‘Longmire’ season 3, episode 9 review: Can we just have a season 4 renewal already?
Monday night’s “Longmire” was a tour de force for many of the characters … but also a great step forward when it comes to Walt finally getting all of the information that he needs to close a few key cases.
The biggest revelation of all, though, is the shocking death of David Ridges. In a showdown at gunpoint, we ended up seeing the man off of his horse and right on top of the Sheriff. His death means at least one key cog is out of the equation, but there are still so many other ones to worry about.
The principal one here is Branch, who at this point is clearly past the point of no return. The sad part about this story is that it basically renders it impossible for him to ever come back to his old job again. there is no way that the guy can function as a normal human being. How could he? Right now, it simply seems impossible for so many different reasons, from him choking Vic to ditching Walt in the middle of nowhere.
In between all of this and Henry being left in a terrible position with his trail, the finale next week is shaping up to be one of the craziest hours that the show has ever had. The only bummer is that we’re still waiting to find out just what the future for this show will really be. When it comes to quality, there is no questioning to us that we should see the show back for another season. It’s so well-crafted that it certainly deserves it. Grade: A-.
What did you think about tonight’s “Longmire”? Share your thoughts with a comment.
David Gaddy
August 5, 2014 @ 7:14 am
Oh my god what happen is Branch dead
Fred Tone
July 31, 2014 @ 8:11 am
Yeah. Longmire is cool. Keep it on!
Bhammer100
July 30, 2014 @ 1:26 pm
If anyone loves Longmire I would suggest you check out Justified. Its better than Longmire (and I love Longmire). Justified has great characters, amazing humor, and brilliant writing (it has the best writing/dialogue on TV, hands down). Seriously… check it out.
Walt_Longmire
July 30, 2014 @ 7:51 am
Longmire is well crafted Tv. Well acted and well written. I tell everyone I know they must watch it.
Deb
July 30, 2014 @ 3:18 am
I love Longmire! Please keep it on!!! I have my husband watching now ! I loved episode 9. Episode 10 will have to be so great to top that one! I can’t hardly wait to find out who had Walts wife killed, I think it was Kighthorse! Do not like him! I like branch! I do not want Walt and Vic to get together on the series. What happened to poor Lizzy? Next week will be good!
Tom Betts
July 30, 2014 @ 1:00 am
Best series on TV. Excellent writing, great actors and cast chemistry and the mix of cultures makes this one of the most outstanding series to ever hit the small screen. I just wish the seasons were longer as they just seem to fly by. Thanks A&E you’ve got a winner here don’t stop it now.
Jhera35
July 30, 2014 @ 12:40 am
I think the person behind the murder of Walt’s wife is clearly Nighthorse.
Why?
Walt’s wife was seeing the Cheyenne seer/healer Cassandra (Cynthia Two Rivers) whose relative had told her that old Cheyenne burial sites were located on the land where David Nighthorse had planned to build his casino. Nighthorse had the burial sites moved so that he could build and at least one of the graves was moved to one of Barlow Connally’s construction sites in an attempt to take Barlow’s land.
Nighthorse went after Branch because Branch decided to investigate who caused Cady’s accident. (I can’t recall, but I think Branch was also the one investigating the original burial sites as well).
Nighthorse knew there was a possibility that Ridges would be linked to him and ordered Ridges to fake a suicide. After Branch continued to pursue the case, including Ridges “death,” Nighthorse decided to use Ridges to drive Branch crazy so that no one would ever believe anything Branch said or found out.
Back to Walt’s wife. At some point, she probably saw the map of the burial sites or overheard something and Nighthorse had her killed so that she could never tell Walt, or anyone else, what she knew.
Just my theory.
Jhera35
August 5, 2014 @ 12:57 pm
Looks like I fell for the old slight of hand trick often used in mystery books (i.e. in regards to Martha’s and Miller Beck’s deaths). Of course, that’s what makes mysteries so much fun. Now, I really hope there will be a season 4.
Barlow also made it clear that Ridges was Jacob Nighthorse’s soldier and he paid out $50,000 to Nighthorse’s shell company. So, that definitely shows that Nighthorse isn’t as clean as he would like people to think and does still beg the question of his involvement in Miller Beck’s death: Did Nighthorse know what Ridges was being hired to do and the reason?
Additionally, I still wonder if moving the burial sites was a red herring or an important future plot point. There’s also the question about who sent Ridges after Branch at Ridges’ fake grave (Nighthorse or Barlow?). Was the meeting between Nighthorse and Barlow, as Barlow stated, his attempt to threaten Nighthorse to leave Branch alone or was that merely another lie?
A lot of questions for next (hopefully) season.
HarshTimes
July 30, 2014 @ 12:13 am
Are you sure that it was Ridges killed in the field with Walt? It looked like the guy (Sam?) that Branch drugged with the peyote.
Carolyn
July 29, 2014 @ 11:32 pm
Best season ever! Should be renewed for another season. Finally, a great show to watch
Sandie
July 29, 2014 @ 11:06 pm
Longmire is one of the best tv shows on at this time. I am so sick of reality tv. This show makes me want to move to Wyoming! I love the fact that there is still a man who has such old fashioned values. Who wouldn’t fall in love with Walt! He’s rugged, handsome, soft-spoken and an all around good man. He’s every woman’s dream man. I would love to see him and Vic together. She’s young, but she’s his counter-part, rugged, sexy, loud and honest. They are drawn to each other. A&E, please renew this show. My family and friends are all watching too!!
Carol_R
July 29, 2014 @ 11:14 pm
The show is filmed in New Mexico.
Carol Payne
July 29, 2014 @ 10:08 pm
I think Walt & Vic have chemistry! I like the ideal of them hooking up .
Carol Payne
July 29, 2014 @ 10:05 pm
No matter with whether Walt’s wife’s murder is revealed I hope to see more season’s .it’s a great solid show .its so different from the other shows .I’ve got my husband and some of my friends watching it. They will kill me if there isn’t a season 4 A great show hate to see it end .
June Hawkins-Brown
July 29, 2014 @ 8:55 pm
I LOVE Longmire! Knowing A&E they will probably cancel it like they did ‘The Glades’….
The ‘warrior’ looked like Poteet to me. But I could be wrong. Like Branch – he brings newness to Walt’s old ways. Vic & Walt – no. I don’t get the sparkly feeling them….except when they were at the motel together. But again weird.
Janet Brockel
July 29, 2014 @ 5:57 pm
havent read the books but if walt ends up with vic i wont! she is a wench and way too young for him. i love henry lou diamond phillips is the reason i started watching the series would like more of him and would like to see the mild mannered deputy developed more]
jll
July 29, 2014 @ 5:36 pm
I don’t think Walt shot Ridges. The body looked more like Poteet, to me. I believe both men belong to Nighthorse’s warrior sect, and he’s ultimately pulling all the strings. I think the showdown between Branch and Ridges is still coming.
I hope Branch can be saved–I like the character on the show. I also wish Mathias could become more an ally (I like him, too).
Longmire HAS to be renewed! It has us hooked.
Tom Betts
July 30, 2014 @ 1:09 am
I agree Jill. The dead Indian did not look like David Ridges. This has to be a showdown between Ridges and Branch to rid him of his demons. Mathias has to be the way he is as they can’t all be buddy buddy and yet he still has respect for Walt.
Blah Blah Blah
July 29, 2014 @ 3:32 pm
Another solid episode,
I think this season is the best for the show. I like there is a main ark that keeps the season tight.
A lot will depend on who is the one behind the murder of Walt’s wife.
We dont have many suspects left, following tv logic, the murderer must be one from Nighthorse, Branch Senior or even Branch himself?
They keep leaving hints he has daemons inside him that were uncovered for good after he got shot.
The only way I can see Branch remaining in the show is taking his dad’s place as the man in power.
Or maybe it is Ferg!! :D I mean he might killed the wife’s murderer to make Walt proud of him, the boy has some issues..
As for Vic and Walt, there was some progress with Walt finally showing a glimpse of feelings for Vic.
My problem with this mainly has to do with Walt’s portrayal. For 3 seasons now they show him as a man who can’t love after his wife’s death. He is way too closed on himself and they never gave us a sign that he is capable to love again, not even while his short affair with that lady. On the other hand they were consistent on showing us Vic falling under Walt’s charm.
In any case since, I don’t mind about this pairing (from the books it seems inevitable to happen) as long as they finally write it better.
I think this show is finding its pace, it would be a shame not to get renewed.
Jhera35
July 30, 2014 @ 12:45 am
If you re-watch the first season, you’ll see a lot of hints that it was Vic becoming part of Walt’s life that finally forced him to start living life again. I think there’s something Cady says briefly that also suggests as much…
Cat
July 29, 2014 @ 12:05 pm
I loved episode 9 and cannot wait for the season finale. I hope they keep Branch in the department because after all, this is fiction and he was shot and druged with who knows what while on duty. That’s what caused him to go loco. Maybe Cady can save him and they can be together. I’m also glad Vic’s husband is divorcing her; they never did belong together. Now maybe she and Walt can pursue their feelings for each other. I want Henry to win his case at trial and continue to run the Red Pony. Of course I want to find out who killed Walt’s wife and put closure to that storyline. I just want a happy ending. This is not real life people, it’s TV, it’s entertainment and I have enough drama in my life that doesn’t always end happy. Since I really love this series and don’t know if it will be back next year, I really want a happy ending.
Carol_R
July 29, 2014 @ 4:13 am
I liked the episode. I don’t like Vic getting divorced and I don’t want her paired up with Walt. Bailey Chase did a great job portraying Branch as out of control.
The stuff with Henry to me wasn’t believable. I just don’t believe that Malachi has that kind of power to have his trial date moved up. While I like Graham Greene on the TV series “Defiance” he doesn’t work on “Longmire” for me. A Martinez’s character, Jacob Nighthorse”, has been crafted for 3 seasons as a complex villain in contrast to Malachi who to me is a 1-dimensional character that seems to have been crammed down the viewer’s throats in order to wrap up Walt’s wife murder storyline. Every other recurring character on the show has been carefully crafted (Sean, Barlow Connally, Omar, Bob Barnes, Lucien Connally, Hector, Jacob Nighthorse, Mathias). But to me Malachi is 1-dimensional and I just don’t buy that he has a lot of influence or can control the jail or the courts.
I don’t know where they’re going with the character of Branch. But after he lost the election to Walt, he really couldn’t go back just to being a deputy. I don’t see them writing Branch off the show but I see how he fits into it anymore. I like Cady with the lawyer friend so even she has other options now.
I was surprised that the show only has 10 episodes this season rather than 13. I also wonder if they’ll tie everything up in the season finale next week.
donna
July 29, 2014 @ 5:12 pm
i hope not. i hope this show has a long run because its a show i really enjoy watching.
Jhera35
July 30, 2014 @ 12:42 am
Vic and Walt get together in the books. So, it’s not really surprising that they might on the show as well.
I think Malachi has the connections since he used to have a lot of power before he was arrested. For me, the part with Henry burning the bar was hard to swallow simply because it felt way too rushed.