Why So Blu?

Longmire: The Complete Third Season (DVD Review)

Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire is back in the saddle for a third thrilling season. After winning his heated re-election as Absaroka County sheriff vs. his ambitious deputy Branch Connally, Walt Longmire faces a stampede of problems both personal and professional. With Branch mysteriously shot on “the Rez” by the White Warrior spirit of a dead man and Henry arrested in connection to the murder of Walt’s wife’s killer, Longmire finds himself butting heads with tribal police, big money connections and longstanding feuds. Add to this his daughter Cady’s pursuit of the truth regarding her mother’s killer, his deputy Vic Moretti’s already strained marriage now under pressure with another unwelcome return from her Philadelphia past, and the inevitable rural undercurrent of murder, secrets and betrayal and get ready for Big Sky drama at its best. Last season, Walt and his deputies each braved a storm and did it nobly. But for every storm, there is an aftermath. Special Feature: THE GHOST IN THE STORM featurette – the documentary will focus upon the density of material that is viewed through the simplest of human emotions regarding obsession. Once the ghosts are vanquished, where do the characters go from here? Have they truly survived trauma and picked up their proverbial “pieces”? Is the end of obsession, the end of purpose over their lives, or is Season Three the re-birth? 

The Series 

One of my favorite shows on television was Longmire and it has returned with its third season on DVD. Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) is still on the trail of those that would bring trouble to his quiet town in Absaroka County. Following the events in season 2 in which Branch (Bailey Chase) was nearly killed by someone he claims was a white spirit warrior – it pretty much leaves Walt alone with deputy Victoria “Vic” Moretti to handle the brunt of cases in town.

The biggest cliffhanger leading into season 2 was that of Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Philips) being arrested for murder. Conspiracies and murder surround these cases of false accusations while other stand-alone episode embellish this third season of Longmire quite well. It’s a 10-episode season and what also brought Longmire to the forefront this year as A&E’s highest rated dramatic television program was in its unfortunate cancellation. People made a fuss, as did I, and as of this posting Netlfix has come to the rescue and is producing a final season four. There is no release date just yet.

As far as stacking up to the first two previous seasons this third season runs at a brisk pace – they trimmed the fat, or what ever fat there was, and streamlined many of the characters motivations. Everyone involved on the show seems to get equal footing and we also get less filler thrown into the mix. Sure there are stand-alone episodes but even those add little nuggets of information that will lead to major revelations in the primary storyline.

The cast is still excellent s always and one can tell that they get along real well outside of their roles, which makes their onscreen dynamics that much more interesting. I binged watched this third season of Longmire and was bummed at the ending, which is why I’m glad that it will eventually come back for some resolution at a later date. I hope that date isn’t too far away, because I can already feel the withdrawals coming on. I should also point that for some reason the Blu-ray set of this show was announced really late in the game and we only received a DVD set. I reviewed the first two seasons on Blu-ray and reviewing the DVD set was a slight departure in quality. Again, the Blu-ray set will be released along with the DVD set on Tuesday March 3, 2015.

Season 3

The White Warrior

Of Children and Travelers

Miss Cheyenne

In the Pines

Wanted Man

Reports of My Death

Population 25

Harvest

Counting Coup

Ashes to Ashes

 

Video 

Encoding: MPEG-2

Resolution: 480p

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Clarity/Detail: As usual, when it comes to television on DVD, WB has given the third season of Longmire a great transfer. Contrast is steady without tweaking, even during the certain icy escapades, and sharpness remains nice and balanced.

Depth: The beautiful vistas on display this third season really shine on the DVD format. I had no problem with depth.

Black Levels: Black levels and darkly lit scenes all came through without major instances of crush. It’s DVD, so it’s understandable if a couple scenes crush here and there. It’s limitations of the source.

Color Reproduction: The color palette shines on this third season. Golden hues, crisp mountainsides, lush greenery, etc., breathe life into the lawlessness of Wyoming.

Flesh Tones: Everyone looked to be in great health and the complexions of everyone involved, with exception to Branch, gave off a healthy glow.

Noise/Artifacts: Noise and artifacts were not at all intrusive but were present here and there.

 

Audio 

Audio Format(s): English Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dynamics: Longmire sounds great on this DVD set. Sure, it’s not a lossless track, but the 5.1 Dolby Digital track we do get is more than adequate.

Low Frequency Extension: Low-end bass levels compliment some of the more action packed scenes along with some of the more exaggerated ones involving Branch and his visions, etc.

Surround Sound Presentation: The rear channels handle ambience and rear action nicely without having it bleed over into the front part of the sound stage.

Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue levels are clean, crisp, and free from clipping, distortion and all sorts of anomalies.

 

Extras  

Sadly, there is only one extra included on this DVD, but it is a comprehensive one. It’s a 30-minute interview with the show’s frontrunners as they describe where Longmire has been and where he is headed. Lots of great stuff here that will broaden your horizons in terms of the direction the show took in season three.

• Longmire: The Ghost in the Storm – The storm defined the characters in Season Two, and now our band of heroes must face the aftermath. How will Walt, Branch, Henry and the others survive their trauma and outrun the ghosts haunting them? (SD, 30-mins.)

 

 

Summary 

 Longmire came to some closure towards the end of its third season run but of course they had to include a cliffhanger and then the studio pulled the plug on the show. I’m glad Netflix came to the rescue and will be putting out a season 4 soon enough. The DVD is above average in terms of video and audio but lacks extras, with the exception of the well-made writers circle featured. Longmire: The Complete Third Season is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

 

 

Longmire: The Complete Third Season is released on DVD March 3rd!

ORDER NOW!