What I’m Watching: Longmire

Longmire: Season 3, Episode 7 “Population 25” (B+)

This was one intense hour, especially for an episode that started out rather calmly with the only real danger being Sean boring Vic to death on a road trip in his ill-advised convertible. Unfortunately, far more sinister things with much bigger implications were at work, one of which wasn’t resolved and will keep viewers on the edge of their seats until next week. I’ve been a fan of Peter Stormare’s since “Fargo,” and while I think his villainous turn here is quite different than the one there, namely because of his enthusiasm for dramatic flair and verbal prowess, he’s just as terrific. Vic really did pick the wrong driveway, and that escalated very quickly. Trying supposed traitors in a frightening trial is something that we’ve seen elsewhere, like on “Person of Interest” recently, but putting helmets on people’s heads and then bashing them with baseball bats is probably more disconcerting and scary. It was strange to see Sean under pressure, because at first he seemed woefully incompetent and then he actually did alright, even though he didn’t seem terribly fazed by the gravity of the situation. What was most interesting about this episode was seeing Ed Gorski show up and work hard to get Walt to trust him, initially appearing hostile but ultimately showing signs of good faith and going in side-by-side with Walt. The sheriff may not have found his wife’s killer, but he is certainly face-to-face with a formidable enemy, and let’s hope this encounter doesn’t leave him down for the count.