"Longmire" review - Seasons 1 through 4

Red, White & Gray

Since so many screenwriters have now realized that the long form of a television show offers a much larger and more fertile ground within which to work, just about every cable company has been able to establish at least one prestige series of original content that serves as the tent pole for the channel.  However, the brimming talent pool of scribes is not a guarantee of greater intelligence on the part of the owners of these networks, and dumb decisions can still roll destructively downhill like the boulder chasing Indiana Jones!

Initially, A&E aspired to an aura of sophistication with shows like "Biography" and "Horatio Hornblower."  In a later attempt to attract a different demographic, they struck gold with the massive popularity of "Duck Dynasty", but then unwanted controversy tarnished their image.  While the debut of "Longmire" earned raves from critics and audiences alike, A&E stunned loyal viewers by putting out to pasture this superlative cowboy detective drama despite the fact that it was the networks’ most popular program! 

Thankfully, A&E’s mind-boggling blunder is now Netflix’s soaring success, and “Longmire” has been able to continue its dusty trek towards an uncertain horizon.  The main character, Walt Longmire, sheriff of fictional Absoroka County in Wyoming, is a walking anachronism.  A man of few words and even fewer emotions, Walt plods through the modern world with the resigned weariness of someone who seems to have actually lived in the Old West and is bemused by the needless complexity of 20^th century existence.

What makes “Longmire” so entertaining is that it strikes the perfect balance between many so complex and varied elements.  It is a detailed detective show with each episode usually devoted to a crime that is always unique and interesting.  It is also a fascinating and revealing character study, not only of Walt, but also of his deputies and the denizens of Durant and their contentious relationship with the nearby Cheyenne reservation.  Finally, “Longmire” has a grand storyline which meticulously unfolds as the series progresses.

The interplay between all of the characters is beautifully written, compellingly acted and sometimes hilarious.  Each principal has their own personal story, which is carefully woven into the larger fabric of the show.  Another great strength is how "Longmire" uses its varied cast of characters to play against certain stereotypes.  Assumptions are an easy mistake to make, but "Longmire" delights in upending expectations.  The show teaches the viewer to think the way that Walt does.  Never take things at face value.  Never rush to judgement.

It is a rare pleasure to watch a series that regards its audience as having brains, and therefore doesn’t broadcast its plot or character developments with all the subtlety of a bullhorn.  The first four seasons of “Longmire” roll out tantalizing teases, but even when shocking answers to long lingering questions are revealed, life for Walt does not get simpler.  It just goes on as the stakes are pulled out and planted in new ground.  The story doesn’t end when the killer is found and the case is solved, and Walt’s unwavering pursuit of the truth continues to lead him deeper into dark and dangerous territory.