Great space Western TV shows are surprisingly few and far between, given the cult success of Firefly and the enduring appeal of Cowboy Bebop, so when a new series arrives to the level of critical acclaim that Bass X Machina has seen, it is hardly surprising that fans of the genre are paying attention. Bass X Machina puts an entirely new spin on the story of the real-life Bass Reeves, a formerly-enslaved man who became a legendary deputy US Marshal. His story has already been told in Lawmen: Bass Reeves, but Netflix’s space Western combines Taylor Sheridan and Arcane.
Bass X Machina takes a significant amount of creative license, turning its titular character and one of Western TV’s greatest lawmen into a modified steampunk hero with a cybernetic arm, a job as a bounty hunter, and a very different family situation to the real Reeves. The show is a historical reimagining in the same vein as Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, so fans of historically accurate dramas may not be impressed. However, the series has been groundbreaking, resulting in fans and critics alike wondering if its success will result in a second season.
Bass X Machina Season 2 Has Not Been Confirmed By Netflix
Netflix has become the home of excellent miniseries, and Bass X Machina looks set to join them, having been presented and marketed as a limited series. Still, many successful miniseries have been unexpectedly renewed, and as Netflix has historically kept plans quiet despite fan speculation, it is not out of the question that a second season of Bass X Machina will be announced. That said, the six-episode series only premiered on November 3, so waiting to see if the show’s momentum continues is a reasonable course of action.
Bass X Machina has six episodes, lasting between 29 and 40 minutes each.
Even so, the signs look promising, with Bass X Machina fitting in perfectly with some of Netflix’s best animated TV shows. Animation has previously been seen as a creative style aimed at children, but shows like Arcane, Love, Death & Robots, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners prove that this is far from the case. Bass X Machina is gritty, violent, and yet beautifully animated, impressing both critics and audiences.
What Critics & Audiences Have Said About Bass X Machina
Bass X Machina already has a 100% positive Rotten Tomatoes rating from critics, who have praised its theme, tackling the injustices of the West through the eyes of Black and Native American characters, with Roger Ebert highlighting the series for the way it “brings Black justice to the steampunk old West.” ScreenRant‘s review of Bass X Machina described the series as “engrossing as much as it is exciting,” highlighting the way the series has enough substance to carry the story, with enough style to make it one of the best looking Western TV shows in years.
Rotten Tomatoes might not yet have enough audience reviews to give the show an official rating, but the signs have been optimistic, with the series’ unflinching depiction of both good and bad American history through a steampunk lens impressing viewers. The trailer and first looks were already exciting, with the show’s stacked cast and detailed animation attracting interest, but this momentum has grown, with Metacritic rating Bass X Machina 82 out of 100, and fans raising the possibility of a second season.
How Bass X Machina Makes A Season 2 Renewal Possible
Bass X Machina has an extremely clever ending, setting the iconic character in the position that most are familiar with by revealing that the series was a stealth origin story. Having shown mercy to Lighthorse, Reeves ends the series as the lawman we know, but positioned for much more. There are now endless options for a second season to develop him as a character, exploring what kind of lawman he intends to be while giving him more intense conflicts to deal with.
As ScreenRant‘s review highlighted, the one criticism of the series is an issue with pacing. Bass X Machina is a Western TV show that can be binged in a weekend, but it could easily have benefited from another couple of episodes or saving some of its many ideas and themes for use in a second season. Bass X Machina is already a perfect limited series, but the door is open for more, and with such a skilled voice cast and creative team, it would be exciting to see what they do next.
Source: Roger Ebert
- Release Date
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November 3, 2026
- Network
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Netflix
- Writers
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Chad Handley
Cast
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Janelle Monae
Glory (voice)
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Brian Tyree Henry
Bass Reeves (voice)
