Writer/director/showrunner extraordinaire Taylor Sheridan is now up to his eighth streaming production since 2018 when Yellowstone breathed a new life into his career. The prolific developer’s crime and western stronghold via Paramount Network also gave the world a new spy series this year, but Lawmen: Bass Reeves proved the critically stronger of the two. In a rare instance of backseat involvement from Sheridan, other filmmakers shine in a fresh chance for a dramatized history franchise on Paramount+.
‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ Historical Basis
The first of potentially many Lawmen series depicts Bass Reeves, the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal of the West. After eluding slavery in the mid-19th century, Reeves eventually earned his title and became known as one of the greatest heroes of his time. Reeves’ dramatized portrayal shows the historical figure driven by love, loss, and the pursuit of justice and freedom in Oklahoma’s Indian Territory.
Reeves’ Depiction is Moving and Character-Focused
Bass Reeves graces minor roles throughout TV and film history, played by legendary actors like Colman Domingo, Jaleel White, and Delroy Lindo. In Lawmen, David Oyelowo, famous for his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, takes on the role, and his work is one of the most captivating aspects of the show. The sixth episode finds Oyelowo in a dynamic position of action and weighty reflection, showcasing the British actor’s essential power behind his facial expressions and dialogue delivery; he does far more than just look the part and shoot a prop gun.
Without Oyelowo, Lawmen: Bass Reeves would not be quite the same. The production value is akin to Yellowstone, and a variety of memorable appearances from masters of gruffness like Dennis Quaid and Donald Sutherland, but otherwise, we mostly get the typical Western look out of Lawmen. The B-plots are also less than satisfactory, slowing down the central plot despite good intentions. Luckily, Oyelowo takes up enough runtime to keep interests piqued.
David Oyelowo in ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’
The Future of Reeves and ‘Lawmen’
A notable change in the original marketing of Lawmen, Reeves’ tale here has no official canonical affiliation with the Yellowstone universe. Reeves’ life could have overlapped with Yellowstone‘s prequel series, but ultimately, the decision is for the best. Lawmen can, and likely will, continue in several different ways: as a multi-season series with Reeves at the center and as a chance to see other lawmen of history in action.
Even if Reeves’ story ends in this season, the anthology series has dozens of potential names to choose from, from readily-known names like Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickock to deputies like Heck Thomas and Frank Canton. However Lawmen moves forward, the intrigue of historically-based characters and their mythologies remains an enticing treat for Yellowstone fans.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves is streaming now on Paramount+.