Red Pony Inn and Continual Soiree

I am not by nature a fangirl. While there are TV shows that I'll always love (and those that I love to hate), I rarely become passionate enough about shows to miss them during their off seasons, or pine for their return. But like comfortable shoes or the best friendships, some shows sort of insinuate themselves into our lives in the best way possible. Take A&E's just canceled Longmire, a show that has been described as both a modern western and a crime drama. The scenery is spectacular, the characters complex, and the relationships twisty and unexpected. And if you're interested in Native American culture, there's a lesson to be learned nearly every episode. Yet despite Longmire's popularity (second in the network's ratings only to Duck Dynasty),  the show was recently canceled. And I'm really bummed. And clearly, a lot of people on the internet would like the show to be uncanceled and are calling for a virtual revolution. In case you've never watched the show, or need to be reminded about what makes it worth watching and certainly worth saving, consider these 10 things.

1. It's a good old-fashioned Western: Like classic John Wayne movies, there are good guys (with gold sheriff's stars and white cowboy hats!) chasing bad guys. Only they don't always do the right thing despite their deep inner struggle. Score one for the brooding hero!

2. The scenery and cinematography are spectacular: While the show is ostensibly set in Absaroka County, Wyoming, it is actually lovingly filmed in New Mexico. No matter how much blue sky and fluffy white clouds you've seen, you've never quite seen them captured on the small screen the way that they are on this show.

3. You can watch it with your mom: Unlike the frequent bedding and beheading  prevalent on shows like Game of Thrones and Spartacus, Longmire keeps things at a slow burn. So for the most part, you can feel entirely comfortable watching it with your family...

4. Dysfunctional families are the norm: Another reason to watch with your mom. The family dynamics on this show are so incredibly shocking, that they'll make your family look positively Brady Bunch-esque by comparison. And really, A&E, how on earth are we supposed to go quietly without knowing if Branch or Barlow survive that father-son shoot out?

5. Unlikely sex symbols: Sure,Longmire the man is super-studly with his gruff voice and tormented soul. And Branch is probably the most sizzling-hot-rich-boy-rebelling-by-going-into-tiny-town-law-enforcement character ever. But sweet as a puppy Ferg, played by Adam Bartley, is one of the most crush-worthy male characters on TV in a long time. By turns bumbling, at others fiercely loyal and brave, he represents a completely different type of male character than I can remember seeing on a TV drama. And I'd really, really, like to ask him for a hug.

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6. Women of every age and every stage: When is the last time that you saw a woman of a certain age, playing someone sassy and wise without  playing the requisite grandmother role? Louanne Stephens (formerly of Friday Night Lights) as Ruby, the sheriff's office dispatcher, adds a quiet grace to a role that might seem tiny if inhabited by any other actress. And Vic and Cady as the younger females in the cast don't ever quite do what we expect them to.

7. Really villainous villains: I can't stand Jacob Nighthorse. And I really, really hate Malachi Strand. Yet I'm always curious about their backstories and just how they became as evil as they are. (Also, about Nighthorse's awful facial shrubbery. I'm haunted by it.)

8. Authentic male friendships: Forget bromances: the decades-long friendship of Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear has survived racism, deaths, wrongful imprisonment, and creepy stuff involving corpses. And it's a pleasure to see such great chemistry between Robert Taylor and Lou Diamond Phillips.

9. Lou Diamond Phillips as Henry Standing Bear: He's come a long way since La Bamba. As Henry or "Hank," Diamond Phillips has the most perfect diction and delivery in the history of modern television. Please tell me that I will hear him say "It is a beautiful day at the Red Pony and continual soiree" for another season. Pretty please.

10. Characters change: People change, and so do the characters on this show. But you have to watch it to fully appreciate the fact that a former stalker can reclaim his good-guy status again; and that a cop who seems to be losing his sanity, delves really deep to find it again.

I'm not going to claim that this is the best show on TV, but it's a quality production that deserves another season at least. And I feel doubly passionate about it since I never got to write a love letter to one of my favorite shows of all times:Homefront, the post-WWII drama that aired for two short seasons and starred the likes of Kyle Chandler and John Slattery, way before Friday Night Lights and Mad Men made them household names.

So please, A&E and TV executives in general, I implore you: more quality TV along the lines of Longmire and less so-called-reality drivel.

Rachel Weingarten is a culture journalist, style expert, and the award-winning author of 3 non-fiction books. She's also a beauty historian and former celebrity makeup artist. Tweet with her @rachelcw

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Source: https://parade.com/334307/rachelweingarten/10-reasons-to-save-longmire/

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