Lawmen: Bass Reeves episode 4 introduced a familiar face to the Yellowstone universe with a cameo appearance by actor Mo Brings Plenty.

The Yellowstone actor appeared in 39 episodes of the series Taylor Sheridan is famous for playing the character “Mo” from 2018 to 2023.

The addition of a cameo from Mo Mang Plenty marks the first major crossover between Lawmen: Bass Reeves and the broader narrative umbrella of Yellowstone. Mo Mang Plenty plays a trusted Choctaw ally of Old West lawman Bass Reeves named Minco Dodge in the new Paramount+ series.

The interaction between Minco Dodge and Bass Reeves in Lawmen: Bass Reeves episode 4 is relatively short but seems to be built on infallible trust and professional friendship. Minco Dodge was apparently a respected leader of the Choctaw Nation in the Indian Territory, under Bass Reeves’s jurisdiction as Deputy United States Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas. Minco provides Bass Reeves with advice on a notorious fictional outlaw named Silas Cobb in Lawmen: Bass Reeves volume 4, revealing that he has discovered the wanted horse thief in the area not long ago.

Mo Mang Plenty contributed more than his acting abilities in Lawmen: Bass Reeves. The Yellowstone actor also took on the role of trusted Indigenous advisor in Lawmen: Bass Reeves as well as in the Yellowstone prequel series 1883 and 1923. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mo Mang Plenty oversaw the authentic representation of some of the Native Peoples tribes on several Yellowstone series and now Lawmen: Bass Reeves. As Minco Dodge, Mo Brings Plenty provides an authentic representation of the Choctaw Nation.

The real-life Bass Reeves had a mutually respectful relationship with several Indigenous tribes including the Seminole, Cherokee and Creek nations. When Bass first escaped slavery during the Civil War in Grayson County, Texas, he took refuge in Native Territory, in present-day Oklahoma. The close relationship between Billy Crow and Bass Reeves may have been because Bass knew he could trust the Natives and felt comfortable working with them. Mo brings a lot to the table as Minco Dodge offers another example of those sentiments.

Is Plenty’s character Minco Dodge based on a real person?

Although Minco Dodge is not based on an actual person, the character does represent the real-life Bass Reeves’ reported connections to the leaders of native tribes. It’s unclear whether Minco Dodge will emerge as an important character in Lawmen: Bass Reeves like Billy Crow or if he will be one of many prominent actors who have guest-starred in the new Paramount+ series. Regardless of whether Minco Dodge reappears on screen in Lawmen: Bass Reeves or not, the influence of Mo Mang Plenty’s expertise on Indigenous traditions, customs and accurate depictions will be felt in throughout the remainder of the series.