L to R: Katee Sackhoff and Robert Taylor star in A &E’s new original drama series, “Longmire,” Credit: Ursula Coyote
A&E's new drama series, LONGMIRE,
premiered last night. The series centers around Walt Longmire, a sheriff
who has been mourning the death of his wife for a year. As the "Pilot"
begins, Walt is slowly starting to put things back together, realizing
he has been neglecting his job. A dead body and a missing girl helps
with the process. He may not be able to bring his wife back, but he can
certainly try to save someone else's girl. Which, of course, he does by
the end of the hour.
LONGMIRE is based on a series of novels
by Craig Johnson. Funny, then, that it feels like it's a remake of an
old television show. Actually, make that a number of old television
shows. Part western, part crime procedural, LONGMIRE evokes a sense of
nostalgia as the type of program one's dad used to watch incessantly.
Decades ago, there were many series like this on TV. Today, it stands
alone. The fact remains: LONGMIRE owes its roots to a great many other
projects which have come before it, with similar tones and mission
statements.
While personal drama has never been
lacking from the screen, LONGMIRE does show its modern pinnings when
allowing the story to dwell on the titular character's emotional depth.
Other shows of this sort do allow some peek into the soul, but not to
the degree that LONGMIRE does right out of the gate. Will LONGMIRE be a
standard case-of-the-week deal, taking just a little time each week to
explore the serial story and character development? Or will it be a
character study, that just happens to solve crimes along the way? In the
"Pilot," it's too early to tell, as the series seems unable to make up
its mind. Given the television landscape, and the (lack of) quality of
the network's other projects, though, the smart money is on the former.
Robert Taylor (Satisfaction, MDA) enjoys
playing Walt Longmire. Or if not, he certainly has this reviewer
fooled. He chews through the scenes with aplomb. Which does not mean
that he is the next Emmy-winning leading man. He is doing a fine job, to
be sure, but not one that stands out; at least not yet. In fact, his
character seems as much a throwback and tribute to past works as the
main story itself, sadly. But, he is the driving force of each episode,
so the series lives and dies based on the job that he does. In the
"Pilot," that effort is satisfactory, not superb. This leaves his room
to grow, as there is the potential here to really shine, in time.
Unfortunately, because of the gigantic
role Taylor plays, there isn't much left for anyone else. Bailey Chase
(Damages, Saving Grace) has the most to do as the young upstart who
would like to replace Longmire as sheriff. He won't succeed, of course,
and Longmire is too classy to fire him. So he will probably remain an
annoying distraction, likely not providing a real threat. However, this
gives him more to do than any other supporting player, so Chase
shouldn't complain.
The rest of the others certainly have
some heft to them, having all had successful runs in sci-fi series. Lou
Diamond Phillips (SGU Stargate Universe) plays the local bartender and
friend of Longmire's for nearly four decades, which doesn't stop
Longmire from accusing him of wrongdoing when some kid implies that the
barkeep might be guilty. Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) is the
young deputy who seems to have her boss's back. Cassidy Freeman
(Smallville) is Longmire's daughter, who wishes she could fix her dad.
None of the three get to do anything of
significance, which begs the question, why accept the roles at all? Is
it to show a range, moving into a far different genre than the one they
are famous for? If so, this is a failed experiment. They will probably
not be given all that much range to show, merely serving as a distant
second fiddle to the central character. There is much talent here that
is so obviously being squandered in brief scenes and small bits of
dialogue, that it makes LONGMIRE supremely frustrating to watch.
LONGMIRE needs to become an ensemble piece to serve these people, and
that just doesn't seem like a probable scenario.
Overall, that makes LONGMIRE a mixed bag
that has not found its path yet. After one episode, few shows do. Some
retooling, and it could be a delicious, fulfilling drama that takes the
best parts of classic television and gives them a much-needed update.
But as it currently stands, it will fade into the background as
something most people don't even know exists. A shame, to be sure.
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