For hardcore Western enthusiasts suffering serious Yellowstone withdrawal in the last calendar year, ride over to Netflix and cue up

Longmire. One of the most acclaimed TV shows of its ilk, Longmire premiered on A&E in 2012, moved to Netflix in 2015, and is now

available on Paramount+. The story revolves around the title character, Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor), a gruff, tough, tight-lipped

 

 

Wyoming sheriff who investigates a series of crimes with the help of his colleagues, the tribal police, and his daughter, Cady Longmire (Cassidy Freeman).

Adapted from Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire mystery novel series (27 books and counting), Longmire is a beloved neo-western crime

 

 

drama series that premiered on A&E on June 3, 2012. Walt is a dry-witted throwback to the cowboys of the Old West, whose wife’s death has increased his isolation and inward pain. As the well-respected sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, Walt investigates a bevy of crimes while also facing the prospect of being unseated by younger candidates running to become sheriff.

 

 

Beyond Walt’s bond with Cady, the show is at its best when depicting Walt’s heartfelt relationship with his longtime friend, Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips), a Cheyenne native and expert tracker who knows the region, indigenous culture, and tribal police with special jurisdiction in the Cheyenne Reservation. Henry, whose native name translates to “a bear who protects those whom he loves,” has known Walt since they were six. It’s through their lifelong fellowship that the show voices deep sympathy, empathy, and compassion for the marginalized, often voiceless, indigenous populations in America.

Longmire’s first three seasons aired on A&E in the days before streaming really took off. Yet, despite becoming A&E’s “highest-rated original drama series,” the network did not pick up the show for a fourth season. Before it was officially canceled, Netflix swooped in and acquired the series, airing Seasons 4, 5, and 6.

The move from A&E to Netflix considerably spiked the show’s popularity, with both critics and non-critics heaping praise on Longmire’s laconic performance by Taylor and on the cozy mysteries he solves. Although the Netflix viewership numbers are unavailable, Longmire was surprisingly more popular than Yellowstone during their first 2 to 3 seasons. Breaking A&E records, Longmire drew an average of over 4 million viewers per episode during its first two seasons, whereas Yellowstone never eclipsed 3 million viewers in Seasons 1 and 2.