David Oyelowo didn't just play Bass Reeves; he lived him. For years, the actor pushed to get this story told, and when the first installment of the anthology series finally hit Paramount+, it felt like a massive weight had been lifted from the chest of Western history. But now, the dust has settled on the first eight episodes, and everyone is asking the same thing: where is Lawmen: Bass Reeves Season 2?
The short answer is complicated.
Honestly, if you’re looking for a simple "yes" or "no" from a press release, you aren't going to find it yet. Taylor Sheridan and showrunner Chad Feehan created something that was originally billed as a limited series. We’ve seen this movie before, though. The White Lotus was a limited series. Big Little Lies was a limited series. When a show pulls in the kind of numbers that the legendary Deputy U.S. Marshal did, "limited" usually becomes "seasonal" pretty fast.
The Reality of the Lawmen Anthology
The biggest thing people get wrong about the future of this show is the name itself. It’s not called Bass Reeves. It’s called Lawmen.
When the project was first announced, the vision was always an anthology. The idea was to take a different historical figure each season—someone who wore a badge and had a story that the history books largely ignored or sanitized. This means that Lawmen: Bass Reeves Season 2 might not actually be about Bass Reeves at all.
It’s a bit of a gut punch for fans who fell in love with Oyelowo’s portrayal. He brought a certain gravity to the role that’s hard to replicate. However, the scope of the American Frontier is massive. There are dozens of other figures like Bass who deserve that high-budget, gritty Sheridan treatment.
Think about it. We could see a season dedicated to someone like Bat Masterson, or perhaps a deep dive into the tribal police of the Indian Territory. The format allows the creators to jump through time and geography without being tethered to a single life story that, frankly, reached a natural narrative conclusion at the end of the first season.
🔗 Read more: All I Watch for Christmas: What You’re Missing About the TBS Holiday Tradition
Why Bass Might Still Return
Don't count Oyelowo out just yet. Even though the anthology format suggests a new lead, there has been significant chatter among the production team about "more story to tell" regarding the man who supposedly inspired the Lone Ranger.
Bass Reeves served as a federal peace officer for over 30 years. He claimed to have arrested over 3,000 outlaws. The first season barely scratched the surface of that career. We saw his origin, his rise, and his moral struggles, but there are decades of legendary captures left on the table. If the ratings for a potential "Season 2: Different Lawman" look risky, Paramount might pull the lever on "Bass Reeves Part II" to keep the momentum going.
Oyelowo himself has been vocal about his passion for the character. In several interviews following the finale, he hinted that while the first season was a complete arc, the richness of the historical record provides plenty of meat for more episodes. It’s a matter of scheduling and scripts.
The Production Timeline and Taylor Sheridan’s Schedule
We have to talk about the elephant in the room: Taylor Sheridan is the busiest man in Hollywood.
Between Yellowstone, 1923, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown, and Lioness, his plate isn't just full—it’s overflowing. Lawmen is part of that massive stable. Usually, these shows follow a specific production rhythm. If a second season were to be greenlit tomorrow, we’d likely be looking at a late 2026 or even early 2027 release date.
Westerns are expensive. They require massive location shoots, period-accurate costuming, and a literal army of horses and trainers. You can't just whip a season of Lawmen: Bass Reeves Season 2 together in a studio in Atlanta over a weekend.
💡 You might also like: Al Pacino Angels in America: Why His Roy Cohn Still Terrifies Us
What the Fans are Demanding
If you spend any time on Reddit or TV forums, the consensus is clear. People want the grit.
The first season succeeded because it didn't shy away from the brutality of the era or the systemic racism Reeves faced while simultaneously holding a position of immense power. Any future iteration of the show has to maintain that "truth-first" perspective.
Some fans have suggested that instead of a direct sequel, the show should pivot to a different legendary lawman every season but keep a "Sheridan-verse" feel. Candidates frequently mentioned include:
- Wild Bill Hickok: A cliché choice, maybe, but one that hasn't been done with this level of historical nuance in a while.
- Elfego Baca: A legendary Mexican-American lawman whose "Frisco Shootout" is the stuff of actual legends.
- Tom Smith: The man who cleaned up Abilene without using a gun (mostly).
The beauty of the "Lawmen" branding is the flexibility. But that flexibility is exactly why we haven't had a concrete announcement about a direct Bass Reeves continuation.
Fact-Checking the Rumor Mill
You’ve probably seen the "leaks" on social media. People love to claim that filming has already started in Texas or that a script has been finished.
As of right now, Paramount+ has not officially renewed the show for a second season under the Bass Reeves subtitle. They are likely crunching the numbers on global viewership. Westerns play incredibly well in Middle America, but they also have a surprising amount of legs internationally.
📖 Related: Adam Scott in Step Brothers: Why Derek is Still the Funniest Part of the Movie
One thing is certain: the critics loved it. The show holds high scores on Rotten Tomatoes, and Oyelowo’s performance was widely cited as one of the best of the year. In the streaming wars, prestige matters almost as much as raw numbers.
What You Should Do While Waiting
If you're itching for more Bass Reeves, the best thing you can do is dive into the actual history. Most of the show was based on the research of Sidney Thompson, specifically his historical fiction trilogy.
Reading Follow the Angels, Follow the Doves or Hell on the Border will give you a much deeper understanding of the man than a TV show ever could. You'll realize that as cool as the show was, the real Bass Reeves was even more incredible. He was a master of disguise, a polyglot who spoke several Indigenous languages, and a man of such high integrity that he actually arrested his own son for murder.
Also, keep an eye on the trades like The Hollywood Reporter or Variety. Any official word on Lawmen: Bass Reeves Season 2 will break there first, not on a random TikTok "news" account.
The Wrap Up on Season 2
We are currently in a "wait and see" period. The industry is still recalibrating after the strikes and a general shift in how streaming services spend money. They are being more selective.
However, the success of the first season makes it highly unlikely that the Lawmen brand will just disappear. Whether it returns with Oyelowo back in the saddle or pivots to a new face of frontier justice, the appetite for authentic, diverse Western stories is higher than it has been in decades.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Re-watch Season 1 on Paramount+: High engagement numbers are the #1 way to ensure a renewal.
- Read "The Black Badge" by Art T. Burton: This is widely considered the definitive biography of Bass Reeves and offers details the show had to leave out for time.
- Track the "Lawmen" Title: Don't just search for "Bass Reeves." Watch for news regarding the Lawmen anthology as a whole, as that is where the official announcement will live.
- Explore other Sheridan Westerns: If you haven't seen 1883, it shares a lot of the same DNA and production value that made Bass Reeves so compelling.