Lawmen : L'histoire de Bass Reeves

Being a big fan of both westerns and Taylor Sheridan I can say I've been looking forward to this ever since I first heard about it. It did not disappoint. It's shows how this hero, Bass Reeves, will do anything to take care of his family and bring justice to this who deservee it, even if that means working along side racists and other people he didn't like. There have been a few portrayals of this character over the years but David Oyelowo is by far the best yet. He makes what would still be a good show a great one. It's action packed and intelligent at the same time. Can't wait to see what Sheridan does next.

Turns out this is well made, well filmed. Great show. So what is it with these paltry little 8 episode seasons we keep getting nowadays. ??

Epic fail by the makers.

Apparently based on a True story (no, I hadn't heard about this either !). Ina h episode was good. An underlying story running along through the series but just not enough details and episodes so what could have been a sprawling epic was left as too short, too time lapsed over periods of time and therefor just slightly unsatisfying. Hope it that this is successful so they some item can be made with better continuity and detail. (Oh and more than 8 episodes please!!!)

All my life I've heard the stories of Bass Reeves, and it automatically makes for a Hollywood drama. The man was a legend. But every account I've ever seen about his life, always did a disservice. The movie that came out a few years ago is no exception. The cartoonish mustache, the cliched shootouts, and the unrealistic dialogue made me want my 90 minutes back. I went into this expecting more of the same.

The first thing that caught my attention, however, was the cast. David Oyelowo has never played a bad character. But then I see Dennis Quaid, Donald Sutherland, Shea Whigham, and Barry Pepper, my first thought was sheesh. You almost CAN'T mess this movie up. Turned out I was right. The acting is subtle, even if the old school southern dialect is a little strained. The character development doesn't seem rushed. The cinematography is beautiful. It's a great show all around, and the end of each episode so far, makes you want to stay up past your bed time to watch the next. Hats off to a fantastic cast, and finally a storyline that does justice to this forgotten hero.

I enjoyed the first 5 or 6 episodes, but the last ones were a little out there and short. The last episode left me with questions unanswered, perhaps that was the intent. Over all a 7 at best. I enjoy most of Taylor Sheridan's stories/shows/endeavors, but I am glad this one is not setup for another season - or don't think it is. The shows with multiple seasons take far too long between them - so much so that I loose interest and let alone remember what was in the prior season. I truly believe it would be better to conclude some of his other shows like Yellowstone (if it is ending); or 1923 before coming out with more new ones.

The show is beautifully shot, well directed and with some fantastic performances. Unfortunately, as the series progressed, the stories drifted farther into pure HBO level cartoonish fiction.

Bass Reeves was a great and legendary lawman, and it is sad that his story couldnt be told simply and truthfully. I guess his 14 kills in 32 years of being a lawman werent considered dramatic enough for us 2020's folks who need explosions and green screens. It detracts from the man's greatness when his long service to law enforcement is reduced to some magic-tinged fight between good and evil, mysticism and wild conjecture. By the time I reached episode VIII I grew disappointed that the heroics I saw in the early episodes--which I had thought must be accurate--were most likely complete fiction.

This show was perhaps the biggest chunk of all my reasons to sign up for Paramount + and I will not watch any of the upcoming Lawmen seasons supposedly portraying famous lawmen. It's a shame.

This is worth the watch, at only 8 episodes, and as I said it is very well done.