Review: Longmire Season 6, The Final Season

Robert Taylor, Lou Diamond Phillips, Katee Sackhoff Katee Sackhoff, and Adam Bartley in Longmire

Season 6 of Longmire brought the Sheriff Walt Longmire story to an end in a way that I’m sure made many fans happy. As a whole, I thought the season was excellent. It gave the actors some room to stretch, resolved a number of lingering issues, and went out on a golden rainbow of happiness. There are spoilers ahead.

Robert Taylor as Walt Longmire had gone a bit over the deep end last season in pursuit of Jacob Nighthorse (A Martinez). He returned to a more balanced view of Nighthorse in season 6, and even came to appreciate the man a bit. That’s because Malachi Strand (Graham Greene) turned out to be the REAL evil guy. Malachi tried to kill almost everyone in season 6.

As usual, Longmire relied on his friend Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips) and his deputies Vic Moretti (Katee Sackhoff) and Ferg (Adam Bartley) with the investigating and apprehension of the bad guys infesting their county in Wyoming. The problems there were the same ones bedeviling the entire country: drugs and corruption.

Walt’s daughter Cady (Cassidy Freeman), who was in the good graces of the Cheyenne nation in season 5, fell out of the good graces this season. After an incident involving a Cheyenne child with Scarlet Fever, Cady lost all her clients. She almost left town but was detained in Wyoming by a handsome fellow who Walt once fired named Zach (Barry Sloane). Cady also had a last minute change of heart about leaving town for another reason I won’t reveal. It was a surprising plot twist.

Katee Sackhoff in Longmire
Katee Sackhoff played Vic

Vic was pregnant at the end of season 5, but not very far along. Early in season 6 she is shot and loses the baby.  The grieving process over that loss was explored in season 6. It gave Katee Sackhoff a chance to show more emotional depth that she previously has in this part.

I discovered when I wrote this post about the age difference between Walt and Vic that many fans of the books felt they should be together in the TV series as they were in the books. I didn’t agree, but those fans got their happy ending in season 6. Vic told Walt in many ways that she loved him, without ever coming out and saying the words. He finally made the move to do something about it, even though he was her boss and shouldn’t have.

The preparation for the final episode, with Vic talking to her dad (John Doman) about being a “girl” and grieving over her lost baby plus her worrying over Walt’s safety weren’t enough for me to accept her transformation in the last episode. Walt and Vic have a big sex scene, then she’s suddenly this little hausfrau in a feminine outfit who waits at home while Walt goes off on adventures. Nope.

I could have done without that bow to the patriarchy as Walt and Vic reached their happy ending.

Despite my complaints about how Walt and Vic ended up, most of the season rolled along with the same amount of danger and tension that characterized all 6 seasons of Longmire. Especially good were the scenes where Henry was staked to the ground in the sun for days before Walt rescued him. Primal heroic story, that.

There are many important characters in season 6 I haven’t mentioned but I want to give a particular shout out to Tantoo Cardinal as the Crow medicine woman. I loved every scene she was in. It was also fun to see Tamara Duarte as Cady’s assistant Mandy because I loved her character in Wynonna Earp so much.

It seemed they were determined to give every good character a happy ending. It got a bit too sweet and fluffy for me. I assume they felt the fans deserved it for saving the show and giving it extra life on Netflix for the last few seasons. Keep everyone on the edge of their seats for 5.9 seasons and then give them 0.1 season that leaves ’em feeling all warm and cuddly.

Longmire poster

Longmire inspires admiration for its straight arrow, all American hero Walt Longmire. Robert Taylor plays him with so much depth and strength that you can’t help but love the guy. If only all American men were so morally sound and good of heart. It’s been a wonderful series to watch for 6 seasons and I’m going to miss seeing more of it.

233 thoughts on “Review: Longmire Season 6, The Final Season”

  1. Walt and vic should make another movie for everyone sake best movie I ever watch I hope they all go for more movies I could watch it all day vic is sharp as a tack they dont come any better and walt also is very good make more movies

  2. Antoinette Walden

    Loved the series, didn’t like the Walt/Vic ending. I didn’t like her since the end of the 2nd season. I know it was in the book but, I think he deserved to maintain his fatherly persona. She was too bossy and for me, incredibly self and Walt focused.

    Nighthorse was not the best person but the negativity towards him the last two season was a little tiring.

    I love Cady running for Sheriff, keep it in the family, she had given up her life and career for her father, he wanted to give her a life of law at least. And she could possibly bridge the gap between people of the town and the res.

  3. I loved the show as did my brother. We are both in our 70’s and appreciated the fact that a show could be written without foul language and graphic bedroom scenes and carry on for 6 seasons. As for the scene in the truck between Walt and Vic, while I knew that there was an unspoken love between the two, it happened so suddenly I laughed out loud! But I remember that they were facing a situation where they could be shot or killed so Vic took the opportunity to put it out there and our cowboy finally responded. I could have done without the bedroom scene or at least have had it better directed – it seemed a little clumsy to me. But as shows go, this one has been a winner. I’ve already rewatched it and will again from time to time. I look forward to reading the books now. Robert Taylor was great for this role. Does anyone else but me remember the original Hollywood actor by the same name? Would definitely like more series like this one meaning good character development, well thought out story line, PG rating (see it can be done!) and good location!!! Loved the scenery/lnd, which also played a character role in Longmire!

  4. I started watching longmire because it was filmed in new Mexico and showed off our great state. The ending was… different!

  5. I loved the he connection between Walt and Vic. They knew it was inappropriate, but couldn’t fight it. It added an element of human nature.

  6. Rebecca cowen

    Enjoyed the entire series. Loved every character. I was disappointed with the treatment of Branch. Cady loves him but pushes him away. Branch is almost killed and suffers mental health issues. He’s got a criminal abusive father who murders him. And Cady feels bad because she doesn’t feel bad. Branch just wasn’t the same and she couldn’t connect with him. Branch was a huge reason I watched the show, come on!!! Thought the show was very dismissive of his character except of course Walt finding justice!!

  7. Wait a minute. In season 5 Walt tells that doctor he started dating that he didn’t want to have sex because he and his wife waited until they were married to consummate their love. They ended up breaking up, with that possibly being a contributor. To have him just dive in and pork Vic in the last episode didn’t fit. In real life a guy like Walt may have kissed Vic or let her know that he had feelings for her but he never would’ve just jumped in the sack with her. That whole thing felt contrived.

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