‘Longmire’ Season 4 Review & Recap: Multiple Villains Take Tensions To The Next Level

Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) will have to fight a two front war in the newly released season of the Netflix original. In the season three finale, we learned that Barlow Connally had a hand in the murder of Walt’s wife along with Jacob Nighthorse (A Martinez), a wealthy American Indian with an axe to grind with the U.S. Government.

> BUY NOW: Longmire’ Season 4

Barlow’s son, Branch, is a deputy in the Sheriff’s Department. Walt and Barlow have always had their differences on account of how Walt puts his son into unnecessary danger. At the same time, Barlow wants the position of sheriff to go to Branch. So Barlow orders the killing of Martha, hoping to wreck Longmire’s emotional state to the point where his son can take over. Branch (Bailey Chase) wants to take over as sheriff, but under better circumstances.

Season 4 begins with Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips) and Vic (Katee Sackhoff) looking for Walt at his house. They discover that Martha’s ashes are gone. Walt swore that he wouldn’t spread her ashes until he found her killer. Henry rushes off to prevent Walt from doing anything extreme and finds the sheriff at a makeshift airstrip with a lever-action rifle. Nighthorse’s private plane is making it’s approach when Henry tackles Walt and convinces him to go the legal route to take his revenge.

Branch goes missing and leaves a letter at his home vaguely reporting that “the White Warrior made him do it.” Walt conducts a search and finds Branch in the river with a shotgun indicating suicide. Walt is visibly changed by Branch’s death. he blames himself for ignoring the warning signs. He takes better care to follow procedure, almost to a level of obsession.

One key change we see in Walt: in the first season we learned that Walt always takes personal responsibility for informing families of tragedy, sometimes driving up to five hours to avoid breaking the news over the phone. This time, he sends a deputy to inform his own daughter, Branch’s girlfriend, of what happened.

Season four is bound to be defined by a new Walt; warped and more determined than ever by regret and grief.

Longmire is now streaming on Netflix. Pictured: Katee Sackoff, Robert Taylor, and Bailey Chase