The latest Western series to hit America’s eyeballs is Lawmen: Bass Reeves which follows the thrilling life of Bass Reeves. And it wouldn’t be a Taylor Sheridan-produced show without some fancy cowboy hats.
Lawmen tells the story of Bass Reeves, one of the first Black U.S. Marshals, and his various internal and external struggles with the career. The show stars David Oyelowo as the title character, alongside Donald Sutherland, Dennis Quaid, Forrest Goodluck, Barry Pepper, Grantham Coleman, Demi Singleton, and Lauren E. Banks. Here is the official synopsis:
From executive producers Taylor Sheridan and David Oyelowo comes the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West: Bass Reeves. Lawmen: Bass Reeves follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family.
While the series is executive-produced by Sheridan, the connections to his other shows stop there. Lawmen creator and showrunner Chad Feehan recently revealed that there was a plan to connect the storyline to other Sheridan shows like 1883, but it didn’t pan out.
Even though the story isn’t set in the same timeline, maybe Sam Elliot can make a quick appearance in the second season…if there is one.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves is streaming on Paramount+.