Is Walt Longmire Like Tony Soprano? We’ll See!

If you’ve followed our previous coverage, then you know how excited we are for the premiere of Longmire at 10 pm Sunday night on A&E. We got a sneak peek at the pilot and think that show runners John Coveny and Hunt Baldwin nailed the spirit of Craig Johnson’s bestselling novels right down to the last Rainier beer can. Robert Taylor is pretty much perfect as the old-fashioned but quick-thinking Sheriff Walt, and his supporting cast of sparkplug Katee Sackhoff as fiery undersheriff Vic “The Terror” Moretti and effortlessly charming Lou Diamond Phillips as his good friend Henry Standing Bear shine as well.  

There’s a style and soulfulness to the pilot, the show’s contemplative pacing and breathtaking open vistas helping to embody the classic Western lifestyle. Humor is plentiful and conflict abounds, both in the form of an ambitious, square-jawed deputy Branch Connally (Bailey Chase) who challenges Walt at every turn, and the simmering tension between Walt’s team and the police force of the neighboring Cheyenne reservation.  

All in all, it’s a solid and promising start to bringing to life the books that many mystery readers already love. Check back in with us immediately after the pilot airs (at 11:15 pm Eastern) and we can all share a more in-depth discussion of Longmire’s charms, including what the upstanding, laconic lawman might have in common with . . . Tony Soprano?!