Paramount+
OK, so it’s not “Yellowstone” however, if you’re a Taylor Sheridan fan, you have to admit there’s a tinge of a happiness to see one of his new shows appearing on our screens this fall anyhow. For those of you not in the know, Sheridan’s latest, kind of prequel to a prequel titled “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” starring “Selma” actor David Oyelowo is set to appear on Sunday November 5 on Paramount+. The new cast may be devoid of any “1883” or “1923” cast members, however, Mo from “Yellowstone” makes an appearance as the new character "Minco Dodge." This may be a bit confusing to some, but for us “Yellowstone” fans this is kind of a nod to Sheridan's flagship series.
Outside of the show’s look, most of which was shot in and around Fort Worth, the storyline for “Bass Reeves” is grounded in history. In fact, this is the only Sheridan pinned show that has actual historical accounts and records to go off of for its lead character. One fact that has been repeated in anticipation of this show, is that Reeves is the first Black U.S. Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi River. During his storied career, Reeves reportedly recorded over 3,000 arrests during his lifetime. Many historians also believe that Reeves was the partial inspiration for the “Lone Ranger” TV series that ran from 1949 – 1957. Again, this is just legend, there is no documented proof that this is true, but the rumor has spread, especially in the wake of the news of Sheridan’s new show.
So, what do we know about the new show exactly?
What can be verified is that “Bass Reeves” was created by Sheridan, executive producer Oyelowo, and Chad Freeman, an American producer, writer, and director who is known for producing "Invasion," "Ray Donovan," and "Banshee." We also know that the main character — Bass Reeves — will be played by Oyelowo who will be joined by a few other names, some you may recognize. First up is Texas native Dennis Quaid who will be playing Sherrill Lynn, a deputy U.S. Marshall. The next name of note is Donald Sutherland who will be playing Judge Isaac Parker, an imposing and commanding judge in the Fort Smith Courthouse with a complicated legacy. Another actor Oyelowo will be sharing the screen with is Shea Whigham, who plays George Reeves, a man who once enslaved Bass.
"[Bass] found himself fighting on the Confederate side, so he’s already starting from an incredibly schizophrenic place, from an identity point of view," Oyelowo told Vanity Fair. "Then he escapes that situation and is living with Indigenous Americans and learns a lot of the skills that he goes on to apply to being a lawman from them, but also learns a lot about who he is outside of being enslaved."
Paramount+
The rest of the cast consists of:
- Lauren E. Banks as Bass Reeves's wife Jennie
- Demi Singleton as Bass Reeves's daughter Sally
- Forrest Goodluck as Billy Crow, a young Cherokee man
- Barry Pepper as Esau Pierce, the leader of the 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles
- Grantham Coleman as Edwin Jones, an "extremely persuasive man" with a vision for the future
- Shea Whigham as Col. George Reeves, the "incredibly cruel master" of Bass Reeves
- Garrett Hedlund as Garrett Montgomery, a man hired by Bass Reeves
- Mo Brings Plenty as Minco Dodge, a Choctaw Native American and friend to Bass Reeves
- Dale Dickey as Widow Dolliver, "an old woman who has seen it all"
- Margot Bingham as Sara Jumper, a Black Seminole Native American
- Tosin Morohunfola as Jackson "Jackrabbit" Cole, a former Union soldier turned prisoner who rides with Bass
- Joaquina Kalukango as Esme, a former enslaved woman
- Lonnie Chavis as Arthur Mayberry, a young boy enamored with Bass Reeves's daughter
- Rob Morgan as Ramsey, a "once-strong man broken by time"
- Ryan O’Nan as Darrell Dolliver, one of the two Dolliver outlaws Reeves is tasked with tracking down
- Justin Hurtt-Dunkley as Ike, a deputy U.S. marshal
And although this show is new, its anything but a new concept. In fact, if Paramount + hadn’t already optioned season two of “1883” “Bass Reeves” may have never come about. However, as fate would have it, Sheridan, who explained to the Paramount execs that “1883” was a one and done prequel, he moved to do “Bass Reeves” instead. This decision places “Bass Reeves” in the weird spot of being a prequel to “1883,” which was a prequel to “Yellowstone.” The reason for this is that Reeves’ glory days happened around the 1838 era and ended a few years later, making Reeves a Genesis story of sorts in the Sheridan universe.
The series itself will consist of eight episodes on Paramount+ starting on November 5, when the streaming platform will drop the first two installments of this much anticipated western. Don't want to wait? You can watch the first two episodes of the show early in Fort Worth on Saturday, courtesy of the Lone Star Film Festival.
"We went out with the project twice over the course of about two to three years, and the first time around, the entire industry said, ‘No, we’re not doing that because no one’s doing Westerns.’ And then the second time around, the entire industry said, ‘No, we’re not doing that because everyone’s doing Westerns.’"
That’s definitely a head scratcher, but since things happen when they are supposed to, us “Yellowstone” fans are just happy to see something new come out of the Sheridan camp before year’s end. However, if you are still in need of a Sheridan fix, there’s plenty of his work already streaming on various platforms like “Yellowstone,” “1923,” “Special Ops: Lioness,” “Tulsa King,” and “Mayor of Kingstown.”
