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A little over a year ago, something bad happened to Longmire, in the fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming. With no clear motive, someone at A&E abruptly killed the three-year-old drama, leaving behind some dangling storylines and a doozy of a cliffhanger. While we may never know who made the call or exactly why (it’s suspected that the show’s viewership skewed too old for the network’s liking), we can be thankful for a small miracle. Netflix has revived this well-liked Western crime series for a fourth season, now available to binge-watch at your own pace on its streaming service.
Luckily, the new deal came together quickly enough that Longmire doesn’t miss a step in the transition. Sheriff Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) sets out to reckon with the men responsible for the death of his wife—as well as whom he’ll become with that chapter of his life finally closed. Meanwhile, deputy Vic (Katee Sackhoff) and daughter Cady (Cassidy Freeman) deal with personal and professional upheavals, and best friend Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips) seeks a way to serve the Indian reservation after his part in the death of a local vigilante.
The great irony of Longmire is that the very elements that made it a success on A&E are the same things that likely led to its cancellation. Taylor continues to turn in fine work playing a character that would blend seamlessly into any classic Western. His calm reserve sets the tone for the show as a whole, and the careful, deliberate pacing is perfect for those whose attention spans have survived its flashier procedural cousins. Freed from commercials or running time limits, episodes can linger a bit on a character beat or a gorgeous New Mexico prairie (standing in for the show’s Wyoming setting). A cable network with its eye on ad revenue and the all-coveted 18-34 male viewer demographic may not approve, but thankfully Netflix’s subscription model gives it plenty of space to connect with its own audience, no matter who they may be.
Not that any of this should be interpreted as boring. It kicks off with a tense half-hour toward resolving last season’s major cliffhanger, then settles in for a three-episode story arc that digs heavily into the show’s own mythology. As it has in previous years, tension between Walt’s approach to law and order and the politics of the Indian reservation drives much of the drama, and Henry’s storyline this season gives Phillips some of his best material to date.
In a perfect world, maybe Netflix (or Amazon—or any of the other streaming services that are gearing up) could save every show that suffers an early demise on network or cable, but only a few get this kind of second chance. With Longmire, the streaming service broadens its selection of original programming and gives a new audience the chance to try out its particular niche among crime dramas. It’s a little tougher to determine what counts as a success on a service like Netflix, but so far the show looks to be making the most of its new lease on life.
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