- Title: Longmire – War Eagle
- wiki: link
While continuing to investigate Nighthorse’s (A Martinez) possible involvement in Branch‘s (Bailey Chase) death, Walt (Robert Taylor), Vic (Katee Sackhoff) and Ferg (Adam Bartley) look into the murder of a local history buff who obsessed with reopening a WWII Japanese Internment Camp as a national monument. The investigation in the CB enthusiast and history buff’s life yields an unexpected family connection and eventually the man’s murderer (Michelle Krusiec). It also leads to a revelation about Ferg who makes several leads in the case thanks to his familiarity with short-range radio.
In the episode’s B-story after Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) becomes a temporary deputy to do a favor for Walt, he begins shadowing one of the women (Kathleen Shurkin) who wrote to Hector and takes a hard look at the neighbor who has terrorized her and deprived the single mother and her son of hundreds of dollars. Rather than attacking the man directly, Henry attempts to gaslight him using Hector’s name to scare and/or shame the thug into doing what’s right, but if that fails how far is Henry prepared to go?
Although the episode makes only marginal progress the Branch murder investigation (confirming the deputy likely didn’t die at the river), Walt does learn a little more about Nighthorse’s past and a similar shotgun suicide which seems to fit the sheriff’s theory about how Branch really died. The Walt/Vic relationship gets no less awkward thanks to Walt’s attempt to help Vic talk out some post-traumatic stress caused by a reminder of last season’s episode “Population 25.” Will these two wacky cops never admit their feelings? Meanwhile, the Ferg’s usefulness is a nice nod to the character’s growth even if his suspect turns out not to be responsible for the murder.