It’s not often that the highest-rated series on a specific network gets canceled, but that’s exactly what happened toLongmireback in 2014 after airing faithfully on A&E for three seasons. ThisWesternmystery show, which appealed generally to older demographics, was deemed “A&E’s highest-rated original drama series of all time,” and promptly found new life on Netflix. The show ran for three more seasons before ending again in 2017, and we haven’t quite gotten over it. Butnow is the perfect time for Robert Taylor to return as the hardened, well-read sheriff of Absaroka County, and it’s been a long time coming.
Walt Longmire is the dedicated and unflappable sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming. Widowed only a year, he is a man in psychic repair but buries his pain behind his brave face, unassuming grin and dry wit.
‘Longmire’ Can Fill the Void Left by ‘Yellowstone’
Ever sinceLongmireended, theTaylor Sheridan-helmedYellowstonehas dominated the Western TV space. While not a mystery series likeLongmire, the Paramount Network original scratches many of the neo-Western itches left behind by Walt and his friends. WithKevin Costnerfront and center andLongmireco-creatorJohn Covneynamed a producer in the show’s early years,Yellowstonehas become nothing short of a television empire in a short time, producing two prequels,multiple in-development spin-offs, and plenty of derivative works that ride off Sheridan and Costner’s success.But the one thingYellowstonedoesn’t have is Sheriff Walt Longmire, and that’s only one of the many reasonsLongmireis the superior series.
But with the flagshipYellowstoneseries wrapping up in 2024 and Costner departing the franchise in favor of his upcoming multipart epic,Horizon: An American Saga,now seems like the right time forLongmireto reclaim its Western throne. In many ways,Yellowstonethrives because of its gorgeous landscapes, talented cast, and dark material, but these are all things thatLongmirehas going for it as well. To make things even more interesting,Longmirealso has the mystery factor that keeps audiences on the edge of their seat. While the Paramount series is slowing down to a crawl,Longmirenever once felt like a chore to watch, even in its final season.
Paramount has proven that Western-themed material can go a long way these days, especially on streaming.Likewise, Prime Video’sJack Ryan,The Terminal List, andReacherhave reminded us that action and mystery novel adaptations do just as well, maybe even better in some cases. Well,Longmirehas all of these things, and with the plethora ofCraig Johnson’s original Walt Longmire books behind it, could easily return as if it never left. While it’s not likely thatLongmirewill ever return for good, we’ll take anything we can get. Even if it’s a 90-minute Netflix Original or a six-episode limited series, Walt Longmire has been missed, and it’s time that he, and in turnwe, return to Absaroka.
Walt Longmire Is the Thoughtful Western Hero We Need More of Today
Perhaps the biggest reason Walt Longmire is missed these days is due to the serious lack of complicated and learned Western heroes.The Duttons onYellowstoneare complicated, sure, but not exactly heroic.Michael Dorman’s Joe Pickett fromthe Paramount mystery series of the same nameis heroic and complicated, but not exactly the smartest tool in the shed (a Longmire/Pickett crossover would be a dream come true, though). But Walt Longmire is all of these things. Though he doesn’t always get it right, Walt is a master of deduction from the Sherlock Holmes school of thought and can put together just about any mystery you throw at him. But more than that, he’s a likable guy who grew a lot over the six years we followed him.
While there are some differences between the book and TV versions of Walt Longmire,Robert Taylor plays the character perfectly. His unique, gruffish charm and rustic take on the character make audiences wish that we could “Vote Longmire” every time. His use of books likeHound of the BaskervillesbySir Arthur Conan DoyleandJohn Steinbeck’sOf Mice and Menas the basis for his unique brand of law enforcement is both admirable and interesting, and his attempts to get his deputies to read the same sorts of stories, while often futile, is endearing. Walt is a complex man who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirtyor tackle hard issues that aren’t easily solved, but even when he does so, he doesn’t cross certain lines. An honorable and consistent lawman,Walt Longmire is the type of protagonist you rarely see much of these days, including in the contemporary Western genre.
Of course,Robert Taylor deserves a lot of praise for how well Walt Longmire was received. The Australian actor––who thrived in the role and hasn’t quite found the same sort of success on American television since––embodies the character perfectly and has often interacted with fans, particularly at the annual “Longmire Days” celebration in Buffalo, Wyoming. (Yes, there is a “Longmire Days” festival every year in Wyoming, which celebrates the character, which may be enough proof of why we need moreLongmiresooner rather than later.)
‘Longmire’ Is Still as Popular as Ever, and There’s a Good Reason for That
Although it’s been nearly a decade sinceLongmirelast dropped an episode, the show has retained a consistently faithful audience on streaming ever since. Walt Longmire author Craig Johnsonnoted on his Facebookon August 27, 2025, thatLongmireis still scoring as #3 in Westerns on Netflix. No wonder it shows up so consistently onour list of Best Westerns to watch on the streamer, it really is that good. With six seasons and 63 episodes,Longmireis one of those shows that’s easy to revisit and harder to walk away from. Its impressive cast, which includesKatee Sackhoff,Lou Diamond Phillips, andBailey Chase, is always a blast to watch on screen and is just as notable as Robert Taylor’s Walt. The friendship between Walt and his best friend Henry Standing Bear (Phillips) could easily carry the series on its own.
But according to Johnson, we may have been robbed of moreLongmire. The author revealed that previously,A&E had hoped to buyLongmirefrom Warner Bros., but the studio wouldn’t sell the brand, so the network canceled the series. A&E lost nearly a third of its audience as a result, only for Netflix to swoop in and continue the series. “[Longmire] quickly became one of the highest-rated, original-content shows [Netflix] ever had,” Johnson explained in 2022 (viaCowboy State Daily). “Smooth sailing for two more seasons and then guess what? Netflix wanted Warner Brothers to sellLongmireto them.” No wonder Netflix too tried to buy it themselves, but knowing the gold mine they had on their hands, Warner Bros. refused to sell. At least this time,Longmirewas able to conclude naturally.
“There’s a constant buzz about the return of the series, a potential Season 7 or made-for-TV movies, but nothing concrete,” Johnson continued, explaining thatboth Warner Bros. and Netflix have notedLongmire’s success on the streaming platformeven long after its cancelation. “Once again, victims of our own success,” he remarked. But if Netflix and Warner Bros. were to play ball for another Walt Longmire production, they’d discover the sort of success that would makeTom Selleck’sJesse Stoneseriesjealous. And likely without much effort at all.
Craig Johnson’s Two-Part ‘Longmire’ Mystery Would Be the Perfect Basis for a Return
WhileLongmireoften diverted from the original Craig Johnson-penned source material,the show occasionally adapted elements from the books to the screen. The very firstLongmirenovel,The Cold Dish, for example, was directly adapted in the Season 1 episode “Unfinished Business.” Likewise, elements ofThe Dark Horseappeared in “A Damn Shame,” andHell is Emptywas loosely adapted in Season 2’s “Unquiet Mind.” As the show continued,Longmireborrowed less and less from the Johnson series, instead opting to develop new storylines and continue the arcs of original series characters like Jacob Nighthorse (A Martinez), which is understandable given how interesting Nighthorse can be.
But there’s an arc from the original Walt Longmire Mysteries that would be the perfect catalyst to bring Walt back for more, despite having all but handed over his title as sheriff to his daughter Cady (Cassidy Freeman). In the thirteenth novel,The Western Star, Johnson weaves a tale between Walt’s past and present inan homage toAgatha Christiethat thrills you the whole way. The dueling narrative centers on Walt reflecting on an old mystery from his early days as a lawman on a passenger locomotive known as the Western Star. The story seamlessly weaves Walt’s past (somethingLongmirenever delved much into) with his present, and ends with a serious cliffhanger as his longtime nemesis, Tomás Bidarte, kidnaps his daughter.
This Western TV Show From the ’50s Was Way Before Its Time
Clint Eastwood’s The Man With No Name has nothing on these cowboys!
A cartel man who has been called “a Moriarty to Walt’s Holmes"by some, Bidarte tragically never appeared on theLongmireshow, though he would’ve fit in perfectly. With his television foes, Chance Gilbert (Peter Stormare) and Malachi Strand (Graham GreeneofEchofame), taken care of in the show’s final season,aLongmirereunion could easily return to the character’s roots and pit him against his literary adversary. The second part of the narrative,Depth of Winter, takes Walt to Mexico in an admittedly controversial installment due to his separation from Wyoming. Of course, the book would likely be adapted differently for the series. Here, Walt plays the part of the traditional Western hero and manages to pull off the impossible, rescuing Cady from Bidarte and dispatching his nemesis for good. It’s an excellent two-parter and one that the minds behindLongmirewould do well to adapt to the Netflix series in some form.
More Walt Longmire Mysteries Are Underway, Even if the Show Never Returns
Even if we never get another live-action Walt Longmire adaptation again (and we certainly hope we do),we can rest knowing that there are plenty ofLongmireadventures out there and even more still underway. Of course, we’re talking about the previously mentioned Craig Johnson series of books. While they differ from the television show, theLongmirebooks are exciting reads that any fan of the character can enjoy. Though this author recommends starting at the beginning withThe Cold Dish, plenty of new Walt Longmire mysteries have made their way into bookstores ever since the show ended in 2017. The aforementionedDepth of Winterwas published in 2018 and every year since, a newLongmirenovel has made it to bookshelves everywhere.
The most recentLongmirenovel,The Longmire Defense, dropped in September 2023 and follows Walt as he seeks to clear his ancestor’s name. The next book,First Frost, will explore Walt and Henry’s past as they’re drafted for the Vietnam War and the road trip across Route 66 they took together just before their deployment; it’s set to be released on May 28.If reading isn’t quite your thing, excellent audio productions of each of Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire novels have been made, read byGeorge Guidall, who fits the bill perfectly. Of course, we hope thatNetflixand Warner Bros. might one day work together so that Robert Taylor and company can return for moreLongmire, but until then we’ll just have to wonder if he ever found that buried treasure Lucian was going on about.
