Could Longmire season 6 have open-ended series finale?

With Longmire season 6 rapidly approaching (even though there is still no formal premiere date out there), now is the time to wonder about the end. This is meant to be the final season for the show on Netflix. Sure, there are fan discussions about potential movies down the road, but that’s just speculation. In terms of stories that are black and white, the finale this fall is the finale for the entire series.

When you think about that, another question rises from the ashes: How should the series end on Netflix? Should it tie all of its loose ends together, or leave a few threads dangling in the air for people to wonder about. Obviously the final scenes have been shot and there’s no changing it now, but we do still find this an interesting subject in order to speculate on. There is a case to be made for doing things either way.

The case for tying everything up – There are a number of people out there who like closure, and understandably so. Closure is important in life, and we’ve all become attached to these characters. With that, we do want to know whether or not Walt and Vic ever get together, just as we are also very much curious as to what the future of Henry Standing Bear or The Ferg will be. You don’t necessarily have to have to say “and everything was peaceful for everyone for the rest of their lives,” but you can put everyone on a path that they start to figure out what their futures are going to look like. This is a nice way to say farewell to the show that makes you feel comfortable. It’s not a huge risk, but sometimes television shows don’t need to come up with an ending that infuriates you.

The case for leaving things open-ended – Maybe you end the show with Walt asking Vic on a date, or with Cady or The Ferg in a near-death situation. Maybe Walt’s getting a call to go out for another dangerous case. The biggest reason for the show doing this, other than to try to convince someone out there to make a movie based on the show, is to suggest that the lives for these characters off the show is just as dangerous and intense as their lives off of it. These characters are supposed to go on and exist beyond the time in which we see them, and with that in mind it’s probably foolish to think that they all just find themselves safe at the end of season 6 and aren’t going to be putting themselves in harm’s way anymore.

Oh, and we don’t think having a cliffhanger ending is necessary in order to make people want a movie — they’re going to want that anyway.

How would you prefer Longmire coming to a close? Be sure to share one way or another in the comments!

Meanwhile, head over here in the event that you do want some other news and updates when it comes to the series. (Photo: Netflix.)