Obsessed with Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone? This 8-Episode Series Everyone Thought Was Part of the Franchise Is a Must-Watch!

Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone franchise currently focuses on spinoffs and prequels of the iconic original neo-Western drama, but until the story of the modern-day Duttons picks back up, there is a perfect show for those looking for more gritty Western action. As it stands, the Yellowstone franchise has at least two series in development that can continue some of the narratives that ended abruptly when the finale for season 5 became the show’s series finale. A Michelle Pfeiffer-led drama titled The Madison is already in production, and a Beth and Rip-centric spinoff is also reportedly in the works.

There are more related projects in development, including the next prequel series that focuses on past Duttons, 1944, and 6666, which will follow the adventures of Jefferson White’s Jimmy Hurdstrom on the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas (which was featured in seasons 4 and 5 of Yellowstone). There are no release dates available for any of those four projects, though, meaning that once the second season of 1923 ends, Yellowstone fans will have some waiting in store. Fortunately, that provides an opportunity to catch another Taylor Sheridan show that should satisfy fans of Yellowstone and its prequels.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves Is Perfect To Watch While Waiting For Yellowstone To Continue

The Limited Series Chronicles The Exploits Of A Famous Frontier Marshal

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is a limited miniseries that stars David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves, a real former slave turned deputy U.S. Marshal in the years following the American Civil War. After being commissioned as a deputy U.S. Marshal in 1875, Reeves ranged across a massive territory in modern-day Oklahoma and Arkansas hunting down criminals. Per the Encyclopedia Brittanica, he finished his career with over 3,000 arrests, and killed 14 outlaws wanted for various severe crimes. The show checks in at various points in Reeves’ life, and includes plenty of Western gunslinger action along with a slow-burn story of vengeance.

While Taylor Sheridan was only an executive producer on Lawmen: Bass Reeves, it still checks off many of the notable traits of his shows; it has balanced pacing, a thrilling narrative, and excellent action. In addition to the Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated Oyelowo, the show features stellar performances from stars like Dennis Quaid, Donald Sutherland, and Barry Pepper as the unsettling villain Esau Pierce. The eight-part series about the life of the famous lawman is an entertaining watch for any audience, but it is especially thrilling for those who love classic and neo-Westerns.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves Isn’t A Yellowstone Show, But It Shares A Lot In Common

It Spotlights Diverse Perspectives And Has Plenty Of Western Action

For quite some time leading up to the release of Lawmen: Bass Reeves, the show was branded as a prequel to the Yellowstone spinoff 1883, and would therefore be set in the same universe as the modern-day Duttons, just in the distant past. While that, of course, led to the notion that the ancestors of Yellowstone characters could appear, the show was rebranded as part of an anthology series. While no other Lawmen-branded series have been announced, David Oyelowo recently expressed his optimism regarding a second season of Lawmen: Bass Reeves.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves – Key Details
Release Date	Created By	Episode Count	Streaming Network	RT Tomatometer Score	RT Popcornmeter Score
Nov. 5th-Dec. 17th 2023	Chad Feehan	8	Paramount+	79%	93%

Despite the show being unrelated to Yellowstone, there are plenty of connecting threads that encourage fans of the modern show embrace Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Aside from the Western action and tropes, the show’s setting in an area formerly known as Indian Territory means the show includes a number of diverse perspectives, particularly regarding the Indigenous People and former slaves who lived in that area. Lawmen: Bass Reeves is a must-watch for any fan of Yellowstone, and is a great way to pass the time until the next project from the Yellowstone universe debuts.

When & Where Lawmen: Bass Reeves Takes Place Compared To Yellowstone’s Shows

The Period Drama Is Set Much Farther South Than The Dutton Ranch

When Lawmen: Bass Reeves begins, the future gunslinger is still a slave to the Texan Colonel George Reeves, who forces him to fight for the Confederacy during the Civil War when Bass was still a relatively young man. Once he escapes after beating the colonel, he flees to what was then Indigenous Territory, eventually settling in modern-day Arkansas with the ambition of being a farmer. His struggles as a farmer are what drove him to become a lawman. Most of the gunslinging action takes place in modern-day Oklahoma, the real territory that Bass Reeves roamed.

While Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma are well south of the Dutton ranch shown in 1923 and the original Yellowstone series, which is located in Montana, the journey of the first Duttons chronicled in 1883 actually begins in Texas. They cross into Indigenous Territory once they ford the Red River, placing them in Bass Reeves’ territory temporarily. As Bass first became a lawman in 1875, he would have been active and theoretically responsible for the territory the Duttons were in briefly in 1883.

The events of the show only cover the period from 1862 to 1877, so there was no chance of him crossing paths with the Duttons despite the initial belief that the show was a Yellowstone spinoff. In reality, Bass Reeves was transferred to Texas in 1893, so he missed the Duttons by about a decade in either direction based on the show and his real-world timeline. The two shows remain distinct and separate, likely to highlight the fact that Bass Reeves was a real Western lawman and not a character that exists in the fictional Yellowstone universe.

Will Lawmen: Bass Reeves Season 2 Happen?

David Oyelowo Has Expressed His Optimism

Season 2 of Lawmen: Bass Reeves is not currently in any stage of development as far as anyone is aware, but Bass Reeves actor David Oyelowo recently expressed his hope that it could return to ScreenRant’s Rachel Foertsch at SXSW in March 2025. Oyelowo believed that fan demand could be the key to pushing a second season into production:

The more people ask for more Lawmen: Bass Reeves, the sooner it’ll happen, I think. I loved, loved, loved playing that role. To saddle up again is something I’m open to, so you never know.

With the first season of Lawmen: Bass Reeves only covering the first couple years of Reeves’ career as a lawman, there are plenty of real-world stories and adventures that a second season could cover. Reviews for the show were almost entirely positive, especially when it came to Oyelowo’s performance, so a future renewal for Lawmen: Bass Reeves is certainly a real possibility. The first season of the limited series is a must-watch for any fan of Yellowstone, and is a great way to pass the time until the next project from the Yellowstone universe debuts.