Even though it debuted on a prestige network like FX, Justified could have been a fairly straightforward procedural if it hadn’t been for a critical decision made during the pilot’s production. Walton Goggins made such a memorable impression as the smooth-talking gangster Boyd Crowder that it became impossible to go by the original plan and kill him off. The cat-and-mouse dynamic that grew between Raylan and Boyd evolved into mutual begrudging respect, as the two men on opposite sides of the law occasionally saw themselves on the same side. Justified was never predictable because it was never just one thing; it was an exciting adventure, a compelling mystery, a nail-biting thriller, a moving family drama, and a searing commentary about the state of America’s heartland all at once.
‘Justified’ Expanded Far Beyond Its Original Premise
Most crime shows are either procedurals or interconnected epics, which are two modes of storytelling that have their attributes and drawbacks; procedural shows offer variety without sticking to an evolving premise, and epics may be more consistent, but don’t have the opportunity for spontaneity. While the story’s threats were too complex to narrow down to just one episode, Justified never became repetitive because each season went in an entirely different direction. There was a variety that resulted from its revolving door of excellent guest stars; while Margo Martindale offered a sobering, dramatic performance that made Season 2 the show’s most emotional, Neal McDonough’s terrifying performance as a remorseless killer turned Season 3 into a high-octane thrill ride.
Timothy Olyphant’s 97% RT Western That Inspired ‘Reacher’ Is Hitting New Global Streaming Heights
Walton Goggins also stars in the tense crime drama.
What differentiated Justified from other modern Westerns is that the show had top-notch writing and some of the strongest dialogue of the decade, thanks to the brilliant work of showrunner Graham Yost. Justified is responsible for dozens of memorable one-liners, but the show was never so obsessed with being clever that it forgot that its characters were real people; Raylan may be a charismatic figure with luck on his side, but he’s also a fallible person capable of making mistakes, which is something that is explored particularly well in the final season when his career becomes threatened. The show was also remarkable in how it examined complex issues without painting in black-and-white; Raylan was able to be a hero without the show lionizing law enforcement, and the depiction of a post-recession America was lived-in without caving to obvious messaging.
‘Justified’ Is the Most Consistent Thriller of the 2010s
It’s rare that a show perfectly sustains its run, but Justified ended at just the right point without getting derivative. Although it’s such a bingeable series that it may feel like no time had passed, Raylan transforms from a hawk-like loner to a valuable member of a community by the time that the series ended. Olyphant sadly missed the chance to fulfill his potential on a different Western show when Deadwood was cancelled prematurely by HBO, but he became so synonymous with his role as Raylan that he was called upon to play similarly terse law enforcement officers in Fargo and The Mandalorian. As for Goggins, Justified turned him from a bit player on The Shield to a slick, whip-smart villain whom audiences loved to hate, and then appreciated unconditionally; it seems unlikely that he would’ve landed roles on Fallout, The White Lotus, and The Righteous Gemstones without his versatile role on Justified. It also proved to be a testing ground for Yost, who would find great success on Apple TV with the sci-fi epic Silo.
Justified was a lightning-in-a-bottle success that proved difficult to replicate. While the revival series Justified: City Primeval dug deeper into Leonard’s influences and examined Raylan’s maturation as a father, it lacked Goggins’ greater presence, even if Boyd Holbrook did an admirable job as the new antagonist. The increased stakes led to an even more dramatic season, but Justified: City Primeval didn’t have the same eclectic pacing as the original, which remembered that all Westerns were based on tall tales that were intended to be fun. As a mystery that respected the audience’s intelligence, a workplace drama about the everyday responsibilities of the law, and a rare show that celebrated an unabashed hero in an era where antiheroes had become the norm, Justified is a true gem that continues to age well.