What I’m Watching: Longmire

Longmire: Season 1, Episode 8 “An Incredibly Beautiful Thing” (B+)

There really aren’t many things more terrifying than a cult, and this episode exemplified that as it got darker and darker as more was revealed about Evelyn’s disappearance. The human element, as always, was very much present, particularly with Ruby trying to write the obituary for the deceased owner of the gas station. Vic getting her husband to help in the case specifically if she promised that Walt wouldn’t be involved was also amusing, though that ended up being more serious than expected, as Walt got himself into trouble by overstepping his jurisdiction. Henry’s tracking skills came in quite handy, as did Ferg’s surprising rock and mineral knowledge (he could give Hank on “Breaking Bad” a run for his money, it seems). Offering a reward for information on Evelyn brought in a lot of useless tips, and the one that did pan out wasn’t presented very nicely. October stabbing the social worker in her attempt to steal the baby was scary, but not as much as the sight of the twelve girls strapped to the tracks as part of a joint suicide pact. This show is subtle and strong enough not to need a big, overly dramatic scene to demonstrate the rescue, and it still manages to be powerful and tense. The brief interaction between Cady and Branch in the middle of the case reveals that she hasn’t been returning his calls, which seems to suggest that she cares for him too much to let him jeopardize his campaign for her.