‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ Blu-Ray Review – David Oyelowo Brings A Legend To Vivid Life

Revealing the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West, LAWMEN: BASS REEVES follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family. LAWMEN: BASS REEVES is an all-new, standalone anthology series and future iterations will follow other iconic lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history.

For in-depth thoughts on Lawmen: Bass Reeves, please see my colleague Phil Walsh’s review from its original streaming release here. 

Video Quality

Lawmen: Bass Reeves arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment with a stellar AVC-encoded 1080p transfer. The show has a rich natural color palette that delicately captures the various locales throughout this story. There are some awe-inspiring moments of lush colors radiating off the screen, especially when it comes to the environment and the blue skies. The clothing is mostly on the earthy side with only a few instances where colors make a notable appearance. Skin tones appear natural and textured across the entire cast with dust and age lines appearing on certain characters. 

Black levels are perfectly deep and provide a strong amount of detail in shadows. Highlights do not succumb to any blooming in this presentation. The level of detail on display is in top form in high definition, as all of the carefully manicured aspects of the period costumes and production design are razor-sharp. This presentation is a welcome improvement from the streaming version of the show, which shows signs of being heavily compressed. There are thankfully no serious instances of aliasing or compression artifacts to speak of. Paramount continues to treat its television shows well. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless track that brings history to your living room without a hitch. Dialogue flows through clearly without being drowned out by the score or any sound effects. The music from Chanda Dancy grounds the tone of the series with perfect fidelity within the mix. Ambient sounds flow through the mix with deft precision in the surround channels. Environmental sounds make the world feel alive with the noises of nature and other moments. Action set pieces make an impression when they arise as they dig deep in the low end. The audio presentation delivers exactly what you want. There are English SDH subtitles provided for those who desire them. 

Special Features

• Behind the Story: Every episode is given an accompanying in-depth featurette which amounts to over 50 minutes of material all together. Through these videos, you get a closer look at certain characters, an analysis of plot developments, highlights from the episodes, and more. These are fun additions that are worthwhile for fans. 

• • Part I (6:27)

• • Part II (5:49)

• • Part III (5:47)

• • Part IV (5:59)

• • Part V (6:12)

• • Part VI (5:39)

• • Part VII (5:53)

• • Part VIII (7:10)

• Unbreakable – The Legend of Bass Reeves: A 39-minute featurette that unveils the story of Bass Reeves with a very in-depth look at the narrative of the series, the shooting locations, the costumes, the complex production elements, the performances, and much more. This is surprisingly meaty and worth checking out as a supplement to the show. 

• A Breed Apart – Production Design with Wynn Thomas: A 17-minute featurette that takes a look at the creation of this world for the screen and how history was recreated in such wonderful detail. 

• The Native American Nations: A nearly five-minute piece that takes a look at how Native American culture is represented in the series and the drive to represent these people authentically. 

• Behind The Battle of Pea Ridge: A five-minute examination of a pivotal moment in the series, what it means for the character, how it was executed safely during production, and more. 

• Building the World of Lawmen: Bass Reeves: A nearly six-minute look at how all of the production elements came together to bring this series to life. 

• The Legend Behind The Badge: A nearly five-minute look at the real-life figure at the center of the narrative. 

• Meet The Characters: The main characters are given a surface-level introduction. 

• • Bass Reeves (1:02)

• • Jennie Reeves (1:02)

• • Sherrill Lynn (1:02)

• • Judge Parker (1:02)

• • Billy Crow (0:52)

• • Sally Reeves (1:02)

• • Esau Pierce (0:57)

• • George Reeves (0:52)

Final Thoughts

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is one of the best small-screen outings from the Taylor Sheridan stable of shows yet. While the historical accuracy may be up for debate, the spirit of this incredible story is intact in a very effective way. David Oyelowo is incredible in the titular role as you see him evolve and settle into his legacy throughout these eight episodes. The remainder of the ensemble is stacked with incomparable talent that is a joy to watch. The pacing is a touch slow at first, but you will agree the journey is a rewarding one by the end. Paramount Home Entertainment has delivered a Blu-Ray that offers a tantalizing A/V presentation and some in-depth special features. If you are even the slightest bit intrigued, do not miss out. Recommended

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.