Season Five of Longmire, which aired on Netflix, continued the successful formula of a twisting and turning season-long story arc along with intermittent original and intriguing cases for our beloved sheriff to solve.
Starting off with a bang, Sheriff Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) is recovering in the hospital after being shot by an unknown assailant and having no memory of what transpired. After he starts to remember what happened, he realizes his love interest Donna (Ally Walker) is missing. What started out as a search for his shooter has turned into a hunt to find her and unravel the mystery of how the events are connected. As if that situation wasn’t challenging enough, Walt is also facing a wrongful-death civil lawsuit for the killing of Barlow Connally (Gerald McRaney). As the season continues, the source of the lawsuit unravels to reveal what he is really up against.
While Walt faces his own battles, his best friend Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips) continues to face many challenges as he attempts to continue to fill the shoes of murdered vigilante Hector. Walt’s daughter Cady is now working for his rival Jacob Nighthorse (A. Martinez) with a pro-bono law office she is attempting to establish on the reservation. Lastly, his deputies Vic Moretti (Katee Sackoff) and The Ferg (Adam Bartley) start to lose faith in him and question whether or not he is up to the challenges he faces.
Along with offering all 10 episodes, there is one special feature “Scoring Longmire” which is a behind-the-scenes look at the sound of the show with composer David Shephard.
Season Five is my favorite season to date. The creators have really found a rhythm with these characters and the viewers have come to know them and anticipate how they behave. Taylor is the main reason for the success of the show. He is perfect as the tortured lone cowboy with a strong sense of morality. He has started to let people in but still struggles with personal relationships. Phillips has taken on a larger role in this season rather than just being a sidekick. His story line is really intriguing and thought provoking. Sackoff took a back seat for me and has lost my interest. I would like them to find something more exciting for her rather than a suffering love life.
