Julie's Journal : Longmire

Have you watched the Longmire series?  My husband Jason was told by his coworkers that he "had" to watch it.  They were just sure he would love it.  So during Christmas break, I took the first season home and we were hooked.

Longmire is based on a series of books by Craig Johnson.  They follow a small-town Wyoming sheriff, Walt Longmire, and his small staff as they solve crimes, navigate small town politics, work with the nearby Reservation, and deal with their personal dramas.  We particularly enjoyed the setting, as we spent quite a bit of time in Wyoming during our vacation last year.

Although Walt is dealing with the demons left behind by his wife's death, we like his no-nonsense approach to law enforcement and investigation.  His friend, Henry Standingbear (played by Lou Diamond Phillips) - who speaks with no contractions, is a favorite too.  

The first three seasons revolve around Deputy Branch Connelly's bid to unseat Longmire as sheriff and Walt's attempt to solve the mysteries surrounding his wife's death.  However, the campaign and election have to take a back seat to the various murder's and crimes that are happening in Absaroka County.  

The last three seasons are more focused on Walt's obsession with proving that Native mogul, Jacob Nighthorse, is up to no good.  I actually got a little tired of the Sheriff's obsession with Jacob.  I found the episodes where they were solving new crime more enjoyable that the constant attempt to prove Jacob was a criminal mastermind.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our binge watch of Longmire.  In something of a reversal for me, I actually sought out and read the first book AFTER we had finished the series.  It was definitely different from the show, particularly in character descriptions and in the resolution of the first case.

If you want to try either the show or the books, they are available for checkout here at Franklin County Library.  Now I need something new to binge watch.  Any recommendations?