# Longmire: Season 3 - DVD Review



## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=39609[/img] 
*Title: Longmire: Season 3* 

*Movie:* :4.5stars:
*Video:* :4.5stars:
*Audio:* :4stars: 
*Extras:* :1.5stars: 

*HTS Overall Score:*81




[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=39617[/img]*Summary*
“Longmire” is second in line with A&E’s breakout shows the last few years. Most of the emphasis is on the fantastic “Bates Motel” that has brought one of horror’s most creepiest legends to life once more, but close on its heels is the fantastic Western/Police procedural that almost got cancelled completely. Back for a third season the show has trimmed a lot of the fat from the bones and left the show tight and streamlined, giving us the best season to date. Last time we left Walt he had just won his re-election as Sherriff in the fictional town of Absaroka, Wyoming and is dealing with the death of Branch, who still claims that he was shot by a dead man. Now Walt has to start dealing with some really “fun” parts of his job when things come to a head with the tribal police, and he has to arrest Henry in conjunction with Walt’s wife’s murder years ago. If that isn’t enough, his daughter Cady continues to dig her nose into the murder and cause even more headaches for the already frustrated lawman. 

The show had a very solid start in the first season and really hit it’s groove in season 2, but season 3 is the leanest and most focused of the three seasons to date. Sure there’s some fluff stuff, like Walt taking over as a beauty pageant judge for Henry, and “Reports of my Death” takes up some time away from the main storyline, but the majority of the 441 minutes of season 3 is spent dealing with murders and crimes that slowly start to put the pieces together for Walt. Henry’s arrest was one of the more shocking entries into the series and his arrest makes way for some startling discoveries for the rest of the cast. Vic’s strained marriage brings back some unwelcome persons to complicate matters and Henry’s incarceration finally comes to a head near the end of the series. The Ending episode is the big kicker here as the murder of Walt’s wife is being brought to conclusion (or so it seems) and we have some curve balls that come out of left field, leaving the viewer’s jaws hanging open in shock. 


[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=39625[/img]
What makes the show great is not just the western setting (which is something that is SORELY missed by this old goat), or the procedural nature of the show, but the relationships between the cast members and the chemistry displayed on screen. Robert Taylor is FANTASTIC as Walt Longmire and while Katee Sackhoff hasn’t exactly gained much traction in her theatrical roles (besides “Riddick”), she’s almost as good as Vic on “Longmire” as she was Starbuck on “BSG”. Lou Diamond Phillips has been around forever, but has really found his later life niche on Television, apart from the big screen and his role as Henry is a perfect complement to Walt. The ending of season 3 leaves us with a cliffhanger regarding Branch that would have been devastating to leave hanging after A&E announced the cancellation of the series, but thankfully Netflix swooped in and allowed the show to be rescued with a 4th and final season for the fans. 

I really had fun with all 3 seasons, and was bummed out with the rest of you when I heard that season 4 was going to cancelled, but with Netflix stepping in it looks like we can finally find out what happens to Branch and round out the show properly. The western dynamic is something that I really enjoy, as a longtime fan of Westerns, but the unique blending of film noir and police procedural creates a unique series that really sucks the viewer in. It’s not as bloody or creepy as many procedurals, or it’s big brother “Bates Motel”, but neither does it need that aspect as well, allowing the mystery and implied brutality of the west sink in through intimation and ambiance. 



*
Episode Rundown

The White Warrior
Of Children and Travelers
Miss Cheyenne
In the Pines
Wanted Man
Reports of My Death
Population 25
Harvest
Counting Coup
Ashes to Ashes
*



*Rating:* 

Rated TV-14




*Video* :4.5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=39633[/img]Season 3 of “Longmire” comes to DVD with a standard 1.78:1 framed image encoded with MPEG2 on 2 DVD-9 discs. I’ve seen only the Blu-ray release of the first two seasons and was INCREDIBLY impressed with the results, and even though this isn’t the Blu-ray release, the results are just as stunning (for a 480i encode). The image is sharp as a tack and incredibly detailed. The bright oranges of Henry’s prison uniform, to the greys and blues of the Sherriff department’s trimmings all shine through brightly and show ever fiber in exquisite detail. Black levels are excellent, although there is a few scenes where I noticed some crush here and there. I didn’t see any macroblocking or other digital artifacting and have to say that this is one of the best looking TV shows on DVD that I’ve seen in a VERY long time. 










*Audio* :4stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=39641[/img]The show’s 5.1 Dolby Digital track is a bit more restrained, giving a lot more emphasis to the dialogue with some aural ambiance to fill out the rear channels than some shows. Gunshots sound impressive and the music flows through all 6 channels with great aplomb, while the little nuances of the Wyoming city softly fill out the rest. There’s some decent LFE to add to the low end, and even gives some “jump” moments where that mid bass kicks you in the chest. A solid track, and one that won’t disappoint fans of the show in the slightest. 









[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=39649[/img]*Extras* :1.5stars:
• Longmire: The Ghost in the Storm











*Overall:* :4stars:

“Longmire” is almost at an end with the next season and Warner has realesed the final A&E season on DVD and Blu-ray. The DVD is sold widely at all retailers, but the Blu-ray has been relegated to the Warner Archive collection, which is their limited release “on demand” pressings that are only sold through Amazon and the warner archive site. So those looking for the Blu-ray of the third season will have to look online to acquire it. The video and audio are excellent for a DVD and with the exception of the extras, is an excellent package. Definitely recommended. 


*Additional Information:*

Starring: Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips
Created by: Hunt Baldwin, John Coveny
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 MPEG2
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Studio: Warner 
Rated: TV-14
Runtime: 441 Minutes
Own it on DVD March 3rd, 2015



*Buy Longmire: Season 3 On DVD at Amazon*



*Recommendation: Watch It​*







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