Lawmen: Bass Reeves

The reason Western films and shows are so popular is the vast incredible mythology. Throughout the history of the United States push west, there are countless larger-than-life characters ripe for big action-packed cinematic exploits. From lawmen to outlaws, the West was a wild untamed land. Characters like Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hicock, and Bat Masterson became legends through dimestore pulp novels, comic books, television series, and films. However, Bass Reeves, a man with just an illustrious career behind the badge as the first black U.S. Mashall west of the Mississippi has stayed out of the Hollywood gaze - until recently that is.

For Chad Feehan’s Lawmen: Bass Reeves, we meet our titular lawman (David Oyelowo) at the most humblest of beginnings: a slave riding side-by-side with his master Major George R. Reeves (Shea Whigham) in a battle against Union soldiers. When he takes his chance to escape, Bass knows a brief period of peace. But when he starts a family and has mouths to feed, he becomes the possum man for Marshal Sheriil Lynm (Dennis Quaid). Intelligent, with a lethal aim and a handle on the civilized native languages, Bass proves to be an incredible asset for “Hanging” Judge Parker (Donald Southerland) as the first black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. But as he spends more and more time away from home and family, Bass must confront his legacy as a peace officer who always gets his man.

As a kid growing up loving Westerns, I had to do my part to read up on actual history. Don’t get me wrong, I love a grand sparkly Hollywood epic, but so often is the case the real grit is washed clean in favor of a morally flawless hero. So when you see those early cleaned-up versions of Wyatt Earp in films like My Darling Clementine, you’re barely scratching the surface of actual history. In trying to find some good reads, I came across a few scattered stories and thin biographies of legendary lawman Bass Reeves. A fascinating character with thousands of arrests, I always wondered why he never had a larger presence in films - especially during the Blaxploitation period of the 70s. Melvin Van Peebles should have been all over that story!

In recent years, Bass Reeves as a character has popped up here and there in some shows and films, but he was never the star. It’s series creator Chad Feehan and producer Taylor Sheridan who gives the man his due on screen with Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Starring and produced by David Oyelowo, we have one hell of an eight-part mini-series event. Admittedly, at eight parts it gets a tad clunky in the home stretch, it probably could have been done in six episodes, but it’s a heck of a production.

It’s been several years since I picked up a book about the man, but from memory, many of the key moments in his life are on screen along with a range of colorful side characters. Through each episode we see Oyelowo give the man real humanity and heart. He grows from a bound but capable fighter during the war into a man who would not be cheated of his freedom and into an honorable man of society. He was intelligent and sincere, believing everyone deserved their day in court. 

My only real twitch with this show is the fictitious Esau Pierce played by Barry Pepper. He becomes something of a side-quest villain that never really comes to life beyond the cliched “You and me are the same… yadda, yadda” speeches. Make no mistake Pepper is fantastic and formidable, but his presence wasn’t necessary considering the number of late-in-life events that are even more fascinating than a rote revenge/justice storyline. Just as one example, when his son Benjamine was charged with murder, there are stories Bass may have been the man to bring him in! (Benjamine was convicted, and served eleven years before his sentence was commuted.)

In all, Reeves brought in over 3000 prisoners, some reports estimate over 4000. When Lawmen: Bass Reeves is at its best, the show squares the weight of his duty to law and order with his life as a family man. I’d put it that this show could have done in six episodes what it accomplished in eight, but I don't regret the time spent. It’s never dull. The time doesn’t linger or waste for an all-around exciting venture. Hopefully after Bass Reeves, we’ll see more entries in this Lawmen series.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray 
Lawmen: Bass Reeves enters the physical media fray with a three-disc release from Paramount Home Entertainment. The series is spread between three Region Free BD-50 discs, three episodes each for discs one and two, two episodes for disc three. Bonus features are spread between them all. The discs are housed in a standard multipack case with identical slipcover. Discs two and three were stacked on top, no scratching or playback issues occurred. Each disc loads to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options.

Riding up on 1080p, Lawmen: Bass Reeves cuts a pretty mean Blu-ray presentation. Like most of the shows falling under Taylor Sheridan’s Executive Producer oeuvre, this series looks big, expensive, and makes for a damned fine home video release. Shot on location throughout Texas, every frame looks magnificent. Details are crisp, clean, and often striking. You can’t call this a cheap show. It’s also quite refreshing to see such a large expansive production that doesn’t look like it was shot in front of The Volume. Production design, costuming, and rural locations are all on display. Colors favor the dusty yellows and browns of the old-west aesthetic but key primaries are bright and bold with healthy human skin tones. Each episode front to back looks terrific. Obviously, I’d have loved to see a 4K disc of this series, but I won’t complain about what we’ve got.

Each episode of Lawmen: Bass Reeves comes in with a rousing Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix. Right from the jump we’re thrown into some impressive sonic action with a big battle sequence. After the battle ends, we return to the quiet of a normal life - but the immersive effects don’t end with action sequences. Even in the quietest sequences, there’s plenty of surround activity to keep the soundscape engaged. Dialog throughout each episode is clean and clear without issue. Levels are spot on without any problem there. 

Not to be left with just the series on disc, Lawmen: Bass Reeves comes packed with a pretty damned impressive array of detailed bonus features. Each episode comes with a brief “Behind the Story” extra that details the themes and historical relevance of the events in the episode. If that’s not enough, there are a number of fantastic featurettes that go deep into various aspects of the production from the project’s genesis all the way through location scouting to production design and costuming.

Discs One

• Episode I - Behind the Story (HD 6:27)
• Episode II - Behind the Story (HD 5:49)
• Episode III - Behind the Story (HD 5:47)

Disc Two

• Episode IV - Behind the Story (HD 5:59)
• Episode V - Behind the Story (HD 6:12)
• Episode VI - Behind the Story (HD 5:39)

Disc Three

• Episode VII - Behind the Story (HD 5:53)
• Episode VIII - Behind the Story (HD 7:10)
• Unbreakable: The Legend of Bass Reeves (HD 39:19)
• A Breed Apart: Production Design with Wynn Thomas (HD 16:59)
• The Native American Nations (HD 4:31)
• Behind the Battle of Pea Ridge (HD 4:56)
• Building the World of Lawmen: Bass Reeves (HD 5:37)
• The Legend Behind the Badge (HD 4:22)
• Meet the Characters (HD 7:51 Total)
• Bass Reeves
• Jennie Reeves
• Sherrill Lynn
• Judge Parker
• Billy Crow
• Sally Reeves
• Esau Pierce
• George Reeves

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is one heck of a mini-series event. Not only does it do justice to a man that has largely gone unheard of in U.S. history about the west, it’s also a damn great show. Granted, it probably could be a little tighter, do its job in six episodes instead of eight, but the series is a grand showcase for David Oyelowo and the talented cast and crew backing his play. On Blu-ray, the series looks and sounds fantastic. Sure, I wouldn’t complain about a 4K disc, but on its own merits, it’s a heck of a release complete with some solid and informative extra features. Highly Recommended

Order Your Copy of Lawmen: Bass Reeves on Blu-ray