Reviews of movies and TV focused on women
Longmire season 5 is now streaming on Netflix. It sticks to the one crime per episode procedural format, but carries elements of the story over from episode to episode. Season 5 spoilers ahead. Continue reading “Review: Longmire season 5”
Netflix released the first teaser for season 5 of Longmire. Season 5 starts up right after the cliffhanger at the end of season 4. The theme of the season looks to be about loyalty. Continue reading “Watch This: Longmire Season 5 Trailer”
Sex, Death and Bowling is the best movie I’ve seen in a long time. It’s the writing and directing debut of actress Ally Walker. If she managed a tale this well told with her first effort, then bring it on, Ally Walker. Continue reading “Review: Sex, Death and Bowling”
I’m a dedicated Longmire fan. I’ve previously mentioned several reasons why.
After watching season 4 of Longmire on Netflix, I have another reason for loving the show.
Let’s back up a bit. Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) is the sheriff of a mythical county in Wyoming where there is a new murder to investigate in almost every episode. In a long story arc starting in season 1 and stretching all the way into season 4 Walt is coming to terms with his wife’s murder. He tries to find her murderer. His best friend Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips) is accused of killing the man who murdered Walt’s wife. It takes time to prove Henry innocent. They have to find the real killer. That someone was tied to people in his county. He tries to find who gave the orders. Who had his wife killed and who killed her murderer?
In season 4, episode 3 we finally get the answer to that question. It isn’t the answer anyone expected. At last, Walt gets the closure he’s needed. It’s a brilliant episode. Tense, beautifully shot, amazing acting. It reminded me of the scene in The Fall where Stella interrogates Paul Specter.
Walt, finally, is at a place where he can let go of his wife and his desire for revenge. He might be open to letting a woman into his life again.
Deputy Vic Moretti (Sackhoff) has visions of it being Walt’s new woman. Walt is not of the same mind. She is his deputy. Full stop.
That’s about the time Walt meets the gorgeous Dr. Donna Sue Monahan (Ally Walker). She’s an overworked psychiatrist who works with PTSD cases and victims of trauma.
Walt is smitten. She’s reluctant. She’s busy. He’s busy. It takes them a while to figure it out.
I’m very interested in the feminist issue of age appropriate relationships in the movies and on TV. Older men with younger women seems to be the norm. But not on Longmire. Robert Taylor and Ally Walker are both over 50. Katee Sackhoff is 35.
Reason number 5 to love Longmire: he picks the woman his own age to court. Go, Walt!
Walt and Donna are in each others arms in the last few seconds of episode 10 for the big season 4 cliffhanger, so I’m hoping Ally Walker will be back if there is a season 5. I enjoyed her character in season 4 and she would be good for the story. My fingers are crossed.
Here’s my review of season 5.
The 6th and final season begins on Netflix on November 17, 2017. Here’s my review of season 6.
Longmire was dropped by its old network after 3 seasons and was picked up amid a great fan outburst by Netflix. Season 4 will be starting on Netflix on September 10. In the meantime, you can watch all of the first 3 seasons on Netflix. To quote Longmire, “It’s not that you come back, it’s how you come back that matters.” This comeback was 100% fan driven.
I know Longmire isn’t the type of show I usually promote here. But it is filmed near me and I started watching to see if I could recognize any of the locations. It’s gorgeous scenery – supposedly set in Wyoming but actually filmed near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
And there is the fact that I like Katee Sackhoff, so I was watching to see her. However, it took almost no time before I was hooked on all the characters and their stories.
Robert Taylor is Sheriff Longmire. His deputies are played by Katee Sackhoff as Vic, Bailey Chase as Branch and Adam Bartley as The Ferg. Lou Diamond Phillips is Henry Standing Bear, one of many Native American characters in the show. If you’ve ever read anything by Tony Hillerman, you know how his books treated Native American culture. The mostly Cheyenne people and culture in Longmire are treated with the same kind of respect.
Other cast includes Cassidy Freeman, Louanne Stephens, Gerald McRaney and Ally Walker.
None of the characters are wholly pure, all have demons of their own, including the main characters in the sheriff’s department of this small town. It makes for great story arcs that go on for many episodes. Which is all the more reason to go back and catch up on seasons 1–3 before you start season 4.
One of the multi-episode stories involves the murder of Longmire’s wife, which is what I think the scene in the preview below relates to.
The following teaser is for season 4. You see glimpses of many characters and some of the beautiful Western scenery.
If you’ve never watched Longmire, give it a try. And if you are already a fan of this complex character-driven drama, come celebrate with me on September 10 when we can start watching the 10 new episodes of season 4.
