Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
OK Western about Black US Marshal has violence, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Lawmen: Bass Reeves
What's the Story?
Lawmen: Bass Reeves depicts the true story of the first Black U.S. Marshal. After fighting in the Civil War, escaping enslavement, and living in Seminole country, Reeves (David Oyelowo) forges a career catching criminals in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Is It Any Good?
It's very strange for a series to focus on a complex, trailblazing figure while simultaneously avoiding the aspects of his life that make the story interesting. Yet that's exactly what happens in Lawmen: Bass Reeves, an extremely literal depiction of the life of an escaped slave-turned-U.S. Marshal. Producer Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone) manages to tell Reeves' story with minimal thematic focus on either race or morality. Instead, Reeves' life simply gets used as a platform for frequent short action sequences. It can be somewhat satisfying as comfort television, but feels like a waste of such a uniquely compelling biography.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Bass Reeves. How does the series portray Reeves? Is he a hero? Why or why not? What are some moral or ethical choices Reeves makes?
How does Reeves' past as an enslaved man affect his day-to-day life as a U.S. Marshall? What are some ways in which the series thematically explores race?
How does Reeves compare and contrast with the other characters in the series? What are his values? How does he uphold those values as the series unfolds?
TV Details
- Premiere date : November 5, 2023
- Cast : David Oyelowo , Dennis Quaid , Donald Sutherland
- Network : Paramount+
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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