The question of whether a Season 2 of Lawmen: Bass Reeves will ever be released looms large over the hit western series.
Streaming now on Paramount+, the gunslinging, bare-backing drama from showrunner Chad Feehan and executive producer Taylor Sheridan (of Yellowstone fame) debuted back in November 2023.
The series received relatively positive reviews (79% on Rotten Tomatoes), telling the story of the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshall west of the Mississippi.
[ Full Cast of Lawmen: Bass Reeves - Every Main Actor & Character In Paramount+ Series (Photos) ]
Is Lawmen: Bass Reeves Season 2 Going To Be Released?
Following its relatively successful first season, news of a Lawmen: Bass Reeves Season 2 renewal is a hot commodity amongst fans.
As of writing, a second season of the streaming drama has not been announced. This comes after Season 1 wrapped up more than seven months ago in December 2023.
There have been conversations about a potential future for the series though.
Executive producer/showrunner Chad Feehan apparently sees the show as an anthology series, meaning that, according to him, if it were to return, "it [would] focus on a new lawman or law woman" (via Deadline):
"If there is another season of 'Lawmen,' it will focus on a new lawman or law woman. There are several figures in history much like Bass who deserve their day in the sun. As much as it pains me that this marriage is taking a hiatus, that is the reality."
However, conversation about the direction of a potential second season seems to remain in flux.
Damian Marcano, who directed several episodes of Season 1, told Digital Spy in November 2023 that he would "love" to see specifically Bass Reeves' story continue in Season 2, but knows that the higher-ups see it as an anthology:
"I would love for it to be… I thoroughly fell in love with the subject matter, and with our filming location. You know, I think in this business, if it becomes a problem, if enough people want to watch this, then guess what? There will be more. Obviously, as of this point, it is an anthology series that will sort of cover a different lawman each series but David Oyelowo has definitely set the bar high for wherever we go from this point."
That is not to say the Lawmen series is not averse to shifting course for Season 2 though.
In another interview, this time with The Hollywood Reporter, Feehan noted that he has "[done] this enough" to never count any possibility out. He remarked that "there are a lot of stories," centered on Reeves that he would "love to explore:"
"You do this enough, you realize you can never really predict what’s next. Partially by design and partially because Bass’ life is so expansive, there’s meat on the bone. There are a lot of stories involved in the Bass Reeves cannon that I would love to explore if David Oyelowo and Paramount are willing. I don’t know what’s next."
"If it is a different lawman, I have a few in mind," Feehan continued, further cementing just how up in the air the future of the series is:
"If it is a different lawman, I have a few in mind. If it is another [season of] Bass, I’m jumping in feet first. Because, off the top of my head, the story of him arresting his own son is a fascinating story. There’s an outlaw by the name Bob Dozier, who he had a real cat and mouse relationship with that I’d love to explore. And then, on the home front, in addition to having to arrest his own son, he lost Jennie (his wife) at a certain point. And, what did that do to that man who invested so much into the love of this woman? So, there’s plenty of things to do. But, I don’t make those decisions."
All this is to say, the future of Lawmen: Boss Reeves and the release of a Season 2 remain uncertain. It will ultimately come down to if Paramount sees a big enough financial incentive to pursue such a project.
The show has seemingly made a pretty solid case for renewal. According to data published by Deadline, Lawmen: Bass Reeves broke the record for Paramount+'s most-viewed series of 2023, drawing 7.5 million viewers in its first seven days.
This indicates that the demand seems to be there for more from the streaming western.
If Paramount+'s biggest series of the year failed to satisfy the criteria for more, that may say more about the streamer than the series itself.
Lawmen: Boss Reeves is now streaming on Paramount+.
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