Longmire season 6 premiere week: The appeal of Robert Taylor’s Walt Longmire

Longmire season 6 premiere week is upon us! In honor of the show returning to Netflix on Friday, we’re going to offer up a series of new character-specific features every day to look at the people and performers who made this excellent show what it was for so many seasons.

With that, CarterMatt wants to kick this off with the Sheriff himself! Walt Longmire was an iconic character even before he was ever portrayed on television, and as a result of that Robert Taylor had an immense challenge bringing this man to life. Expectations were so high and Walt is a character unlike most other crime fighters on television. He’s not someone who gets himself mixed up in illegal or underhanded activities, and he doesn’t suffer under the weight of any moral conflict. He’s one of those rare characters who is morally good and uncompromising about it. He’s willing to fight for justice even when it means that his own job is in jeopardy. He’s not afraid to defy anyone from a local politician to Jacob Nighthorse in his pursuit of what’s right.

Beyond that, Walt is a simple man, someone who relishes his privacy, his land, his close friends, and his favorite beer. He loves music and classic literature and hates modern technology. There’s an essence of relatability that comes through with this character — there are many out there who may feel like the world was a better place before Twitter, smartphones and instant gratification. For many of these people, Walt appeals to them because he’s a throwback and so are they. The appeal of the show is that you’re watching a modern-day Western where you have the Sheriff facing off against outlaws who are very indicative of where we are as a society now.

Moving into Longmire season 6 on Friday, we don’t anticipate a side of Walt that is all that different. He knows what his job is and doesn’t seem altogether interested in straying from it — provided of course the wrongful death lawsuit doesn’t end up getting in the way. We want to see a story for him that reminds us that his way of doing things is effective. It may not be effectively flashy or draw a lot of attention to himself, but sometimes heroes don’t covet all of that attention. Viewers love Longmire because of the tone, the spirit, and the ideals that Walt represents that are so difficult to find in America these days. Taylor embodies all of these as the character and presents an interesting, complex, and heroic man who every viewer out there would love to have a beer with.

Not having this brand of hero on television in 2018 is going to be all sorts of depressing — which is probably why there are so many people hoping that an Longmire movie is something that eventually comes to fruition.

What do you find so appealing about Robert Taylor as Walt Longmire? Share in the comments below!

Also, be sure to check out some other Longmire premiere coverage from us via our CarterMatt Facebook page. (Photo: Netflix.)