Diksia.com - If you are looking for a TV series that combines the elements of Western, crime, drama, and action genres, you might want to check out Justified. Justified is an American neo-Western crime drama television series that premiered on March 16, 2010, on the FX network.
It is based on Elmore Leonard’s stories about the character Raylan Givens, a tough deputy U.S. Marshal who enforces his own brand of justice in his native Kentucky.
The series has received critical acclaim and has been nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards, with two wins. In this article, we will review the plot, characters, and highlights of Justified, and why you should watch it.
Introduction
Justified is a TV series that follows the adventures of Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal who is transferred from Miami to Lexington, Kentucky, after shooting a mob hitman in a justified but controversial manner.
Raylan returns to his hometown of Harlan County, where he has to deal with his criminal past, his estranged family, and his old friends and enemies.
Raylan is a modern-day cowboy who wears a Stetson hat, carries a Colt Python revolver, and has a quick draw and a sharp wit. He is also haunted by his abusive father Arlo, his ex-wife Winona, and his complicated relationship with Ava Crowder, the widow of his childhood friend Boyd Crowder.
Boyd Crowder is Raylan’s main antagonist and sometimes ally in the series. He is a charismatic outlaw who leads various criminal enterprises in Harlan County, such as bank robbery, drug trafficking, mining, and religion. He is also Raylan’s former coal mining buddy and Ava’s lover.
Boyd and Raylan have a long history of friendship and rivalry that dates back to their childhood. They often clash over their different views of justice and morality, but they also respect each other as worthy adversaries.
The series also features a colorful cast of supporting characters who add depth and humor to the story. Some of them are Raylan’s colleagues at the U.S. Marshals Service, such as his boss Art Mullen, his fellow marshals Tim Gutterson and Rachel Brooks, and his nemesis David Vasquez.
Others are the various villains and allies that Raylan encounters in his cases, such as Wynn Duffy, Mags Bennett, Ellstin Limehouse, Dewey Crowe, Dickie Bennett, and Loretta McCready.
Movie Details
Here are some details about Justified:
- Genre: Neo-Western Action Crime Drama
- Based on: “Fire in the Hole” by Elmore Leonard
- Developed by: Graham Yost
- Starring: Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens; Nick Searcy as Art Mullen; Jacob Pitts as Tim Gutterson; Erica Tazel as Rachel Brooks; Joelle Carter as Ava Crowder; Natalie Zea as Winona Hawkins; Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder; Jere Burns as Wynn Duffy
- Opening theme: “Long Hard Times to Come” by Gangstagrass
- Composer: Steve Porcaro
- Country of origin: United States
- Original language: English
- No. of seasons: 6
- No. of episodes: 78
- Production companies: Rooney McP Productions; Timberman/Beverly Productions; Nemo Films; FX Productions; Sony Pictures Television
- Original network: FX
- Original release: March 16, 2010 – April 14, 2015
- Related: Justified: City Primeval
Movie Trailers
You can watch some of the trailers for Justified here:
Movie Synopsis
Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is something of a 19th-century-style lawman living in modern times. His unconventional enforcement of justice makes him a target of criminals and a problem child to his U.S. Marshals Service superior.
In response to his controversial but justified quick-draw shooting of mob hitman Tommy Bucks in Miami, Givens is reassigned to the Eastern District of Kentucky Marshal’s Office, which is based in Lexington. This jurisdiction includes Harlan County, where Raylan was born and raised and which he thought he had escaped for good in his youth.
The story arc of season one concentrates on the crimes of the Crowder family. Raylan seeks to protect Ava Crowder, a woman pregnant with his child, from the rest of the Crowder clan after she shoots her husband, Bowman Crowder, dead in retaliation for years of abuse.
Her biggest threat comes from Boyd Crowder, a local criminal masquerading as a white supremacist whom Raylan shoots in a stand-off.
Boyd survives the shot to the chest and claims it is a sign from God that he should change his ways. Raylan hesitates to believe him, but Boyd is soon sent to prison, where he spends his time reading the Bible and preaching to convicts.
Season two deals with the criminal activity of the Bennett clan. The matriarch of the family is Mags Bennett, who runs a general store and serves as a local power broker. She uses her sons Dickie, Coover, and Doyle to do her dirty work, such as growing marijuana and intimidating rivals.
She also takes in Loretta McCready, a teenage girl whose father she murdered. Raylan gets involved in the Bennetts’ affairs when he tries to protect Loretta from their influence and uncovers a decades-old feud between the Bennetts and the Givens.
Season three introduces a new villain, Robert Quarles, a Detroit mobster who comes to Kentucky to set up shop and compete with the local criminals. He is ruthless, cunning, and unstable, and has a history of torturing and killing male prostitutes.
He also has a secret weapon: a sleeve gun that allows him to shoot people without drawing his weapon. Quarles allies himself with Wynn Duffy, a slick and sarcastic crime boss who works for the Dixie Mafia. Raylan has to deal with Quarles’ threat while also facing personal issues, such as his divorce from Winona and his strained relationship with his father Arlo.
Season four focuses on a mystery that dates back to the 1980s: the disappearance of Waldo Truth, a fugitive who was involved in a drug heist that went wrong. Raylan finds out that Waldo was part of a group called the “Drew Thompson case”, which involved a parachutist who fell from the sky with bags of cocaine and was never identified.
Raylan tries to find out who Drew Thompson is and why everyone is looking for him, including Boyd Crowder, who wants to use him as leverage against the Detroit mob.
Along the way, Raylan encounters new enemies and allies, such as Constable Bob Sweeney, an eccentric lawman who idolizes Raylan; Colt Rhodes, a former military sniper who works for Boyd; and Ellen May, a naive prostitute who becomes a key witness.
Season five introduces the Crowe family, another criminal clan from Harlan County. The leader of the family is Daryl Crowe Jr., who comes to Kentucky with his siblings Wendy, Danny, and Kendal, and his cousin Dewey Crowe.
Daryl wants to expand his criminal empire and take over Harlan’s drug business. He also has a personal vendetta against Raylan, whom he blames for ruining his family’s reputation. Raylan has to deal with the Crowes while also coping with the death of his father Arlo and the birth of his daughter Willa.
Season six is the final season of Justified. It revolves around the ultimate showdown between Raylan and Boyd, who have been on opposite sides of the law since the beginning of the series. Boyd plans to rob a bank vault that contains millions of dollars belonging to Avery Markham, a wealthy businessman who wants to buy up land in Harlan County for his marijuana empire.
Markham is also engaged to Katherine Hale, a widow who has a history with Wynn Duffy. Raylan tries to stop Boyd’s heist and bring him to justice once and for all, while also dealing with his own demons and doubts.
Plot Summary
The plot summary of Justified is as follows:
- Season 1: Raylan returns to Harlan County and clashes with Boyd Crowder, an old friend turned criminal leader.
- Season 2: Raylan investigates the Bennett family, a powerful clan that controls Harlan’s marijuana trade.
- Season 3: Raylan faces Robert Quarles, a Detroit mobster who wants to take over Harlan’s crime scene.
- Season 4: Raylan unravels the mystery of Drew Thompson, a fugitive who was involved in a drug heist in the 1980s.
- Season 5: Raylan deals with the Crowe family, a group of low-life criminals who cause trouble in Harlan.
- Season 6: Raylan and Boyd have their final confrontation, as they both try to achieve their goals and survive.
Key Elements and Highlights
Some of the key elements and highlights of Justified are:
The dialogue
Justified is known for its witty, sharp, and realistic dialogue that reflects the characters’ personalities, backgrounds, and motivations.
The dialogue is influenced by the writing style of Elmore Leonard, who created the character of Raylan Givens and wrote several stories featuring him. The dialogue is also full of humor, sarcasm, and references to pop culture, history, and literature.
The characters
Justified features a diverse and memorable cast of characters who are complex, flawed, and human. The characters are not simply good or evil, but have shades of gray and conflicting motivations.
The characters also evolve and change throughout the series, as they face various challenges and dilemmas. The main characters, Raylan and Boyd, are especially interesting, as they have a lot in common but also differ in crucial ways.
They are both charismatic, intelligent, and skilled, but they also have different views on justice, morality, and loyalty. They are both products of their environment, but they also make their own choices.
The setting
Justified is set in Harlan County, Kentucky, a rural area that is rich in history, culture, and tradition. Harlan County is also plagued by poverty, crime, corruption, and violence. The setting plays an important role in the series, as it shapes the characters’ identities, values, and actions.
The setting also provides a contrast between the old and the new, the past and the present, and the local and the global. The series explores the themes of family, community, heritage, and change in relation to the setting.
The action
Justified is full of thrilling and suspenseful action scenes that keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. The action scenes include shootouts, chases, fights, explosions, and escapes.
The action scenes are also realistic and gritty, as they show the consequences and costs of violence. The action scenes are not only entertaining but also meaningful, as they reveal the characters’ skills, personalities, and emotions.
Movie Review
Justified is a TV series that deserves to be watched by anyone who enjoys Westerns, crime dramas, or simply good storytelling. It is a series that combines the best elements of different genres and creates a unique and compelling story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.
It is a series that showcases the talents of its creators, writers, actors, and crew members who have worked hard to deliver a high-quality product that has earned critical acclaim and fan appreciation. It is a series that has left a lasting impression on its viewers who have followed its journey from start to finish. Justified is not just a TV series, it is a masterpiece.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Justified is a neo-Western crime drama television series that follows the exploits of Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal who enforces his own brand of justice in his native Kentucky. The series has six seasons that span from 2010 to 2015. The series has received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike for its plot, characters, dialogue, setting, and action.
The series has also been nominated for various awards and has won two Emmys. Justified is a TV series that you should not miss if you are looking for a captivating and satisfying viewing experience.
Thank you for reading this article about Justified. We hope you enjoyed it and learned something new about this amazing TV series. If you have any comments or questions about this article or Justified in general, please feel free to leave them below. We would love to hear from you.
And if you haven’t watched Justified yet or want to watch it again, you can find it on various streaming platforms such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. Happy watching!
