throughoutTerritoryis that between Colin Lawson and his eldest son Graham. As mentioned, Graham wasn’t the one to take over the ranch when Colin stepped down because his father perceived him as weak. Yet,the golden boy Daniel, whom Colin believed possessed the strength needed to run Marianne Station, was about to betray him, making a deal that would let the property fall into ruin at the hands of Sandra Kirby.
Meanwhile, when offered a deal to betray Colin to let Sandra in, Graham denies the option, even when it would guarantee him victory as the new cattle federation president.Territoryis as much a story about a cattle ranch as it is about family.Colin Lawson has cultivated an environment that’s nearly led to the ruin of his family dynastyby using the archaic ideas passed down to him by his father. Now, Graham, Marshall, and the other younger members of the Lawson family have to work together to salvage what they can and hold on to the station.
Territory
Set against the backdrop of the world’s largest cattle station, this drama follows the intense generational conflict that ensues when a clear heir is absent. As rival factions compete for control, the series examines themes of legacy, power, and the struggle for dominance over the land’s future.
