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Netflix’s ‘Bass X Machina’ Is the Dark Western Epic You Didn’t Know You Needed | Review
Netflix’s animated series *Bass X Machina* combines a steampunk vision of the Old West with a story about the aftermath of the American Civil War. The review praises its use of the setting to explore racism, corruption, revenge and the struggle to act ethically, giving the series more depth than an action-focused Western.
Brian Tyree Henry voices Bass Reeves, a bounty hunter with a cybernetic arm who is recruited to find a missing scientist alongside engineer Dana, played by Tati Gabrielle. Their investigation connects to Bass’s past and to dangerous technological experiments. Created by LeSean Thomas and produced by Studio Mir, the fictional story draws inspiration from the real Bass Reeves, one of the first Black Deputy US Marshals; the review also highlights the detailed animation and action, while noting that the pace sometimes slows.
In short
- Netflix blends a Civil War era Western with steampunk technology.
- Bass Reeves investigates a dangerous scientific plot with engineer Dana.
- The review praises the layered story and detailed animation.
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The case for
The series’ steampunk Western setting can give familiar action a richer purpose, using Bass’s investigation and past to examine racism, corruption, revenge and ethical responsibility. Its detailed animation and connection to the real Bass Reeves may also make the story’s imaginative world more resonant, even when the pace slows.
The case against
A Western built around a bounty hunter, dangerous experiments and revenge may be more compelling as genre adventure than as a vehicle for weighty social themes. The slow stretches could weaken that balance, and fictionalising a historical Black lawman in a cybernetic steampunk story may feel less illuminating to viewers who value a more grounded treatment.
Explained simply
Bass Reeves was a real lawman who served as one of the first Black deputy US marshals. The series takes inspiration from his life but places a fictional version of him in a steampunk Old West shaped by the aftermath of the American Civil War.
In the story, Reeves is a bounty hunter with a cybernetic arm, brought in to search for a missing scientist with engineer Dana. The investigation links to Reeves’s past and to dangerous experiments with technology.
The Western setting gives the series a way to explore racism, corruption, revenge and the choices people make under pressure. Its mix of history-inspired characters and imagined technology connects questions about power and justice with an action adventure.
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