It’s been years since the dust settled in Absaroka County, but people are still talking about how Walt Longmire put down his badge. Longmire Season 6 Episode 10, titled "Goodbye is Always Implied," wasn't just a series finale; it was a total vibe shift for a show that spent years wallowing in the grit of the high plains.
Let's be real. Finales are usually a mess. Most shows either try too hard to be deep or leave so many loose ends that you want to throw your remote at the wall. But Longmire? It took a different path. It was quiet. It was steady. It was honestly a bit surprising how much of the tension just... evaporated into the Wyoming air. If you're looking back at that final hour, you're probably wondering if Walt actually found peace or if he just traded one kind of obsession for another.
The Final Showdown with Malachi Strand
The episode kicks off with the weight of the previous five seasons pressing down on everyone. We’ve got Malachi Strand, the ultimate thorn in everyone’s side, hiding out in a hole in the ground. Literally. The buildup to the confrontation at the hidden Crow camp felt like the show was finally cashing all its chips.
Walt, Henry Standing Bear, and Vic trekking into that territory felt like a classic Western trope, but with that specific Longmire flavor where things aren't exactly "heroic" in the traditional sense. It's dirty. It's cold. Malachi is a desperate man, and Gil Birmingham plays Henry with this incredible, stoic intensity that reminds you why he was the heart of the show.
When the shooting starts, it isn't some John Wick choreographed dance. It’s frantic. It’s messy. The moment Malachi meets his end—shot by both Walt and Henry—is poetic justice, sure, but it also feels like a heavy burden being lifted. Malachi represented the old wounds of the county. With him gone, the show could finally ask: Who is Walt Longmire without a war to fight?
Why Walt Handed Over the Badge
The biggest shocker for most fans wasn't the shootout; it was the retirement. Walt is the kind of guy who seems like he’d die in his uniform. He’s obsessed with justice to a fault. So, seeing him hand the keys to the office over to Cady was... well, it was a lot to process.
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Cady Longmire as Sheriff is a move that still divides the fanbase. Some think she wasn't ready. Others see it as the only way for the Longmire legacy to survive without Walt’s self-destructive tendencies. By stepping down, Walt wasn't just quitting a job. He was breaking a cycle of violence that had defined his life since his wife died.
Think about it. The whole series is framed by Walt’s inability to let go. He wouldn't let go of the past, he wouldn't let go of his grief, and he wouldn't let go of the law. In Longmire Season 6 Episode 10, he finally lets go. It’s the ultimate character growth for a man who previously viewed compromise as a weakness.
The Walt and Vic Dynamic: Did It Actually Work?
Okay, we have to talk about the romance. Or the "sorta" romance. The relationship between Walt and Victoria "Vic" Moretti was always the elephant in the room. Throughout the series, the age gap and the professional boundaries made it feel "off" to a segment of the audience, while others were shipping them from day one.
In the finale, we finally get that scene. You know the one.
They’re at Walt’s cabin. The lighting is soft. The dialogue is sparse because, let’s face it, Walt isn't exactly a wordsmith. When they finally admit their feelings, it doesn't feel like a fairy tale. It feels like two traumatized people deciding that they’re tired of being alone. Vic had lost her baby; Walt had lost his wife and his career. They were both raw.
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Watching Walt smile—like, a genuine, toothy smile—while talking to Vic was probably the most "un-Walt" thing we’d seen in sixty episodes. It was jarring but necessary. It signaled that the "Old Walt" was gone. He was no longer the mourning widower or the vengeful lawman. He was just a guy named Walt.
The Treasure Hunt That Changed Everything
One of the weirder, more subtle plot points of the finale involved the search for Lucian Connally’s hidden treasure. It seemed like a distraction at first. Why are we talking about buried money when there are cartels and crooked politicians to deal with?
But the treasure hunt served a huge thematic purpose. It was about the future.
Throughout the series, the characters were constantly looking back—at old treaties, old murders, old grudges. The hunt for the treasure, and the eventual discovery that it was mostly a metaphorical legacy, forced Walt to look forward. When he finally heads off on his motorcycle at the very end, he isn't chasing a criminal. He’s chasing a horizon. It’s a complete reversal of his character arc.
Fact-Checking the Ending: What Happened to the Others?
If you blinked, you might have missed where everyone else landed. The finale did a decent job of "setting the table" for the characters' futures:
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- Henry Standing Bear: He takes over the Red Pony again, but with a new sense of authority. He is the bridge between the white and indigenous communities, a role he was always meant to play.
- The Ferg: He stays on as a deputy. Honestly, Ferg is the unsung hero. He grew from a bumbling kid into a competent officer who didn't need Walt’s shadow to be effective.
- Jacob Nighthorse: He survives, which is a miracle in itself. His arc ends on a note of ambiguous redemption. He’s still a businessman, still a manipulator, but he’s no longer the primary antagonist. He and Walt reach a silent understanding. It's the most "Wyoming" ending possible—two rivals agreeing to stay out of each other's way.
Why Longmire Still Holds Up in 2026
The reason we’re still dissecting Longmire Season 6 Episode 10 is that it didn't pander. It stayed true to the atmosphere of Craig Johnson’s novels while carving its own path on Netflix. It was a "dad show" that turned out to be a deeply psychological character study.
Most modern crime dramas are obsessed with being "prestige TV" with complicated twists and dark endings. Longmire was different. It was earnest. It believed in things like honor and community, even while showing how corrupt those things can become.
The finale worked because it gave us closure without being cheesy. Walt didn't ride off into a sunset; he rode off into a field to find a cell phone signal. That’s real. That’s life.
How to Revisit the Series Properly
If you're planning a rewatch or diving in for the first time, don't just rush to the end. The weight of the finale depends entirely on the slow burn of the earlier seasons.
- Watch the Pilot and the Finale Back-to-Back: Notice the color grading. The pilot is dark, rainy, and claustrophobic. The finale is bright, open, and airy. It’s a visual representation of Walt’s mental state.
- Focus on the Silence: Robert Taylor is a master of saying nothing. In the finale, pay attention to his eyes when he looks at his badge for the last time. There’s no dialogue needed.
- Check the Novels: If the ending of the show left you wanting more, Craig Johnson’s books offer a slightly different flavor. The show took liberties—especially with the Walt/Vic timeline—and comparing the two is a great way to see how television adaptations work.
The legacy of Absaroka County isn't about who won the shootout. It’s about the fact that even the most stubborn man on earth can eventually learn to change his mind. Walt Longmire spent his life looking for the truth in everyone else's lies, and in the end, he finally found the truth about himself: he didn't need the badge to be a good man.
He just needed to let the past stay in the ground.
Actionable Insights for Longmire Fans:
- Deep Dive into Themes: Re-watch Season 6 with a focus on "inheritance." Notice how every main character is forced to decide what they are taking from their parents or mentors.
- Location Scouting: If you're a superfan, visit Buffalo, Wyoming (the inspiration for Durant) or Santa Fe, New Mexico (where it was filmed). Seeing the landscape in person changes how you view the scale of the show’s conflicts.
- Character Continuity: Trace Vic’s evolution from an outsider Philadelphia cop to a Wyoming local. Her transformation is actually more drastic than Walt’s, culminating in her final decision to stay with him.