This article contains spoilers from “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” on Paramount +.
Part V of “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” dropped Sunday, and boy, was it a heartbreaker.
It all started with Reeves’ (David Oyelowo)loving wife, Jennie (Lauren E. Banks), and their myriad children, including Sally (Demi Singleton). After waiting what was likely weeks or months for the man of the household to return, Reeves arrives home to a waterfall of happiness and love … even though his youngest children barely recognize him.
But the happiness didn’t last long. Within a day, Reeves was back on the road, taking a captured manm, Jackson Cole, (Tosin Morohunfola) down south to Texas where he must face-up for the murder of a once-prominent local man. Jennie and Sally are devastated, feeling cheated by their patriarch’s flying visit. This was the first heartbreak caused by Reeves in Part V.
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The second heartbreak somehow hit harder, but was totally justified. During their trip, Reeves realizes that Billy Crow (Forrest Goodluck) doesn’t have the grit to be a lawman, and tells him so. The agony on Crow’s expression is palpable. But he’s resolut, and wants to do better. And personally, I hope he does. Goodluck has proven himself to be an outstanding talent in the series thus far, and I want to see where his story goes.
Our final heartbreak came as a surprise, though it probably shouldn’t have. At an overnight stop with a Spanish family, Reeves learns why Cole is heading home to face his maker. It turns out, the man Cole killed burned a plantation of slaves alive. And that man was running for state senate in Texas, vowing to return America to the old days (ie: slavery).
Cole couldn’t let that happen, having seen the devastation caused by this monster once before. So, he killed him. (RELATED: Apparently A Shocking Real-Life Story Is Ignored In ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’)
In 2023, it feels justified. Feehan and his writing team’s style will have you completely siding with Morohunfola. But, Reeves can’t. In the final scenes, we see Reeves place the shackles back on Morohunfola’s hands.