Stream On: Was Bass Reeves the original Lone Ranger?
The remarkable story of the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi.
Bass Reeves (July 1838–January 12, 1910) was a former enslaved man turned American lawman. He was the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River and worked mostly in the Indian Territory. Originally conceived as a spinoff of Taylor Sheridan’s 1883, his story is the first entry in a series about iconic lawmen (and outlaws).
/Streaming /🍅81%🍿96% /Trailer /2023 /TVMA
Move over, Wyatt Earp! Bass Reeves, the subject of Art T. Burton’s 2008 book Black Gun, Silver Star (and a 2015 episode of Drunk History, which is where the “Lone Ranger” assertion comes from, so probably, not, but who knows?) is about to join mainstream legend thanks to Chad Feehan’s new miniseries.
Taylor Sheridan, creator of the Yellowstone universe, which includes 1883 and 1923, looked into Reeves’ story, and as it is about a historic figure, turned it over to Feehan, while remaining an executive producer. “When I was hired, there was a brief conversation about whether there was an ‘1883’ tie-in that I wanted to do in my storytelling, saying, ‘You have the freedom to do that. But if there's not, you don't have to.’ Once I decided where the story began and ended, we took that and ran with it,” Feehan told Looper.com.
In the first episode we meet Bass (Executive Producer David Oyelowo, Selma), personal slave and aide-de-camp to Confederate Col. George Reeves (Shea Wigham, Boardwalk Empire, Homecoming) at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in 1862. Bass is in a Confederate uniform without markings. Col. Reeves’ bedraggled Confederates are marching through a wood; near the edge comes a gunshot from the clearing, killing an infantryman, followed by an artillery bombardment, and it’s on. Col. Reeves and Bass are both on horseback; the colonel rallies his troops by quoting a stanza of Tennyson’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” and hands Bass a Henry repeating rifle. He tells him, “You will follow me—and you will fire!”
Bass looks at the now retreating confederate soldiers: one, running away, is shot by another officer. Then Bass looks to his master, who is racing his horse, pistol in hand, towards the Union artillery emplacement at the other end of the clearing. Bass spurs his horse, following Reeves, sits up in the saddle, and kills several Union artillerymen as quickly as he can cock the rifle. Meanwhile, Confederate Brig. Gen. Albert Pike’s 1st and 2nd Cherokee Mounted Rifles have appeared behind the union emplacement, and take it out. One of the Cherokees, who we learn is named Esau, scalps a wounded Yankee and whoops, waving the bloody scalp in the air.
Later, at a tavern where Reeves’ 11th Texas has regrouped, where we learn that they took 300 prisoners, another slave in uniform tells Bass, “You done killed the wrong side.” Bass looks steadily at him. “I’d rather be shot in the face than in the back.” As Bass is pouring coffee for the soldiers, Esau the Cherokee cavalryman tells him, “I saw you. What is your name, soldier?”
“No soldier, sir. Just Bass”
“Well, you are a wolf, then, Bass. We are a breed apart. We know our own,” says Esau, saluting Bass with his coffee cup.
As a result of a disagreement Col. Reeves has with his commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn (David Lee Smith, Fight Club), he is dismissed, and he and Bass return to Reeves’ home. Bass visits his wife Jennie (Lauren E. Banks, Maniac), who shows him her gratitude for his safe return, in the slaves’ quarters, and George finds that his own family is away. George tells Bass that in return for his bravery in the battle, that he will grant him his freedom—if Bass beats him at a hand of poker.
The series is indistinguishable from the Yellowstone prequels 1883 and 1923, with a terrific screenplay, IMAX-worthy cinematography, an authentic-looking mise-en-scène, fantastic set-pieces, and splendid acting all around. In later episodes Dennis Quaid and Donald Sutherland have major roles. At this writing, seven of the eight episodes are online, and it is a treat. 96% “fresh” audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Pete Hummers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to earn fees by linking Amazon.com and affiliate sites. This adds nothing to Amazon's prices. This column originally appeared on The Outer Banks Voice.