Longmire Season 5 on Netflix

Just finished binge-watching Longmire Season 5 on Netflix, where it was better in most ways than in its first three seasons on A&E and the fourth on Netflix, which is saying a lot, since those first four seasons were outstanding.

In what follows, I'll talk in generalities for the most part, in case you haven't yet seen Season 5.  But if you've seen none of Longmire at all, you might want to move on from this review, at least until you've seen the first four seasons.

Netflix allows for stronger language, which suits the characters well.   The relationships among the characters also flourish in this new environment and narrative, which offers some of the best confrontations, coming to terms, and fallings apart we've seen in the series.

Among my favorites -

• Walt and Henry about Hector, in a stand-out knock-down scene
• Vic and her loyalty to Walt, an inspiration to see
• Walt and Nighthorse - indeed, the evolution of their relationship is surprising and surprisingly satisfying yet realistic

Speaking of surprises, the fifth season has a good gallery of villains, local and national, mostly unexpected.  Some of these percolate through the season, others come on in the last few episodes, and if I have any complaints about this fifth season, it's that it introduces a crucial villain a little late in the story.   And the ending itself - well, it maybe leaves us hanging with at least one life-and-death situation, and one just missed true-love engagement, too many.

But the idea of such cliffhangers is to whet our appetite for another season, which Netflix will be providing, and I'll be watching, disappointed only that this sixth season will be the final season for this fine and unique series, unless yet another venue picks it up.