Is Lawmen: Bass Reeves Set During Yellowstone?

David Oyelowo stars in the period drama "Lawmen: Bass Reeves," another Western from Taylor Sheridan. But is the series that follows the greatest frontier hero in U.S. history part of the same universe as Sheridan's other big hit, "Yellowstone"?

The show was first announced in September 2021 as a limited series titled "Bass Reeves" before the name changed in May 2022 to "1883: The Bass Reeves Story," envisioned as a spinoff of the "Yellowstone" prequel series "1883." But on April 27, the show was changed to an anthology series called "Lawmen: Bass Reeves," separate from the Dutton legacy. Follow-up seasons will highlight other influential lawmen from history. When attempting to clarify any confusion to TVLine, showrunner Chad Freehan indicated that joining the Yellowstone universe as an "1883" spinoff was less a done deal and more of "an idea that we briefly talked about." He continued, "But for me, once I learned some of the things I didn't know about Bass' life and decided where we wanted to start the story and where we wanted to end the story, it preceded '1883.'" 

While it isn't directly connected, director Damian Marcano feels the series has a different type of bond to "Yellowstone." "I think that this is a cousin to that, but it's definitely nothing like this," Marcano told Digital Spy. "I believe that 'Bass Reeves' is just another thing to add to the universe of Taylor Sheridan, opposed to just the universe of 'Yellowstone.”' Based on their accounts, it's pretty evident that "Lawmen: Bass Reeves" exists outside of the Yellowstone' universe, which is probably a good thing, considering how some fans responded when they thought it was a spinoff.

News that the infamous Bass Reeves was getting a TV show of his own was tainted when people found out it was merely a "Yellowstone" spinoff. The fact that the historical icon could only make his way onto the small screen as part of the Dutton family's origin story wasn't something fans appreciated, and they weren't shy about sharing their thoughts.

On Reddit, u/KillNyetheSilenceGuy posted, "I never got into 'Yellowstone' because I thought the Duttons were a bunch of rich douchebags. I could watch a show about Bass Reeves, though." Another Redditor, u/wizenedfool, wrote, "I kinda hate that something like this needs to be a 'spinoff' these days. Bass Reeves' story is plenty interesting enough for a TV show/movie regardless." Agreeing, u/Eotheod0092 posted, "I have not seen 'Yellowstone' or the 800 spinoffs, but I'm pumped for a Bass Reeves show. Dude's life was like a Hollywood movie, but then you find out it was real." Backing up these bold claims, u/Singer21 made it clear no member of the Dutton family compares to Reeves, writing, "Bass Reeves is a legend. Born a slave, ran away. Became a U.S. Marshal and captured over 3,000 criminals. Killed 14 in self-defense. Even arrested his own son for murder. The man's entire life is practically tailor-made for a TV show."

Fortunately for everyone, things changed. "Lawmen: Bass Reeves" will stand on its own instead of being a chapter in the Dutton story and is not part of the Yellowstone universe.