An overwhelming majority of the shows canceled every season aren’t big surprises. They’re either obvious chopping block victims or at least solidly on the bubble enough that there’s more disappointment than shock. There are always one or two every year, however, that just come out of nowhere and piss fans off something fierce. Earlier this year, A&E’s questionable leadership put Longmire out to pasture, but miraculously, it now seems the show isn’t dead yet.
After flirtations with several other networks, Netflix entered the picture, and now, it seems a deal has been struck. The streaming service officially ordered a 4th Season today. It will consistent of 10 episodes, and if all goes according to plan, an overabundance of awesomeness.
Here’s a portion of the official quote…
“When Warner Horizon Television came to us with the idea for a new season of Longmire, we were intrigued because the series is so unique, and consistently great. We are thrilled to help continue Walt Longmire’s story for his large and passionate following.”
At its most basic, Longmire follows a sheriff’s office in Big Sky country, as they deal with a wide range of problems involving Native Americans, rural townsfolk and big business. More recently, however, the show has shifted its efforts to focus on the murder of Walt Longmire’s wife and the attempted murder of Branch Connally. During the epic Season 3 finale, those plot points came together and a shocking gunshot went off. Exactly who is alive and who is dead is unclear, but thankfully, we’ll now get the answers to those questions.
Right now, it’s unclear how long of a shelf life Longmire might have. These 10 episodes could represent the last the show ever produces, or it could be the beginning of a long partnership with Netflix. We’ll see. The answer will likely depend on how many people stream the new episodes and if Katee Sackhoff’s career blows up, as many suspect it will. Technically, the show could continue without her, but many fans consider her presence every bit as important as lead actor Robert Taylor.
There’s no official date for when the 10 episodes will begin streaming on Netflix, but we do know they will go live sometime in 2015. Get excited.
