One of the great things about the streaming era is that shows that may have debuted on one platform can always be licensed to another. Sure, this can be infuriating when your favorite Netflix original is now only available on Paramount+ (ahem, Longmire), but it can also be a blessing in disguise when a show that you wanted to check out makes its way to the platform you already subscribe to. This can open the door to a new streaming audience while simultaneously raising awareness for a show folks may have forgotten about. Such is the case with the eight-part Western drama Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which started on Paramount+, only to make waves within the past week on Netflix’s Top 10.
‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ Streaming Success Proves the Western Series Should Return
For those who didn’t watch the series on Paramount+, the critically acclaimed period drama starred David Oyelowo as the titular lawman, who patrols the Old West’s Indian Territory as one of the first Black deputy U.S. Marshals to wear the badge. Struggling with his past as a slave and looking to the future as he maintains law and order, Reeves is a compelling protagonist whose story is brought to life here with more detail than ever before. Helmed by Dutton Ranch creator Chad Feehan and produced by Yellowstone‘s own Taylor Sheridan, the historical epic is everything that folks could wish for in a dramatized biopic that delves into lesser-known U.S. history. But as Lawmen gains traction on Netflix, the recent buzz has spurred conversation regarding a potential second season — which could make good on Feehan’s initial hopes to turn the streaming hit into a Wild West anthology.
“If there is another season of Lawmen, it will focus on a new lawman or law woman,” Feehan previously revealed to Deadline. “There are several figures in history, much like Bass, who deserve their day in the sun. As much as it pains me that this marriage is taking a hiatus, that is the reality.” Reeves’ story has already been told (and done quite well, we might add), but considering the time of lawlessness that was the Old West period, there’s no reason that any number of potential lawmen could make their way to the forefront of the series. A potential second season could highlight anyone, from famous gunslingers like Wyatt Earp to oft-forgotten characters like outlaw-turned-lawman John King Fisher or photojournalist-turned-sheriff C.S. Fly. The possibilities are endless.
‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ Creator Says the Series Leaves Room for More “Should There Be an Appetite”
Chad Feehan discusses filming on location in Texas, working with David Oyelowo, and Taylor Sheridan’s “God-given gift of storytelling.”
It’s worth noting that Lawmen was originally developed as a spin-off of 1883, a decision later walked back on due to 1883 being set later. Although Lawmen distanced itself from the greater Yellowstone universe, the potential Western anthology could retroactively return to that same world, at least in some sense, by following a character like Billy Bob Thornton‘s Marshal Jim Courtright or Jennifer Carpenter‘s Marshal Mamie Fossett from 1923 — both real-life Texas lawkeepers who did the nitty-gritty work in the Lone Star State. There are several interesting directions that Lawmen could go if it were renewed for another season (possibly even more than one if different stories overlapped). Now that Netflix has all eyes back on this drama, there’s no better time to revisit the Old West for some new adventures.
‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ Is a Western Triumph, and Fans Clearly Want More
Of course, we’re not advocating for Lawmen to become yet another Dutton drama — but if certain historical characters were to cross over from one series to another, that could be a welcome way to both explore and expand upon the wild frontier. As Carly Lane noted in her review of the show for Collider: “Letting Lawmen: Bass Reeves be its own story was the best decision that could have been made.” There’s certainly some truth to that, because unlike Sheridan’s heavily fictionalized Montana, Lawmen commands a certain amount of historical accuracy that sets it apart. Sure, maybe not every detail is right on the money, but the show gets more right about the era and Reeves himself than not.
If you’re in the mood for a Western series but hoping to avoid Taylor Sheridan’s usual flavor of horse opera, look no further than Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Who knows? Maybe now that Chad Feehan isn’t working on Dutton Ranch anymore, the door may open back up for another adventure following a brand-new Old West hero.
- Release Date
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2023 – 2023-00-00
- Network
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Paramount+
- Directors
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Damian Marcano, Christina Alexandra Voros
- Writers
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Jacob Forman, Ning Zhou, Chad Feehan, J. Todd Scott, Jewel Coronel, K.C. Scott, Terence Anthony
