Bass Reeves: Unveiling the Top 7 Key Plot Twists - Episode 1 Recap

Article Overview

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is an independent series, unrelated to Yellowstone or its spinoff, despite the participation of creator Taylor Sheridan.

Bass Reeves embarks on his journey as a Confederate soldier during the Civil War, compelled to fight for the South against his own desires.

Bass, who fled Texas, seeks refuge with the Seminole Nation. Immersed in their culture and language, he lives among them.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves, a new series on Paramount+, tells the tale of the real-life lawman Bass Reeves in the Old West. Reeves, one of the first black U.S. Deputy Marshals in history, is not associated with Yellowstone despite initial links to its creator, Taylor Sheridan. While Bass Reeves could have intersected with characters from Sheridan's Yellowstone prequel spinoff 1883, Lawmen: Bass Reeves is an independent series.

Sheridan served as an executive producer on the project alongside star actor David Oyelowo, who had reportedly pursued the role of the legendary Bass Reeves for several years. Chad Feehan, a writer on Showtime's highly praised series Ray Donovan, marks his debut as a showrunner with Lawmen: Bass Reeves. This anticipated anthology series is set to explore different historically significant members of law enforcement throughout American history. Lawmen: Bass Reeves, comprised of eight episodes, will be streaming on Paramount+ and recount the true story of the title character until approximately 1877.

7. Bass Reeves Unwillingly Fights For The Confederacy In The Civil War

George Reeves Handed Bass A Rifle And Ordered Him To Shoot

6. Bass Beats Up George Reeves After He Cheated His Chance At Freedom

In the opening scene of Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Major George Reeves, a Confederate Army officer during the U.S. Civil War, hands Bass a rifle. Obedient to George's commands, Bass fearlessly charges into combat at the Battle of Pea Ridge in Arkansas in March 1862. According to Britannica, this battle is one of many actual Civil War conflicts where Bass Reeves, despite his reluctance, fought for the Confederacy. Other notable engagements include the Battle of Chickamauga in Georgia and Missionary Ridge in Tennessee in 1863. In the first episode of Lawmen, Bass impresses with his exceptional marksmanship and equestrian skills, showcasing his innate talent for warfare.

George Reeves Played A Cruel & Senseless Trick On Bass

After displaying exceptional bravery and impressing George Reeves with his courage and skill on the battlefield, Bass Reeves seizes a chance to win his freedom in a high-stakes game of poker. Overwhelmed with emotion, Bass believes he holds a winning hand that could secure his status as a free man, surpassing his master. Doubt sets in when Bass suspects George of cheating, using the queen of hearts card discarded by Bass to trump his own four-of-a-kind hand, beating Bass’s flush. Accusing George of foul play, a physical altercation erupts, leading to Bass viciously overpowering George before fleeing from his ranch in Grayson County, Texas.

5. Bass Flees To Indigenous Territory & Adopts The Ways Of The Seminole Nation

Bass Has Nowhere To Go After Fleeing Grayson County, Texas

Heeding the advice of his lover Jennie, who was also a slave under George Reeves, Bass absconds with a horse and travels a great distance from Texas, dispatching three suspicious individuals in the process. Bass eventually reaches the Indigenous Territory, where he teeters on the brink of death due to extreme exhaustion, hunger, and dehydration. Luckily, a woman named Sara, who belongs to the Seminole Nation, intervenes and rescues him. Sara provides him with sustenance, water, and ultimately a new way of life. In the company of Sara and her son Curtis, who becomes his close friend, Bass immerses himself in the language and traditions of the Seminole community. It should be noted that this paralleled the life of the real Bass Reeves, who also embraced the Cherokee and Creek tribes during his time.

4. Confederate Soldiers Ambush Union Soldiers At Turkey Creek Trading Post

Major Pierce Was Well Aware Of The Surprise Attack

Bass Reeves, spending an extensive amount of time amidst the Seminole Nation, receives an unexpected revelation from Major Pierce – the official declaration of the end of the Civil War and the Confederacy's defeat. This disclosure occurs when Union soldiers, seeking provisions, halt at Turkey Creek Trading Post, where Pierce, now their captive, imparts the news to Reeves. It dawns on Bass that he finds himself ensnared in a well-prepared Confederate scheme to ambush the Union soldiers, as the Confederates promptly emerge and unleash chaos upon the unsuspecting troops. Consequently, Pierce and the other Confederate prisoners are freed from captivity. Despite surviving the ambush, Bass bears witness to the Confederacy's successful annihilation of all Union soldiers and the liberation of the treacherous and perilous Major Pierce.

3. Major Pierce Kills Bass's Friend Curtis In Cold Blood

Curtis Had Tried To Defend The Law Like The Future Bass Reeves

In a brave effort to prevent Major Pierce from escaping, Bass's young companion named Curtis points a rifle at him, threatening to shoot. Initially, Major Pierce appears genuinely terrified, uncertain whether Curtis is proficient in handling a rifle or if he has ever taken a life before. Bass, who had been knocked down and was struggling to rise, shouts at Curtis out of a protective fear that something terrible might occur. Bass had witnessed the brutal nature of violence that Pierce had exhibited on the battlefield and understood his true capability. While Curtis momentarily averts his gaze from Pierce to glance at Bass, he is shot by Pierce and ultimately succumbs to the wound.

2. Bass Returns To George Reeves' House In Grayson County, Texas

Bass Came Back To Reunite With His Only True Love, Jennie

After burying Curtis' body alongside his mother Sara, Bass Reeves receives a horse named Pistol as a generous gift from the Seminole Nation. Utilizing Pistol as his means of transportation, Bass sets off on a ride back to Grayson County, Texas. Now aware of his freedom, he returns to George Reeves' ranch in Grayson County with the hope of finding his beloved Jennie in July 1865. To his astonishment, Jennie is no longer present. However, he encounters Rachel Reeves, George Reeves' wife (portrayed by Jessica Oyelowo, David Oyelowo's real-life wife), who proves to be helpful in guiding Bass towards Jennie. Rachel shares that George Reeves has embarked on a political career and expresses her foresight regarding Bass's inevitable return in search of Jennie.

1. Bass Reunites With His Love Jennie & Finds Out He Has A Daughter

Bass Initially Suspected That Jennie Had Married Another Man

Bass successfully tracks down Jennie in Fort Smith, Arkansas, suspecting that she may have moved on and started a family with someone else. After carefully confirming her identity, he finally approaches her one evening and she immediately recognizes him. Nervously, Bass inquires if she has found another partner, only to be relieved when Jennie reveals that she never married anyone else. Additionally, she drops the bombshell that their daughter, Sally, is also his child, leaving Bass overwhelmed with emotion. In a poignant conclusion to Lawmen: Bass Reeves episode 1, Bass finally gets to meet his daughter Sally, who happens to be one of the eleven children that the legendary lawman had in real life.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I am excited about the new series Lawmen: Bass Reeves. I think it's important to tell the stories of unsung heroes like Bass Reeves, who was one of the first black U.S. Deputy Marshals in history. I'm also interested in seeing how the show will portray the Old West, which is often depicted as a time of lawlessness and violence. I think it's important to show that there were also people like Bass Reeves who worked to bring justice to the frontier.

I think the first episode of Lawmen: Bass Reeves did a good job of introducing the character of Bass Reeves and setting up the story. I was particularly impressed with the scene where Bass escapes from his master, George Reeves. It was a thrilling and suspenseful scene that showed Bass's determination to be free. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series.