Longmire (TV series)
A Wyoming sheriff investigates crimes in a modern neo-Western setting.
Longmire is an American neo-Western crime drama television series that premiered on June 3, 2012, on A&E, developed by John Coveny and Hunt Baldwin. Based on Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire Mysteries novels, it follows a Wyoming sheriff and his staff as they investigate major crimes. The series became A&E's highest-rated original drama but was canceled after three seasons, then picked up by Netflix for three additional seasons.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Crime drama; Neo-Western
- Developer
- John Coveny; Hunt Baldwin
- Based on
- Walt Longmire Mysteries, Craig Johnson
- Starring
- Robert Taylor
- Katee Sackhoff
- Lou Diamond Phillips
- Adam Bartley
- Cassidy Freeman
- Bailey Chase
- Ally Walker
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 6
- Episodes
- 63
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Walt Longmire, sheriff of fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming, is assisted by his longtime friend Henry Standing Bear, a Cheyenne who provides insight into tribal matters. The Indian reservation has its own police force, except for capital crimes. The series addresses gambling at a reservation casino, jurisdictional conflicts, and contemporary Native American life. Walt's adult daughter Cady worries he has not moved on since her mother's death.
While preparing for re-election, Walt delegates duties to deputies Branch Connally and "The Ferg". Branch, who is secretly dating Cady, also runs for sheriff. Flashbacks show Walt and Henry traveling to Denver, where Walt attacks someone in a meth house. Denver detective Fales later reveals to Cady that her mother was murdered, not dead from cancer as Walt had told her.
Fales says the murder suspect was found buried in a shallow grave; Walt denies killing him, but Fales suspects either Walt or Henry committed the murder.
Cast and characters
Robert Taylor plays Walt Longmire, the long-time sheriff of Absaroka County, a laconic and introspective character with a strong sense of duty. His wife died a year before the series begins, and he told his daughter and friends she died of cancer; his grief leads to isolation and guilt. Katee Sackhoff portrays Victoria "Vic" Moretti, a sheriff's deputy and former Philadelphia homicide detective who moved to Wyoming with her husband after an incident with a superior officer.
Lou Diamond Phillips plays Henry Standing Bear, a Cheyenne who is Walt's best friend and closest confidant, having met in sixth grade. Henry owns the Red Pony tavern, is an expert tracker, and does not speak using contractions. Bailey Chase plays Branch Connally, an ambitious deputy from a wealthy family whose uncle was Walt's predecessor as sheriff. Branch was romantically involved with Cady Longmire, was shot in season two, suspended from the force, and murdered by his father Barlow at the end of season three.
Cassidy Freeman plays Cady Longmire, Walt's daughter and an attorney who initially works for a local law firm, later for Jacob Nighthorse representing reservation residents. She was romantically involved with Branch and later with "Zach" Heflin; in the series finale, her father convinces her to run for sheriff.
Development and production
Longmire received a pilot order on December 14, 2010, written by John Coveny and Hunt Baldwin and directed by Christopher Chulack. Executive producers include Coveny, Baldwin, Chulack, Greer Shephard, and Michael M. Robin, with production companies Warner Horizon Television and the Shephard/Robin Company. The series adapts Craig Johnson's Longmire mystery novels. Though set in northern Wyoming, filming took place in New Mexico locations including Santa Fe, Eagle Nest, Espanola, Red River, Las Vegas, Lamy, Pecos, and the Valles Caldera.
Buffalo, Wyoming, serves as the setting for some scenes in the fictional town of Durant. Casting began in February 2011, with Robert Taylor first cast as Walt Longmire, followed by Katee Sackhoff, Bailey Chase, Cassidy Freeman, and Lou Diamond Phillips. A&E picked up the series for a 10-episode first season on August 26, 2011, and renewed it for a second season on June 29, 2012, and a third on November 25, 2013. In 2013, wildfires scorched the Valles Caldera National Preserve, disrupting production; the Prescott Fire Department's Granite Mountain Hotshots helped protect the area where Walt's house is filmed.
Nineteen of the Hotshots' 20 members were later killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire, and the second season finale honored them. Third season interiors were filmed at Garson Studios in Santa Fe, with exteriors in and around Santa Fe.
Reception
When Longmire first aired on A&E, it pulled in 4.1 million viewers, making it the network’s top original-series launch at the time. Critics were split. Nancy DeWolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal praised it as a blend of modern crime drama and old-fashioned Western, with dry humor and emotional weight set against Wyoming’s vast landscapes. She noted that aside from cellphones and trucks, the scenery felt as rugged and untouched as the 1870s.
Verne Gay of Newsday compared the show’s arrival to a quiet dust devil, saying it worked its appeal subtly rather than shouting for attention. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix liked the strong sense of place, which set it apart from other cop shows, though he hoped future mysteries would become more gripping. David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle was less kind, calling the series a product of bored industry types and describing the pilot as slow as an overfed elk.
Three seasons later, Brian Tallerico on the Roger Ebert site called Longmire a sturdy, well-constructed show with confident acting and smarter writing than similar series. Mike Hale of The New York Times singled out star Robert Taylor as a modern-day Gary Cooper or Joel McCrea. Overall, the series earned favorable scores on aggregate sites; season four, for instance, averaged an 8.5 out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes from seven reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in Longmire (TV series)?
Longmire stars Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Adam Bartley, Cassidy Freeman, Bailey Chase and Ally Walker.
How many episodes of Longmire (TV series) are there?
Longmire has 63 episodes across 6 seasons.
When did Longmire (TV series) end?
Longmire last aired on 4 August 2014.
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