Longmire: The Complete Sixth and Final Season - DVD Review

[Michael Scott]

Longmire: The Complete Sixth and Final Season

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

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Movie

It’s always sad to see a long running TV show come to an end. Especially one that is beloved as Longmire. Longmire was the series that could, as it had a fantastic 3 seasons on A&E, and then was summarily canceled out of the blue. Luckily Netflix stepped in and rescued the show, giving it another 3 seasons of life, allowing the series to wrap up naturally. Something that many shows don’t get the luxury of having when their untimely demise is realized. Season 6 continues where Season 5 left over, and does a great job of wrapping up loose ends, redeeming Walt from going off the deep end last season, and generally leaving on a high note for fans. It’s a bit saddening to see old friends go away with no new episodes on the horizon, but I’m really glad that Netflix allowed the show to continue on to it’s scripted end for once.

Season 6 redeems Walt (Robert Taylor) from his dive off the deep end last season. Last season saw Walt go completely off the rails in his pursuit of Jacob Nighthorse (A. Martinez), as he through that Jacob was the big bad killer that he was seeking. Luckily he was drawn back from the brink of doing something unspeakable when it’s realized that Nighthorse is NOT the one he’s looking for, and there’s even some healthy respect for him that comes about this season. As usual the 10 episode story has some episodic tones to them all, picking up bad guys over Wyoming, but the heavy arc of who is trying to kill Walt and his friends still looms over their head, culminating in a showdown with the real villain that will put a smile on your face.

The series has really grown to be more than just Walt Longmire over the years. At first he was the central focus of the show, but as time has gone on the background and supporting characters have been fully fleshed out to the point of being just as important to the fans. Victoria (Katee Sackhoff) was always given a goodly amount of work, but Lou Diamond Phillips as Henry Standing Bear has really grown into a fantastic character. Even the hated Jacob Nighthorse turns in the performance of his career in this season as Martinez makes him a fully sympathetic character.

My only problems with the show still stem from the overly episodic nature of the show. I like episodic series, but Longmire really thrives when it’s dealing with the more serialized portions of the series. The hunts for bad guys works well enough, but with a trimmed 10 episode arc I really felt they should have focused more on the serialized aspects, especially dealing with the tragedy that befalls Victoria (I’m not going to say what it is, but it’s a gut puncher. One that causes serious ripples for her character this year). However there’s a bit of a rushed ending with Walt and Vic’s relationship. One that seems to just jump forward in time and be resolved without us seeing the natural progression. It’s not a BIG thing, bust just irritating enough to those of us who watched Vic’s progression over this season.

All in all, this is a great series and a great season with a solid ending to it. Lots of loose end are tied up and the remaining villains all tied up neatly for a series that rides off into the sunset like the cowboy movies of old (a move which I greatly appreciated considering that Longmire is basically a modern day western show). Goodbye, good luck, and we’ll always have the DVDs and Blu-ray to remember you with my friends.




Rating:

Not Rated by the MPAA




Video:

Yup, broken record time again. After 6 seasons Longmire has maintained a very consistent and good look throughout the show. The 10 episode series is put on 2 DVD 9's and the results are very nice (if not a bit stylized from the creators). The 5 episodes per disc is kind of pushing it for a DVD and we have some mild artifacting and soft looking imagery, but the discs are more than capable of looking good 99% of the time. The rough hewn face of Walt Longmire is detailed and crisp, and the backdrops have more than enough clarity to please the viewers. Earth tones and dark browns and shadows dominate the landscape for the most part, but primary colors from a scarf or scrap of clothing comes through quite nicely. The issue of black crush is still present as usual, but it's never more than intermittent spotting and vanishing. The Blu-ray is once again relegated to warners on demand production with Warner Archive, so if you're wanting to the Hi-Def version than you'll need to go to online retailers like Amazon and Warner Archive direct for that.




Audio:

The show's 5.1 Dolby Digital track is just as consistent and typical of the series as the video is. It's a bit more restrained, with dialog centric front heaviness indicative of the show, and some mild ambiance to fill out the surrounds. Gunshots are powerful and punchy, as are trucks roaring to a stop, and the slamming of background items like barn doors. Music fills out more of the surrounds than the ambient noises do though, and it does so with simple aplomb. Bass is powerful and startling at times, with sharp bits of violence that lend itself toward more than a little bass. It's a solid track, and much like the other 5 seasons, one that will not shock and wow you, but one that does everything asked of it without complaining.








Extras:

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Final Score: ​

It's a sad day to see Longmire go, but it's been a great six years. And, well, we almost had to do with 3 years less of the show, as A&E had cancelled the series right after the 3rd season. It was only due to Netflix picking up the show for another 3 seasons that we got as much as we did, and with a very solid conclusion to the series at that (something the previous cancellation was not going to give us the benefit of). the DVD set is solid for a 480p release, and the Warner Archive release is still available for those who want the Blu-ray experience. As a huge fan of Longmire this final season is well worth checking out and a great conclusion to a great show. Highly recommended.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Adam Bartley, Cassidy Freeman
Created by: Hunt Baldwin, John Coveny
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 MPEG 2
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Studio: Warner Brothers
Rated: NR
Runtime: 631 Minutes
DVD Release Date: November 20th, 2018

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• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Great Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I never saw this series. Now that it is completed, will check it out.

 

[Michael Scott]

luckily you can binge it on Netflix since Netflix owns the series too.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

One of my favorites... and was really disappointed when they took it off TV, but then really happy when Netflix picked it up. Great show!

 

[Michael Scott]

agreed, I was really disappointed when A&E cancelled it, and was shocked when Netflix rescued it. Can't complain though.

 

[tripplej]

yes, i plan on binge watching. Thank you netflix.

 

[Jack1949]

Agreed, great show and sad to see it go. But thinking of it makes me thirsty for a Rainier beer.

 

[mechman]

Yeah it was one of my favorites as well. And I felt they could have kept it going too.