This article contains spoilers from “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” on Paramount+
Not only is Mr. Sundown real, but Bass finally figured out who the mysterious man is in “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” Part VI, which aired Sunday night.
In hindsight, it seemed obvious. Barry Pepper’s portrayal of Esau Pierce — a Texas ranger of leaders of the 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles (a group of confederate soldiers) — was chilling, slow and cold, a character Pepper will be known for, for years to come. Pierce was developed as the perfect antithesis to Bass, according to The Cinemaholic, and shows what happened when lawmen of the era took advantage of their authority.
Even though he’s a lawman, Pierce uses his position to spread violence and harm at a time when America could have easily failed as a nation. His violence is particularly abhorrent toward black people. We know — we think — that Pierce killed Jackson Cole (Tosin Morohunfola). So, is he the man they call Mr. Sundown? Is he the one hunting, killing and even eating black folks west of the Mississippi when night falls?
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Almost definitely. But let’s be honest, there wasn’t just one Mr. Sundown back in Bass’s time. (RELATED: Apparently A Shocking Real-Life Story Is Ignored In ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’)
Probably the scariest and most violent episode of the series thus far, Part VI also shows the normalized threats made by young white kids against black families in a post-slavery America. The part that scared me the most was watching a young boy stand far off in the field and stare vacantly at Sally Reeves (Demi Singleton) and Bass’s other children.