Paramount+ Premieres "Lawmen: Bass Reeves", Produced by Taylor Sheridan and Starring David Oyelowo, Despite Mixed Reviews
"Lawmen: Bass Reeves" Debuts on Paramount+ with Promising Performances Despite Formulaic Storytelling; The Series Narrates the Lesser-Known History of the First Black Deputy U.S. Marshal West of the Mississippi.
- Paramount+'s new series 'Lawmen: Bass Reeves', exec-produced by Taylor Sheridan and led by creator/showrunner Chad Feehan, has premiered with lukewarm reviews despite having excited a buzz when first announced.
- The eight-episode series tells the often overlooked story of Bass Reeves, a former slave who became the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River in the late 1800s, a role played by actor David Oyelowo who has been vested in this project for eight years.
- Chad Feehan recounts how Taylor Sheridan was significantly involved in the series, giving him ample freedom and sprinkling some of his storytelling magic on the episodes; however, there was no tie-in with another Sheridan's hit series, '1883'.
- Critical reviews point out that the series could have started stronger, with Reeves becoming a Deputy U.S. Marshal earlier on, while also exploring in depth the character's internal conflicts given his background, instead of following predictable action patterns.
- Despite having a strong lead in Oyelowo, the series fails to command attention when he is not on screen. However, it's suggested that the underwhelming secondary plots might gain importance as the season progresses.
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