When Netflix announced that season 6 would be Longmire’s last, the community was devastated. After watching the very last episode I am as well. Not because there has been a serious dedication on my part, because of my investment in the characters, or because there is a soft spot in my heart for the Crime Friction genre, but because Longmire is honestly a terrific show on all fronts. Not once was there a rushed feeling trying to follow the multiple narratives in any given episode, not once, as a viewer, do you sense writers scrambling to bring closer to a story, and not once was there a feeling of disappointment. All of it, the direction, writing, cinematography, acting, production design, editing, sound design, music, and most importantly the tone were all handled with care. This final season is certainly a priceless gift perfectly wrapped up in a bow…just for us. This makes writing this review even more painful because I know I will never see a new episode of Longmire again.
Season 6 starts off as if only minutes have passed since the last episode of Season 5 ended. We’re thrown right back into the chaos of Walt’s lawsuit, Vic’s surprise, and Henry and Nighthorse’s backfire. Of the highest intensity, you can only watch as mysteries pile on to the sheriff’s department of Absaroka County and you grip the edge of your seat in anticipation pretty much through the whole season. It takes several episodes to connect dots and even after some major accusations are revealed, you still can’t believe it. If Longmire does one thing seamlessly it’s making it very hard to know who the good guy is and who the bad one is. The writing is so careful and nothing is said “on the nose” in any of the script. Robert Taylor (Sheriff Walt Longmire) delivers what just might be his best performance of this entire series. I will be very surprised if this show is snubbed at the Emmy’s. Literally everyone that utters a word in this show deserves serious recognition for their performances.
The final episode “Goodbye is Always Implied” only seems like the last episode in the last 15-20 minutes. Everything from the very first episode effortlessly comes to a close in these last minutes. It’s as if you’re sitting bedside to your terminally ill child, holding their hand as you watch them slowly pass away, but those final moments are the truest you ever had with them. A few final words are said, “I know your mom would be proud of you and I am too.” The tears fall, and all you can do is just watch. All of our beloved characters go off into happiness just like we had hoped they would, but not in a way that doesn’t seem earned. There was a tiny seed planted a couple of seasons back by Walt and Vic that we see sprout of out the ground, too! Their dynamic is the heart of this show while the so-called “supporting cast” never seems too far behind. Longmire is much like the moving parts of the human body – everything needs to work together perfectly in order to properly perform. Dear Longmire, thank you for this wonderful rollercoaster that is you. Thank you for giving us six years of “honesty and integrity”.
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-H