Justified: The Best Crime Series on TV
If you’re not watching the new season of Justified (Tuesdays at 10 on FX), you’re missing the best crime series on TV and what may be about to become one of the genuinely great crime series of all time. For me, most TV shows reach their highest level in the first year. Stories have a theme. The theme works itself out in the first year. Everything else is a sequel, second best. Sometimes by the fourth year a new theme is discovered and the show gets a second wind, but it’s still rarely as good as that first season. Dexter and The Wire, two great shows, come to mind as examples.
But while the first three seasons of Justified have been distinguished by terrific acting, spectacular dialogue, excellent characters and moments of violence that were terrifying without being unnecessarily disgusting (usually), the year-long arcs of the plots have not been as great as the rest of the package. The show is inspired by an Elmore Leonard short story, and while Leonard’s genius for dialogue and his hilarious and realistic approach to human corruption are what inform the show at its best, his satiric and sometimes rambling plotting doesn’t translate that well to TV. (Or maybe it’s just that he’s not writing the show — though the creator Graham Yost has channeled him wonderfully.)
In its first two episodes, however, this season looks to me to have moved to an even higher level. The yearlong plot, which involves the unearthing of a long-lost messenger bag, is inherently compelling and makes a great hook on which to hang the sub-plots. And the main characters seem to have found themselves in ways that give them fresh life. The appealing, out-of-his-time hero Raylan Givens (played with a pitch-perfect blend of irony and valor by Timothy Olyphant) is in a relationship with a barmaid that promises some really interesting complications, especially as his ex is about to give birth to their child. The small-town gangster Boyd Crowder (played by The Shield‘s Walton Goggins, one of the best actors on TV, if not the best) is now in a relationship with his widowed sister-in-law Ava (played by the excellent and heart-meltingly beautiful Joelle Carter) that is as genuinely affectionate and touching as it is murderous and corrupt. Nick Searcy’s perfectly played Chief, world-weary but compassionate, is struggling with retirement. And all the new characters — a tent preacher, a constable, the barmaid’s ex — look to be richly drawn and promising.
Really, watching the first two episodes was bliss.
The second golden age of American crime writing, which lived in the novel during the 80s and 90s, has moved to television. Justified is an excellent part of that excellent trend and just seems to be getting better.
****
Cross-posted from Klavan on the Culture – Visit for additional comments
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Hear hear.
I keep telling people that Justified is the best-written show on TV, especially for the dialog. Whatever else Graham Yost is or does, he’s apparently a very big Elmore Leonard fan. For those who aren’t aware, Leonard has a semi-flaw in that his characters often sound alike. It works because the things they say to one another are so smart, and at the same time so definitive. Thing is, this is pretty hard to immitate. Leonard is extremely well-regarded among writers, in part because of his longevity (he wrote the short story upon which the original movie 3:10 to Yuma was based more than half a century ago) and in part because so many of his books have been bestsellers, and so many have been adapted into movies.
The thing is, since I’ve read as much of his writing, I could probably have guessed that Get Shorty was based on an Elmore Leonard novel, even if I didn’t know it beforehand. Justified *sounds* like Elmore Leonard more than anything else that’s been developed from his writing, and of course after the pilot most of the plot was made up by the writers.
Interestingly, it was reported that during the first year of the show, the screenwriting team wore t-shirts that said “WWED?,” i.e. “What Would Elmore Do?” When he saw this, Timothy Olyphant (channeling Raylin Givens no doubt) supposedly said “Well he certainly wouldn’t wear a stupid ****ing t-shirt!” I guess even the actor has gotten into the habit of channeling the characters…
Call me crazy,but it’s Boyd Crowder who gives this show its zest and flavor….Timothy Olyphant is a cousin in the Vanderbilt family
I agree that Boyd Crowder is just as important as Raylan Givens to the storyline. Still thinking about the new roll that the Boyd character has turned into as just another run of the mill, bad crook, drug dealer, murderer. Eva has also been turned into a mean Madame. I liked Boyd character better when he was the “bad boy” with humanity and intelligence thrown in.
The writers were going to kill Boyd off in Season 1. Changed their minds.
The novella, “Fire in the Hole”, on which the show is based has Boyd die when Eva shoots him at the dinner table. Which she did in the pilot (spoiler alert). It was only because of the reaction of test audiences to Goggins’ Crowder that they rewrote the script to have Boyd live.
Not crazy at all — Boyd Crowder is one of the best-written, best-acted non-lead TV characters ever. I smile every time he shows up on the screen. ..bruce..
Agreed about high quality and Boyd Crowder. But, I’d just like to say one word: Mags.
And the scene when Raylan visits Mags at her family Sunday supper, with combative sparks flying amidst full observance of Southern Hospitality, is hands down the best scene ever written for television.
I’ve been watching this show as well – it’s great!
Justified is indeed a fine production. Its quality fully “justifies” Timothy Olyphant’s decision to move to the small screen, despite his considerable acting skills and screen presence.
Anyone know what the lyrics are on the opening song?
I’ve been struggling to decipher it for three years and I have not made a “lick a’ progress” (it’s fun to talk Kentuckian like Boyd and Raylon).
“Long Hard Times to Come” by Gangstagrass
In this lonely road, trying to make it home
Doing it by my lonesome-pissed off, who wants some
I’m fighting for my soul, God get at your boy
You try to bogart–fall back, I go hard
On this lonely road, trying to make it home
Doing it by my lonesome-pissed off, who wants some
I see them long hard times to come
Verse 1:
My life is ill son… prepared to kill son
A paradox of pain, baby; it’s real son
Lonely traveler, aint trying to battle ya
But if you’re feeling tuff dog, I welcome all challengers
Aint got no family, you see there’s one of me
Might lose your pulse standing two feet in front of me
I’m pissed at the world, but I aint looking for trouble
I might crack a grin, I aint looking to hug you
Think about it, nobody wants to die
There’s rules to this game son, I’m justified
I’m ready to go partner, hey I’m on the run
The devils hugging on my boots that’s why I own a gun
This journey’s too long, I’m looking for some answers
So much time stressing, I forget the questions
I fear no man, you don’t want no problems ‘B’
Eyes in the back of my head, you better not follow me
[Chorus]
On this lonely road, trying to make it home
Doing it by my lonesome-pissed off who wants some
I’m fighting for my soul, God get at your boy
You try to bogart–fall back, I go hard
On this lonely road, trying to make it home
Doing it by my lonesome-pissed off, who wants some
I see them long hard times to come
Verse 2:
You probably think I’m crazy, or got some loose screws
But that’s alright though–I’m a’do me, you do you
So how you judging me? I’m just trying to survive
And if the time comes, I aint trying to die
I’m just trying to fly, and get a little love
Find me a dime piece and get a little hug
Hook the car up–hit the bar up–clean the scars up–hey yo, the stars up
Hey this is the life of an outlaw
We aint promised tomorrow–I’m living now, dog
I’m walking through life. but yo my feet hurt
All my blessings are fed, man I’ll rest when I’m dead
Look through my eyes and see the real world
Take a walk with me, have a talk with me
Where we end up–god only knows
Strap your boots on tight you might be alright
[Chorus]
On this lonely road, trying to make it home
Doing it by my lonesome pissed off who wants some
I’m fighting for my soul, God get at your boy
You try to bogart fall back I go hard
On this lonely road, trying to make it home
Doing it by my lonesome pissed off who wants some
I see them long hard times to come
Thanks for that. Like Evenkeel, I tried forever to make out the words of the song and couldn’t do it except for the chorus line.
Thanks Alston. It’s a great song for the show.
Happy to help. I was curious myself, so I went a-hinting…
Andrew, I’m always thrilled to hear that someone of your thoughtful intellect came to the same conclusion about a great show as I. You said it well and I have to underscore your take on Walton Goggins; loved his character in The Shield, but his portrayal of Boyd Crowder is amazing and seems to be the role he was written for.
The Godfather agrees and had a great interview with Nick Searcy on the Thursday broadcast last week; a Hollywood Republican with a great wit.
Thanks for a fine review!
- a -
I’m not on commission for him (ha!), but note that Nick Searcy is a genuine rara avis in his line of work: a declared political conservative with a huge sense of self-deprecating humor — his self-produced “Acting School” videos are inspired.
Yes, indeed! I love his character on ‘Justified’, but it was only recently I learned he is a conservative as well. His Acting School vids are hilarious!
Deadwood, without the nonstop cussing.
Jim Whittaker
Hemet, CA
I’ve loved the show from the start, but this season I am worried about where they will take the church angle. I had hoped Boyd would be sincere in his conversion, and was very disappointed where the storyline went.
Boyd was sincere in his conversion.
However, when his father exterminated all the members of his church that kind of sent Boyd Crowder in a different direction.
Thank goodness! “Justified” makes my Tuesday night complete (NCIS is my #1 show), but last night I started to wonder who else was watching Harlan County, Kentucky where “everyone has a gun”, after I watched the repeat, because I wanted to listen again to Boyd vs the snake preacher.
Olyphant totally creeped me out in “Live Free or Die Hard”, but he IS Raylon Givens.
Walter Goggins is great as Boyd Crowder..
However, I am glad that Quarles is gone with his ‘unnecessarily disgusting violence’.
Great show! Thanks for the review, AK. And K2K, you are so right about Quarrels. There’s no way he could realistically have stayed in Harlan.
One of my very favorite shows!! And to top it off, I won an autographed poster of the cast last year!! Great show!!
I think Olyphant was born to play Raylan. And Goggins has a fine follow-up role to his Shane character on The Shield.
Great show!
I never watched it or heard of it but thanks for the heads-up.
Didn’t know that Justified was back on. Thanks for the heads up.
Now, for all the Elmore Leonard fans, one of the best movies taken from his writing was “Hombre” with Paul Newman.
Mike2, I’m with you on Hombre. It’s awesome.
“Hey. I got a question. How are you planning to get back down that hill?”
That’s perfect. Grimes thinks he can be as savage as he needs to be and his “victims” are just going to take it. Except that John Russell doesn’t play the victim.
Yep, I forgot about the getting down the hill dialog.
I discovered “Justified” a little over 2 years ago. I’ve seen all but the first year and plan to purchase it if I can find it. It is one of very few “serial” “network” type shows I will watch. I set my DVR to record all new episodes just in case I forget to set it for the current week.
I am a dedicated fan.
All 3 seasons are available for streaming or digital download on Amazon and iTunes.
My favorite show! Timothy Olyphant reminds me of a young Clint Eastwood. The “baddies” in each season keep me watching. Boyd Crowder, Mags, Quarles, Mr. Limehouse and his cleaver. Even the good guys walk on the bad side every now and then. Human nature I guess.
Funny that you mention the resemblance between Timothy Olyphant and Clint Eastwood. In the animated film “Rango” a few years ago, Olyphant was the voice of the “Spirit of the West,” sounding more like Eastwood than Eastwood himself. It was a pretty dead-on impersonation.
On another note–I miss Mags!!
Both my mother and father grew up in the world JUSTIFIED ostensibly portrays — the Appalachian foothills of Eastern Kentucky. Mr. Leonard betrays the northern bias toward these people. And I’ve read, met and like Mr. Leonard. I grew up in a blue collar suburb of Detroit with a large southern population at the time. Mr. Leonard is also a Detroiter — albeit of the higher classes. CITY PRIMEVAL for example depicts the stereotype of the psyho-hillbilly. Like all Hollywood product, the attitude toward religion is comic-parody — and worse. I’ve only watched the first season on dvd. I recall an early episode when one of the protagonist’s old friends — an amusing and ostensibly complex psyho-hillbilly who quotes the Bible “as interpreted by experts.” A big laugh was had by all on that line when I watched the show with accompanying commentary. It’s a bore, Mr. Klavan, sorry. Certainly wearying. Is the show entertaining at times? Sure. And well cast and acted. The writing however is sharp but limited by Hollywood’s and New York’s blinkered view of America. I was hoping for something more thoughtful,less judgmental — along the lines of Homer Hickam’s ROCKET BOYS. I don’t hold some romantic view here. Trust me, I’m not a working class romantic either. But there is nothing more simple-mindedly judgmental than the liberal imagination. So, I respectfully disagree with you on this one.
Regarding the portrayal of Appalachians in Justified: It’s a crime show and you find all the elements you would normally find in a crime show. There are smart crooks, stupid crooks, “honest” crooks, and downright evil crooks. Usually the victims are also some sort of crook. But when civilians are on the screen, they’re just upstanding people like all over the country. The only difference is the accents.
As for Boyd: if you’d watch more episodes, you’d find that Goggins was playing a character who was only playing at being a psycho-hillbilly.
Why can’t they teach that wonderful vocabulary in schools anymore? The dialogue is fantastic, and I was in absolute awe with Goggins portryal of a transgender prostitute in Sons of Anarchy-anyone else see that?? I miss Maggs tho-that actress deserves a grammy to be sure!
+1 on Goggins role in Sons. That was a real tour de force. Justified is awesome. I’ve been hooked since season one, episode one.
My wife doesn’t like “violent” shows, so she hasn’t watched “Justified”. But I’ve been telling her for a couple of years now about this guy Boyd Crowder and how he’s just the best damn actor on TV. Now you folks come along and agree!
As for his appearance on Sons, I had to rewind a couple times before I yelled out loud to no one in particular, “My Gawd, that’s Boyd Crowder!!”
Also @Sue: Margo Martindale of ‘Justified’ won Best Supporting Drama Actress as Mags in the 2011 Emmys. (Grammies are for pop singers low-life rappers like LLCoolJaye)
Great characters, good acting, a smattering of sex and violence. Its even better when viewed a week late on Amazon video w/o 15 minutes of half-assed mindless marketing.
I can’t watch shows that are supposed to take place someplace else but are obviously shot in California.
CSI:Miami
Hatfield and McCoys
Now this.
How hard is it to go to Eastern Kentucky for the outdoor scenes?
Amen! I grew up in Bell County, just south of Harlan County, and seeing pictures of those dry, dead California hills just blows the illusion for me. That, and seeing things like a barbeque shack just don’t work. In all my years living in the mountains I never saw anything like that. Now, if you want to talk about a hangout, a cinderblock building with tiny windows and a name containing the word “Flame”, that would be a real hangout. I like the idea of the show, but the implementation leaves a lot to be desired.
Meh. I watched a couple episodes last season and wasn’t terribly impressed. Incorruptible lawman with a gun and old fashioned sensibilities. Check. How many hundred movies and TV shows fall into that category? Timothy Oliphant is a cutey, but as a crime drama Breaking Bad still kicks Justied’s arse from midnight till breakfast time.
“Incorruptible” doesn’t describe Raylan Givens. I’m behind on seasons, but the first season established clearly that Givens is *complex*. He’s the good guy, absolutely, and there is probably a sense where he’s not “corruptible”, but he’s more or less a law-man at all because it gives him a violent outlet for, as his ex explained, his deep and profound anger. And he breaks rules and gets himself in trouble reasonably regular, doesn’t he?
I fell in love with this show from the very beginning. Sometimes they get a little carried away with the accents, but I love the cadences and musicality of Southern speech, it’s like being down home again. US Southern English is a direct descendant of Elizabethan English, the language Shakespeare wrote in!
The casting for the show was absolutely spot on. Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens can give you a chill when his eyes take on that murderous look, and Walton Goggins is every good ol’ boy to the T (well, except for Boyd’s tendency to kill people and blow things up).
But yes, the show’s rendering of Harlan County looks nothing like Kentucky.
Be sure to catch the third season to see how Raylan “disarms” a criminal.
I’m just waiting for the inevitable return of Dickie Bennett – one of the dumbest and hardest-to-kill criminals in television history.
He makes up for all of the smarts displayed by Goggins and Givens combined…
And Dewey Crowe. Dickie and Dewey are among the best pairs in television history.
I watched “A Shock to the System” on DVD last night; a delicious black comedy. Surely, the writing in “Justified” cannot be as good as that.
No. 17 ……I too grew up in suburban Detroit (Downriver) in the late 50′s/early sixties and lived there into the late 70′s. I’ve been a fan of Elmore Leonard for a long, long time. I find his dialogue to be perfect for the world I knew there. Maybe it’s changed, but the people in the auto plants in the time frame I’m talking about are reflected accurately. Justified is a great show and the characters reflect the Kentucky/Tennessee “immigrants” that I knew to a “T”. They, as a group, were just like every other group that I’ve ever known (except maybe funnier). I knew some great people from that area, and I knew some “psycho-hillbillies” for sure, and they talked and acted just like some of the characters on the show…..one even shot a couple people before getting shot himself and going to prison. As I recall he was from Harlan County.
I’ve been watching Justified since minute one and haven’t missed one minute yet. I would give it my vote for most entertaining. If that includes best show, then so be it.
The night before Season 1, Episode 1, I first saw Hitman… that is, I tuned it in while in progress. The first scene I saw was Agent 47 (Olyphant) telling the fugitive gal to ‘Shut up or I’ll put you in the trunk.’ Justified, Episode 1, Givens tells his quarry to ‘Shut up or I’ll put you in trunk.’ Season 4, Episode 1, same thing, Givens, ‘Shut up, or I’ll put you in the trunk.’
Wish I’d had that line when I was married.
This is one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. Another character I am glad they brought back is Wynn Duffy, played by Jere Burns.
A modern day Gunsmoke, great show,great writing and great acting.
Justified isn’t just the best crime show on tv, it’s the best show period, though I have friends who won’t watch it because of the violence. It’s worth watching just for Nick Searcy’s parts, but the whole show crackles with good writing and good acting.
The season finale for the third season was brilliant. Great twist on Chekhov’s rule.
Between Justified and Sons of Anarchy, FX has two of the best shows on television right now. Come to think of it, it might be cool to see story arcs on those two series, intersect. Lot of shady characters in both shows.
Are you kidding? I went to the program’s website after reading this review and the first video up was the following politically correct selection of leftist cliches. Looks like pure bovine scat to me.
http://vod.fxnetworks.com/watch/justified/15328323882/quick-shot-week-2?cmp=user_post
I gave Justified a try when it debuted, but gave up on it after about four episodes. I like Elmore Leonard too, but not because he writes particularly real characters, he doesn’t. He writes characters that are exaggerated and cartoony in a particular way. A lot of the appeal of his stuff is that these characters don’t know they’re cartoony. Yost, the Justified show runner, seems to have replicated the cartooniness, but not the unself-consciousness of authentic Leonard characters. Every character in every scene seemed to be doing a nudge-nudge, wink-wink thing. The whole exercise seemed to be a very liberal version of what is normally thought of as a right-wing entertainment genre, the vigilante justice story. Sure, the Givens character is a law officer, but nobody with any kind of real badge gets to shoot that many people in the line of duty and keep it. Doesn’t matter here because the people getting shot are all urban liberal stereotypes of Southern grotesques. You know, not really people at all.
As for Walton Goggins, of course he plays a mean half-psycho hillbilly. He always seems to get stuck playing characters with notable excesses of aggression and loose screws. I’d like to think he’s a good actor, but I’ve never seen him play anything else so who the hell can tell? Silas Weir Mitchell used to get almost nothing but roles like that too, but now he’s on Grimm playing an endearingly nerdy werewolf having an almost too cute for words romance and he’s kicking ass. Maybe Goggins will luck out that way too someday. Here’s hoping.
Good to know Nick Searcy is collecting a regular paycheck on Justified. I’ve been a major fan of his for a long time, but I won’t watch even actors I like on a bad show. Justified is a bad show.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a genuinely good cable show about a rural lawman, try Longmire on A&E. The whole cast is splendid. And the show runner there isn’t oozing Hollywood liberal condescension for his characters.
Kudos for Longmire as well. Justified is a better, sexier (and more violent…) show. But Longmire surprised me. The characters are a lot more realistic and subtle. And it has gorgeous northern New Mexico outdoor locations (standing in for the show’s fictional Wyoming big sky country county). Highly recommended.
It’s supposed to restart on June 29th — looking forward to it.
And glad to see Katee “Starbuck” Sackhoff get in some great work, too.
We’ll just have to continue to disagree about the relative quality of these two shows.
Agree completely about the divine Katee Sackhoff though. One of the best actresses of her generation and also one of the great beauties. She can be goofily romantic or scarily intense or anything in between as required. Her intrinsic plasma torch hotness seems to burn through even quite aggressive attempts to deglamorize her, ugly her up or give her full-tilt boogie physical stuff to do to make her appear uber-butch for a role. This has obviously been tried on Longmire and also other places on her resume like the TV movie ‘The Last Sentinel’ a few years back. You can dress this woman in rags and cover her in mud and she’s still preposterously yummy. It’s sort of unintentionally funny after awhile. Perhaps attempting to make Katee Sackhoff unattractive on-screen has become a kind of secret in-group Everest quest for hair, makeup and wardrobe types in Hollywood. Prepare to continue being disappointed is all I’ve got to say to that. Can’t be done.
Watch Goggins in Zero Dark 30. Totally different. You might not even recognize him. The man is a great actor, probably the only one who could get me to root for an ex-neo Nazi!
I meant Lincoln, not Zero Dark 30. Saw them two day back to back. Sorry!
The show, i think, is great. It show a part of the USA that is rarely portrayed effectively on TV. Also, because of the long plot arc allows time for lots of characters to develop. One of the great delights of the show is meeting new people. Alas, like all of the entertainment business all Christians are crooks fools or both. Maybe one of the writers should go meet a Christian some time.
Great show. Whoever wrote Episode 1 of this season shows us how to do expert dialogue! BTW Walton played a feckless congressman (Is there any other kind) in Lincoln who was relentlessly pursued for his vote.
Another favorite of mine is Southland on TNT. It’s coming back in February, with the DVD finally of Season 3, which I missed.
Give it a look.
Agree about Southland. Arguably the best police show ever made. But except for Regina King – who deserves all the kudos she’s received for her work on the show – it has been criminally overlooked in awards nominations. Michael Cudlitz is deserving of equal accolades and he hasn’t gotten them – no SAG nominations, no Golden Globes, no Emmies. Shawn Hatosy’s work on this show is world-class too and just as overlooked during award season. Hell, even C. Thomas Howell’s over-the-top, loose cannon, substance-abusing patrol veteran is more vividly entertaining than most of what wins supporting performance awards for other, lesser shows. Perhaps the relentlessly un-PC nature of so many of the Southland storylines and characters keeps it out of the running.
Yes, all those guys deserve Emmys. Howell is just great, and such a surprise.
I’ve been a huge fan since Episode 1, Season 1. I sure hope they make room for a guest appearance by Dickie Bennett (played perfectly by Jeremy Davies) and/or Dewey Crowe at some point this season.
“The small-town gangster Boyd Crowder (played by The Shield‘s Walton Goggins, one of the best actors on TV, if not the best) is now in a relationship with his widowed sister-in-law Ava (played by the excellent and heart-meltingly beautiful Joelle Carter) that is as genuinely affectionate and touching as it is murderous and corrupt.”
One example of the great dialog of that show is when Boyd Crowder refers to Ava as “my brother’s widow and murderess”.
Just a quick wave to @Mike Doughty from a former Downriver rat (Grosse Ile).
Love Justified. I miss Mags, too. Every character on the show is pretty complex and enjoyable, but she was especially so.
I was really thrilled to learn that Nick Searcy is a conservative. I’d already become a fan of his, but knowing that he’s smart just makes me pay attention to his character even more.
A recommendation for all Justified/Elmore Leonard fans…Pick up two Leonard books: Pronto, and Riding The Rap. Raylan is in both books. You’ll also recognize several scenes lifted from the books that they’ve used on the show. (read Pronto first)
If you appreciate pitch black dark comedy, you will find 5 belly laughs every show. Best written show ever IMHO.
No sales business can function without recruitment so it should never be under estimated. Treat the importance of getting new reps and telesales staff as important as getting new business!
Justified is absolutely the best tv show out right now. What I’m tired of is all of these shows that decide to have anti heroes as the main protagonist. That stopped being fascinating years ago. It’s like every great show out right now can’t stand to have an actual hero. Apparently that’s not interesting enough. That’s one of the big reasons why I love Justified. It’s not disney like where the hero is flawlessly pure hearted. He has his flaws but he’s still the guy in the white hat we can root for.