What I’m Watching: Longmire

Longmire: Season 4, Episode 5 “Help Wanted” (B+)

Leave it to Walt to hold an extensive series of interviews for the open deputy position that included, among other things, a book club discussion about “Of Mice and Men” and what his prospective new employees would do had they been in the novel’s situation. It was quite a colorful array of contenders, and obviously the one that stood out was the one who didn’t want to practice shooting since he argued that the bear in front of him wasn’t close enough to pose a real threat and he’d rather not shoot it. Turning down both remaining candidates at the end elicited a highly unprofessional reaction from one, and the other’s thoughtful request for feedback on what he could have done better rightfully earned him the job. He should be an interesting addition to the team, and he definitely has the right outlook on law enforcement, and hopefully that can be balanced well with a good sense of when he needs to be definitive and act in defense of himself, his colleagues, and the county. Walt got quite a shock when he told a masked criminal about the man he had hurt only to discover it was indeed that man, but that didn’t compare to the ensuing scene in which Walt found himself with a gun pointed at his head and managed to talk down the woman holding it. This show is relatively tranquil most of the time, but when it gets intense, it really knows how to handle it.