As one of the shows produced by Taylor Sheridon for Paramount+, it was widely assumed that Lawmen: Bass Reeves would get a pickup for season 2. Instead, almost six months have passed since the Bass Reeves show finished its first season, and fans are still waiting for answers regarding additional seasons. And it’s not as if the show wasn’t a hit. Lawmen: Bass Reeves was the most-watched series premiere on Paramount+ in 2023.
Chad Feehan created the series that is based upon the life of the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River, and his remarkable history. David Oyelowo stepped into the leading role as Bass Reeves, and fans of the series are eager to see him reprise the part down the line. Now, we’ll share everything we know about Lawmen: Bass Reeves season 2, and whether it will actually happen.
Will there be a Lawmen: Bass Reeves season 2?
For now, the answer is no. Paramount+ hasn’t discounted the possibility of ordering another season, but the streamer hasn’t a made a decision about bringing back the show or not. As of May 22, the series remains in limbo without a renewal for season 2.
However, Oyelowo hasn’t given up hope the series could still return. During an interview with Black Film and TV, Oyelowo suggested that his Bass Reeves show may eventually get a green light for more episodes, even if it takes years.
“You just never know, that’s the amazing thing about the world of streaming,” said Oyelowo. “If there is that appetite there, you can come back in three-four years. You can go and do a movie of it, if the appetite is there. And I think that’s what I love about… the democratization that comes with that, where the audience can start to tell you what they want to see, and it gives you the opportunity to go and make
a case for going and making it.”
Will Lawmen become an anthology series?
In April 2024, Feehan suggested that if Lawmen: Bass Reeves is renewed, it may become an anthology series, with each season focusing on a different historical figure.
“If there is another season of Lawmen, it will focus on a new lawman or law woman,” said Feehan via Deadline. “There are several figures in history much like Bass who deserve their day in the sun. As much as it pains me that this marriage is taking a hiatus, that is the reality.”
During his interview with Black Film and TV, Oyelowo acknowledged that the initial season was a standalone story. But he also has his own thoughts about what that means and what he wants to see if the show does become an anthology.
“It was in my mind it was always a a standalone story,” said Oyelowo “If the audience beats down the doors of Paramount enough, you just never know. But the thing that I like about what we’re trying to do is to not have Bass Reeves be anomalous. That’s what always happens when these moments happen. When it’s a Black Panther or a Bass Reeves, it’s like ‘oh that worked, but that was that one thing.’ For me, what I’m trying to press Paramount into doing is there are so many other incredible people of color [and] women who were in the western territories at that time doing extraordinary things.”
“The resistance to Bass Reeves being told as a story, the reason why it took me personally eight years to get to this point is that ‘is the story global? Is that niche because he’s a Black character?’ We’re used to seeing Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid and all of that,” added Oyelowo. “So you have metrics of success. You have [comparisons], but what’s the [comparison] for Bass Reeves? We didn’t have it [before], and now we do. So if you’re going to call it Lawmen and we’re going to make it a franchise, then please, I don’t want to see Lawmen: Wyatt Earp. I don’t want to see Lawmen: Billy the Kid, I don’t want to see Lawmen: Bonnie and Clyde. We’ve seen that time and time again. The audience has told you that they are ready to embrace these new stories within a beloved genre.”
