One of America’s most overlooked and influential historical figures is finally getting his time to shine with Lawmen: Bass Reeves, and thank goodness it is no longer a Yellowstone spin-off. To be completely fair Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone cinematic universe has become something to behold. Starting with the flagship monster hit series that began in 2018, Paramount and Sheridan have crafted an unstoppable television empire complete with A-List stars, with the family strife of the Dutton family at its center. In less than a decade, Yellowstone has featured numerous prequels with 1883, 1923, and more, with several other prequels, sequels, and spin-offs on the way.
Despite his commitment to building and expanding the Yellowstone universe, Sheridan also has his hands in many other projects, such as Tulsa King, Special Ops: Lioness, and more. In September 2021, MTV and ViacomCBS announced that Taylor Sheridan would be developing a limited series about historical Western icon Bass Reeves with Selma star David Oyelowo in the lead role. An exciting prospect given that Reeves is a figure whose story is gripping from start to finish. However, in May 2022, it was then announced by MTV Entertainment that the series would be retweaked as a spin-off/continuation of Yellowstone’s 1883 prequel, which felt more than a little unnecessary.
Thankfully, it appears Paramount and Sheridan have made the wise decision to untether Bass Reeves’ story from the Yellowstone universe. Now, Lawmen: Bass Reeves is being planned as the first of an anthology series, with subsequent seasons following other famous lawmen from history. That’s a much better route to take, as influential historical figures like Bass Reeves don’t need to have their stories undercut by the fictional escapades of the Dutton family.
Who Is Bass Reeves?
So first off, who exactly is Bass Reeves? Why is it so important that his story be disconnected from the fictional family strife of the Yellowstone universe? Well, to show how important Reeves is as a historical figure, do us a favor and think about your favorite hero from your favorite Western story. The Lone Ranger, Shane, Arthur Morgan. We’d be willing to bet that the real-life escapades of Bass Reeves at least indirectly inspired all these characters and more.
Born in 1838, Bass Reeves was one of the millions of black individuals born as a slave prior to the Civil War. Once the war began, Bass also became one of the many slaves who were forced to serve the Confederacy in the bloodiest conflict in American history. Not keen on joining that historic body count, Reeves found the opportunity to escape into the Native American territory of Oklahoma. For years that is where Bass spent his life, learning the ways of the Native population before the war ended and the 13th Amendment was passed.
The end of the Civil War meant the aggressive expansion of the Wild West, where crime and lawlessness were abundant, particularly in the part of the country where Bass fled during the war. Due to Bass Reeves’ familiarity with the area, experience in combat, and understanding of Native American traditions, Marshall James Fagan deputized Reeves, thus making Reeves the first black U.S. Marshall west of the Mississippi.
The rest of Bass Reeves’ story sounds like it could have come straight from a John Ford Western film. Over his 30-plus year career as a U.S. Marshall, Reeves incarcerated more than 3,000 people – the highest arrest record of any U.S. Marshall in history. One of those people was one of his own eleven children, Bennie Reeves, who Bass decided to personally bring in after Bennie was accused of murdering his wife. That’s only scratching the surface of Bass Reeves’ escapades, which also included disguising himself to track down wanted criminals.
Unfortunately, despite Bass Reeves’ unparalleled service to his country, his story does end in an unfortunate way. Institutionalized racism was still alive and well in the now-tamed Wild West, and Reeves was no longer allowed to serve as a U.S. Marshall following Oklahoma’s induction as a state, purely because of his skin color. That still didn’t stop Bass Reeves’ illustrious career from being chronicled and told, even after his eventual death in 1910.
Bass Reeves Is Interesting Enough Without ‘Yellowstone’
As the man widely credited with being the inspiration for The Lone Ranger, there is already more than enough to cover with the tale of Bass Reeves. A black man escaping slavery, learning the ways of the Native American population, and then becoming the most prolific law enforcement Marshall in U.S. history is a story that deserves proper telling. There hasn’t really been a movie or show that has been able to tell that story engagingly thus far as well as accurately, so Lawmen: Bass Reeves has a great opportunity to be something really special.
Bass Reeves’ story is one that has all the engaging material it needs for a compelling adaptation, which is exactly why a connection to Yellowstone would be more of a detriment than a benefit. Firstly, there’s a bit of irony in a prominent black historical figure being tied to a fictional white family. It’s not a great look to treat a legendary non-fiction individual like Bass Reeves and use his legacy and influence to tell a fictional story of fictional characters. That’s not to say including historical figures in fictional stories is impossible. That was proven in various allusions to Bass Reeves himself in HBO’s Watchmen series, where Reeves is appropriately used as a nod to how he was an early progenitor to the superhero archetype.
Secondly, as mentioned above, Bass Reeves’ story is already interesting enough without the inclusion of fictional elements. Yes, some characters may need to be added, and some elements changed for storytelling purposes, but those changes should be few and minor. 30 years is a long lifetime and there has to be a lot to explore there that doesn’t involve the lineage of John Dutton (Kevin Costner).