1883's LaMonica Garrett Knows Exactly How Thomas Could Fit Into The Bass Reeves Story

Chances are that you've already been thoroughly devastated by 1883, the Paramount+ Yellowstone prequel chronicling the Dutton family's arrival in Montana, and you're itching for more. While 1883 won't technically be returning as the show we know and love, there is great news (aside from the spinoff and the follow up series starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren). As of Aug. 30, the series is available on Blu-Ray and DVD, and as star LaMonica Garrett teased to TV Guide, it's loaded with more than two hours of exclusive bonus features that dive deeper into the Duttons' journey across the country and the significance of where they chose to put down their roots. 

At the very least, it might be a good idea to revisit 1883 as preparation for what comes next. 1923 will catch up with the Dutton family 40 years later, and the spinoff 1883: The Bass Reeves Story will dive into the life of the legendary first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi, played by David Oyelowo. It's not clear yet how Reeves' story will intersect with the Duttons, but there is one Black cowboy who's hoping for a call. 

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"To me, that's a perfect world for Thomas," Garrett said in an interview to promote the 1883 Blu-ray release. "It's the same time period. He knows the terrain, he knows the area. I'm sure Thomas and Bass Reeves have bumped into each other at some point or another, in my head…If I was writing the scripts, I'd for sure put it in there." 

And if there's no need for the Pinkerton agent in Bass Reeves, Garrett would happily don old age makeup to reprise the role in 1923. "Fix me up a little bit. I can do it," he joked. "I already look 20 years older in 1883. Knock another 40 years on that. Problem solved." 

Regardless of whether we get to see him and Noemi (Gratiela Brancusi) again (and let's just hope we do), Thomas has already had an impact on the way people perceive Black men in history. Garrett saw this firsthand on social media as he received messages like, "The show is great, it's just that I don't know about the whole Black cowboy thing and him having this kind of authority and power. That's the only thing I'm not buying." Garrett responded by spending the entire month of February sharing real historical Black cowboy figures with his followers and noted that even history majors were realizing there was a blind spot in their education. "That's what these films are supposed to do, is change perspectives," he said. "Like, wait a minute, let me look into this a little more and see how common it was. And I think this movement that's happening, Bass Reeves is gonna peel that layer back even further, and we're going to get to see history. Real history." 

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And while Garrett is really hoping he'll get a chance to appear in the show, he's excited for it regardless. "I spoke with David and he's excited about bringing Bass to life. Bass was not just a Black cowboy. He was one of the biggest historical badasses in the history of law enforcement in this country. The things he did…he was a legend, like superheroes back then," Garrett explained. "I think people don't even know the stories of Bass Reeves and his life and what it entailed. And when they see it, they're going to be mad at their schools for not teaching who this guy was. If they just show a fraction of that in the Bass Reeves Story, I think people are going to be blown away by it." 

There's no premiere date set for Bass Reeves yet, so in the meantime, you might as well just hit play on an 1883 rewatch, especially if you're in the mood for a good cry. Garrett says he heard from a lot of "grown men" with messages like, "Hey bro, I'm not a crier, but…" If that describes you, don't worry about it, because Garrett is right there with you. "I know what's goin', man," he would say in response. "I getcha." 

1883 Season 1 is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. You can also stream Season 1 on Paramount+.