Plot Synopsis

Based on Annie Proulx's 2016 book of the same name, BARKSKINS is an eight-episode limited series that examines the mysterious massacre of settlers in the vast and unforgiving wilds of 1690s New France, which threatens to throw the region into all-out war. Likely suspects abound -- the English, the Hudson's Bay Company and a band of Kanien'keha:ka (Iroquois) possibly in league with the English looking to drive the French from the territory -- but who or what brought these settlers to such a tragic end? BARKSKINS is set in Wobik, a small settlement in what is now the Canadian province of Quebec. As the Catholic Church sends Jesuit priests to convert the indigenous people, France sends indentured servants to populate its territory, along with "Filles Du Roi" ("Daughters of the King"), young women to be matched with husbands, start families and help the colonies prosper. This disparate group of outcasts, rogues and innocents must navigate brutal hardships, competing interests and tangled loyalties at the crossroads of civilization: 1690s New France. The series tells a story of exploration, adventure and ambition among dreamers and fighters - some with a utopian vision of the world, others crass and conniving, but all navigating the perils of a treacherous new frontier. As tensions escalate, unlikely alliances are forged, old antagonisms deepen and new families are formed against the seemingly endless natural riches and hidden dangers of the new American continent. BARKSKINS' depiction of the collision between civilization and commerce is timeless, as is its spirit of adventure, natural wonder and survival of the fittest.
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On Monday, June 15, 2020 from 9-11pm ET/PT, Nat Geo premiered the finale of BARKSKINS, debuting back-to-back new episodes:

"Bees in a Bottle" (9pm): Cooke and Mother Sabrine embark on a dangerous quest to retrieve the dead priests and Deputy Guy from the war incited by Trepagny and Bouchard. After being apart, Trepagny is reunited with Melissande who remains wary of the Iroquois threat. And, for the first time since escaping Trepagny's contract, Duquet and Sel meet face-to-face.

"The Black Sun" (10pm): Then, as winter looms, preparations for Trepagny and Melissande's wedding begin. Melissande comes up with a contrived solution for Mari that would allow her to continue living on Trepagny's Doma. Then, in Wobik, Delphine and Cooke meet and explore the potential for a future together over Cooke's famous lavender and honey tea. Meanwhile, Duquet makes a deal with Goames that could spell Wobik's end.