Warning: this article contains minor spoilers for Lawmen: Bass Reeves
While I’m delighted that Taylor Sheridan’s hit series Landman has been renewed for a second season, I’ve been waiting nearly a year and a half for Paramount+ to greenlight the next season of Lawmen: Bass Reeves. The acclaimed series, produced by Taylor Sheridan and created by Chad Feehan, chronicles the real-life story of the titular lawman who served as one of America’s first Black deputy US marshals.
While the series finale ends with Reeves, played by David Oyewolo, choosing retirement over the law, his real-life counterpart went on to serve as a deputy marshal for another 30 years, arresting a purported 3,000 fugitives in that time. Given Reeves’ sizable record, showrunner Chad Feehan should have no shortage of historical material to draw from to continue the tale of one of the West’s most prolific lawmen.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves Needs A Season 2 Just As Much As Landman
Like Tommy Norris, Reeves’ Story Isn’t Finished Yet
The finale of Lawmen: Bass Reeves sees its protagonist reflecting on his journey once home with his wife and children, appearing resigned to a life with his family in lieu of his profession. However, to end Reeves’ story here would be a disservice to the man himself. Moreover, it would also be a disservice to the incredible legacy he left behind.
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Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ Timeline & Setting Explained
Lawmen: Bass Reeves chronicles the legendary tale of the real-life Western hero, depicting his rise from a slave to a lawman with historical accuracy.
The creators of Lawmen: Bass Reeves have an incredible opportunity to build upon Reeves’ folk-hero status with a second season; for starters, it would allow us to see a more experienced Reeves in action, since his current stint only comprises the first two years of his decade-spanning career. Furthermore, Season 2 of Lawmen: Bass Reeves could answer questions about the fates of fan-favorite characters, like criminal-turned-confidant Billy Crow (Forrest Goodluck) and the horse thief and anti-hero Jackson “Jackrabbit” Cole (Tosin Morohunfola).
David Oyewolo Is Up For A Second Season Of Lawmen: Bass Reeves
The Bass Reeves Star Could Give The Series The Boost It Needs
Recently, at a SXSW red carpet event for his soon-approaching Apple TV+ show Government Cheese, Bass Reeves actor David Oyewolo spoke with ScreenRant’s own Rachel Foersch about the future of the series and if he would once again take up the mantle of the mythic lawman. Oyewolo’s response was optimistic, and he encouraged fans of Lawmen: Bass Reeves to continue pushing for a second season:
The more people ask for more Lawmen: Bass Reeves, the sooner it’ll happen, I think. I loved, loved, loved playing that role. To saddle up again is something I’m open to, so you never know.
In addition to starring in the titular role, Oyewolo also acted as a producer on the Western series. His words, therefore, can hardly be written off as mere wishful thinking. However, at this point, it appears that a second season of Lawmen: Bass Reeves will not come to materialize without some momentum, which is why Oyewolo’s comments are so pressing for fans of the series. In short, the demand for a follow-up to Lawmen: Bass Reeves must persist in order for Paramount+ to greenlight another season.
How Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ Story Could Continue
Reeves’ Life Can’t Be Told In One Season Alone
One advantage the creators of the series have right now is that there is so much interesting material from Bass Reeves’ life remaining in the latter part of his career. For example, a future season of Lawmen: Bass Reeves could cover the death of his wife Jennie to peritonitis in 1896 and his subsequent remarriage to Winnie Sumter four years later. Alternatively, season two could also focus on Reeves’ real-life arrest of his son “Bennie” for the murder of his spouse in 1902.
Another path the series could go, which Chad Feehan has discussed previously, would be the route of an anthology series covering the lives of other unsung lawmen, since there are dozens of other historical figures like Bass Reeves whose deeds make them worthy of the spotlight. This approach wouldn’t necessarily rule out the return of David Oyewolo as Bass Reeves either, since his character could make an appearance as a more seasoned deputy whose story intersects with another heroic and overlooked figure of the Old West in Lawmen: Bass Reeves.
- Release Date
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2023 – 2022
- Showrunner
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Chad Feehan, Taylor Sheridan
- Directors
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Taylor Sheridan, Damian Marcano, Christina Alexandra Voros
- Writers
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Chad Feehan, Jacob Forman, Taylor Sheridan
