Netflix’s Bass X Machina Reimagines Lawman Bass Reeves in a Sci-Fi Western

Westerns often explore the toll violence takes on the soul and the cost of revenge. Netflix’s animated Western Bass X Machina takes on those themes both personally and across society, tracing American cycles of violence from the Trail of Tears and the Civil War to the outlaws of the Wild West. It adds mechs, magic, and one of the best opening themes since Cowboy Bebop. The result is excellent.

Created by LeSean Thomas and Studio Mir, who both worked on The Legend of Korra, Bass X Machina reimagines the story of Bass Reeves, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry. The real Reeves escaped slavery and worked as a deputy U.S. marshal in Indian Territory. His extraordinary life is said to have inspired the Lone Ranger.

The series gives Bass a cybernetic arm that shoots magic bullets, while the criminals he fights receive even bigger upgrades. The stakes can reach absurd heights. Henry is especially good at conveying Bass’ exasperation when he faces enemies like an outlaw in a rampaging bull mech, whose defeat requires complex cooperation.

At the start of the series, Bass is a bounty hunter hoping to complete one last job. He is offered steady work as a lawman if he can find Eugene Starr (Nick Thurston), a missing engineer capable of building remarkable technology. Eugene’s niece Dana Starr, a tinkerer voiced by Tati Gabrielle of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and The Last of Us, insists on joining him.

Dana provides comic relief and gives Bass someone to explain things to, but she also proves herself repeatedly in combat with a seemingly endless supply of useful devices. Her goofy Inspector Gadget-like fighting style and constant calls for nonviolence in a brutal world could have become grating. Gabrielle’s earnest delivery and the surprising depth of Dana’s character arc make the unusual pairing work.

Like The Legend of Korra, Bass X Machina combines steampunk and fantasy. Its TV-MA rating allows for far gorier fights than anything Avatar Korra experienced. Bass clashes with the Holy People, a group of Choctaw Nation women who can channel the elements like the benders in Avatar. Their battles showcase Studio Mir’s skill at animated choreography as they work together to create cyclones and throw icicles amid gunfire and absurdly powerful war machines.

The 3D animation used heavily in the final two episodes is less successful. It lacks the sharp style of the rest of the series and detracts from the climax.

The music is another highlight. Janelle Monáe, who voices Bass’ wife Glory, wrote an original theme accompanied by an opening animation that is hard to skip. Composers Roman GianArthur and Nate Wonder created a dynamic score that evokes the rhythms of classic Western showdowns while moving at a pace suited to the show’s action-packed anime style.

Bass X Machina confronts dark chapters of U.S. history

At six episodes, Bass X Machina could have used more time to establish its characters or include more of the episodic bounty-hunting missions that dominate the first half of the season. Set in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, the series pits Bass against Confederate veterans loyal to the twisted General Rivenbark (Currie Graham). The defeated army’s remnants give the story the feel of a darker version of the early seasons of The Mandalorian.

In its examination of the horrors of science and war, the series is closer in tone to Fullmetal Alchemist. It does not shy away from racism, whether in the way white people cheat and demean Bass or in the horrific massacres U.S. troops lead against the Five Tribes.

Bass X Machina returns throughout to the difficulty of forgiving past wrongs and the need to build a better future to end the cycle of violence. Bass has suffered as much as anyone in the series. In classic Western fashion, he wants revenge but understands that taking it could damage the fragile peace he has worked hard to attain.

Bass’ internal struggle reflects a larger battle for the soul of America. That theme can feel a little trite, but it also helps make the series surprisingly touching. Across its six episodes, Bass X Machina tells a satisfying story full of twists and leaves room for more adventures. Reeves spent 30 years as a lawman, and Netflix’s blend of history, fantasy, science fiction, and dramatic action could sustain a few more seasons.

Bass X Machina is streaming on Netflix.

Source: Polygon