Longmire

I really enjoyed the show. It reminded me of a Louis L'Amour novel. I haven't read the books this show is based on, but I plan to soon. I appreciated the pace, and overall feel of it. I felt completely absorbed in the realness of the characters, and really felt like I was in Wyoming. No glitzy computerized special effects, and no unrealistically fast crime scene analysis. I am looking forward to "getting to know" the characters. I loved the little town square, the Wranglers, and the scenery is breathtaking. I also enjoyed the music. Very happy the show includes one of my favorite actresses, Katee Sackhoff.

We're not in Kansas anymore both literally and figuratively. Literally Longmire takes place in Wyoming. Figuratively it represents yet another persuasive piece of evidence for the view that higher quality product is coming out of TV than the studios these days. Whoda thunk it? Following JUSTIFIED and HATFIELDS/MCCOYS, we have this new entry and it is prime Grade A Entertainment. Arguably a little less showy than JUSTIFIED, it serves up each week a visceral portrait of an old-time lawman in the modern world -- Taylor is brilliant -- along with some intellectual thrills as well. In the first episode, Longmire justifies (pardon the pun) the fact that he was seen "reading on the job" by revealing the book he was reading -- and it's Sherlock Holmes. Recommended to keep your skills sharp, he explains. Also a nice blending of testosterone and estrogen, with Katee Sackhoff and Cassaday Freeman there to remind viewers that the Wild West was not merely a bunch of cranky old guys so macho they could jog home from their own vasectomies. Lou Diamond Phillips, a bit older now, is excellent in a supporting role. If all TV was this good, Hollywood would be out of a job..

ADDENDUM; I just upgraded my rating from a 9 to a 10 as I finished season 1. This show is a jewel. No wasted dialogue, no wasted camera angles, no wasted cuts. Easily one of the leanest productions in recent memory, and possibly should come with a warning that it is addictive. Sackoff's voice contains so many tones and nuances that I Google'd her, turns out she is not only a superb actress but a tier-1 animation voice too. Wow.

FINAL ADDENDUM 2018 -- Goodbye Team Longmire you will be missed -- this show had a "near death experience" with its original network and was "rescued" by Netflix. (Netflix in 2018 is growing so fast it needs a constant supply of product -- a topic well beyond the scope of this review). This is the point where i would like to tell you that, during the "Netlix" episodes, the quality was unchanged -- but I cannot say that because the quality fell significantly as did, I am sure, the budgets available under the new production deal. What used to be a legitimate "mystery" show with astonishingly strong background characters morphed into a character show with an actual mystery popping up only occasionally. Which meant that the Netflix episodes were really for diehard fans only. If you are newbie to the series, you cannot go wrong with the first few seasons. They are brilliant. If you are a fan, the last season and the big FINALE are a bit maudlin, but still comfortable. Will miss this show. A lot.

I had not planned to watch this series, but luckily caught the Pilot. The characters are multi faceted, deep and interesting. The scenery is beautiful. It is wonderful to watch a program that doesn't depend on special effects and empty chatter. Granted there have been a couple of scenes I would have left on the editing floor, but overall, great. I love the Wyoming and Indian Reservation setting. Be careful, you might actually learn something. Robert Taylor is well cast as the sheriff. Personally, I would have loved John Corbett as the Sheriff. I love "Ruby". Is she an actress or a real sheriff office employee? The actors are that good. Louie Diamond Phillips is always excellent. I'm looking forward to the new season.

I actually enjoyed Longmire a lot more than I thought I would. I'm so glad Netflix picked this up after it cancelled. It was originally cancelled after season 3 and then Netflix picked it up. It didn't drop in quality at all either. If anything it got better on Netflix because they had a bigger budget to work with. I never watched it when it originally on but was looking for a new show to watch recently and Longmire was that show. It took an episode or two to get going but after that I was hooked. Once I started watching I couldn't stop, I binged all six seasons in just a couple weeks. The acting and writing is so good that it just pulls you in and you start to actually care about these characters. It's a classic modern western so if you're into that kind of genre then give this show a chance. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Longmire is an interesting character driven show. With some unique situations and breathtaking scenery, this series deserves a long run. Let's give this show time to develop. The relationships between Longmires daughter and the deputy sets the stage for a possible rocky three way feud. Lou Diamond Phillips, as the bar owner part time tracker, does some of the best acting that he has done in years. The supporting cast is believable and the guest roles have been filled with creditable and sometimes quirky characters that give a different sense of style to each episode. AMC has served up several excellent series and this may just be one of the best yet.