Bass X Machina, a six-episode adult animated series from creator LeSean Thomas and Studio Mir, premiered on Netflix on November 3, 2026. It holds a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, a rare result for a new original.
That figure rests on 13 reviews, meaning every critic counted so far has given the show a positive verdict. The audience score is 93%, but it is drawn from fewer than 50 user ratings, so it may shift as more viewers watch and rate the series. The Rotten Tomatoes season page, for its part, shows a 92% Popcornmeter.
The small sample sizes matter for anyone reading the numbers. A perfect critics score from 13 reviews is a strong early signal, though a larger pool of reviews could move it. The same caution applies to the audience figure, which is still based on a limited number of ratings.
A real-life lawman in a machine-filled West
The series reimagines Bass Reeves, a Black deputy U.S. Marshal of the mid-19th century, as the central figure of a sci-fi Western. Brian Tyree Henry plays the real-life lawman, who here works in a steampunk Old West overrun by sentient machines and supernatural forces.
The setup combines a historical figure with the visual language of anime. Studio Mir handled the animation, and critics have singled it out alongside the show's mix of anime, Western and steampunk elements. Viewers who have posted ratings praise the action, the animation, the acting and the dialogue.
Season one runs six episodes, all of which are available on Netflix. It is aimed at adults rather than younger viewers.
The creator behind it
Thomas is no newcomer to the platform. He previously made Yasuke and Cannon Busters for Netflix, both of which blend animation with historical or fantastical settings. Bass X Machina is therefore his third series for the service to draw on that approach.
His earlier credits also include Black Dynamite, The Legend of Korra and The Boondocks, a run of work that spans comedy, fantasy adventure and satire. Bass X Machina pairs him once more with an anime-influenced production approach, this time with Studio Mir providing the animation.
The combination of a known creator, a recognizable lead performer in Brian Tyree Henry and a short season makes the series a compact commitment. Six episodes is a small enough number that the early scores can be tested by viewers quickly, and both the critics and the audience tallies are likely to keep changing as more people finish the season.
Netflix has not changed the season's release format: the full six-episode run has been streaming since its November 3 premiere.
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