Lawmen: Bass Reeves Episode 1 Recap: 7 Biggest Story Reveals

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Bass Reeves episode 1.

The new Paramount+ series Lawmen: Bass Reeves chronicles the real-life Old West lawman Bass Reeves, who became one of the first black U.S. Deputy Marshalls in United States history. The creator of Yellowstone Taylor Sheridan was initially linked to direct the miniseries and make it a part of the greater Yellowstone universe, but Lawmen: Bass Reeves is not connected to Yellowstone at all. Despite the opportunity for Bass Reeves to potentially overlap with the characters of Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel spinoff 1883, Lawmen: Bass Reeves is truly a standalone series.

Sheridan was an executive producer on the project along with star actor David Oyelowo, who had reportedly tried for years to play the legendary Bass Reeves character. Chad Feehan, who was a writer on Showtime’s acclaimed series Ray Donovan, makes his debut as a showrunner with Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which is expected to be an anthology series that follows a different historically significant member of law enforcement throughout American history. Lawmen: Bass Reeves will run for eight episodes on Paramount+ and chronicle the true story of the titular character until around 1877.

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

George Reeves Handed Bass A Rifle And Ordered Him To Shoot

In the opening scene of Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Bass is handed a rifle by his master George Reeves, who is a Major in the Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War. Obeying Reeves’ orders, Bass charged into combat at the Battle of Pea Ridge which took place in Arkansas in March 1862. This was one of several real-life Civil War battles that Bass Reeves was said to have fought in for the Confederacy against his will. Other include the Battle of Chickamauga in Georgia and Missionary Ridge in Tennessee in 1863 (via Britannica). Reeves proves to be sharp with a rifle and on horseback, demonstrating his natural abilities for combat in Lawmen episode 1.

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

George Reeves Played A Cruel & Senseless Trick On Bass

After performing heroically in battle and seemingly impressing George Reeves with his courage and skill, Bass Reeves is given an opportunity to secure his freedom through a chance game of poker. Bass becomes overwhelmed with emotion, believing that he has a hand that would be good enough to beat his master and secure his status as a free man. He suspects that George cheats him, beating his hand of a flush with a four-of-a-kind using the queen of hearts card that Bass has discarded. Bass accuses George of cheating and the two have a physical scuffle, resulting in Bass brutally beating up George and fleeing 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 steals a horse and rides far away from Texas, killing three suspicious men in the process. Bass makes his way to Indigenous Territory, where he nearly dies of exhaustion, hunger, and dehydration. He is saved by a woman named Sara who is a member of the Seminole Nation. Sara takes him in and offers him food, water, and eventually a way of life. Bass lives among the Seminole Nation with Sara and her son Curtis, who becomes his buddy and teaches him the language and customs of the Seminole. This is true of the real-life Bass Reeves, who also lived among the Cherokee and Creek tribes.

RELATED:The True Story Of Lawmen: Bass Reeves

4 Confederate Soldiers Ambush Union Soldiers At Turkey Creek Trading Post

Major Pierce Was Well Aware Of The Surprise Attack

Bass Reeves spends so much time among the Seminole Nation that he is surprised to discover that the Civil War has been declared officially over and that the Confederacy has lost. Reeves is told this by Major Pierce, who has been captured by Union soldiers who stop at Turkey Creek Trading Post for food and supplies. Bass soon realizes that he is in the middle of a planned ambush on the Union soldiers by Confederates, who quickly appear and wreak havoc on the Union soldiers, freeing Pierce and the other Confederate prisoners. Bass survives the ambush but the Confederacy is successful in killing all the Union soldiers and freeing the dangerous and untrustworthy 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 courageous attempt to prevent Major Pierce from escaping, Bass’s young friend named Curtis aims a rifle at him threatening to shoot. At first, Major Pierce appears to be genuinely frightened, unsure whether Curtis knew how to shoot a rifle or if he had ever killed anyone before. Bass, who had been pushed to the ground and was struggling to get up, yelled at Curtis out of a protective fear that something bad was going to happen. Bass had witnessed the savage brand of violence that Pierce had displayed on the battlefield and knew exactly what he was capable of. Curtis takes his eye off Pierce to look at Bass and gets shot by Pierce, eventually dying from 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 with his mother Sara, Bass Reeves is gifted a horse from the Seminole Nation named Pistol which he uses to ride back to Grayson County, Texas. Knowing now that he is a free man, Bass returns to George Reeves’ ranch in Grayson County, Texas to find his lover Jennie in July 1865, but is surprised to find out she’s no longer there. Bass encounters George Reeves’ wife Rachel Reeves (played by David Oyelowo’s real-life wife Jessica Oyelowo), who is helpful in telling Bass where he can find Jennie. Rachel informs Bass that George Reeves is pursuing a career in politics and says she knew that Bass would be back looking for Jennie one day.

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

Bass Initially Suspected That Jennie Had Married Another Man

Bass is able to locate Jennie in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he initially thinks she has moved on and started a family with another man. After carefully assessing whether it was really Jennie or not, he finally approaches her one evening and she immediately recognizes him. Bass nervously asks if she found another partner but is relieved to discover that Jennie never married anyone else. She also reveals that her daughter is also Bass’s daughter, which overwhelms Bass with emotion. Lawmen: Bass Reeves episode 1 ends with a beautiful moment of Bass meeting his daughter Sally for the first time who was one of eleven children that the legendary lawman had in real life.

Source: Britannica