A limited series on FX and streaming on Hulu this summer brings U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) back to the small screen. Justified: City Primeval is the next installment in the Justified franchise, showing where Givens’ life has taken him since he left Kentucky. But, is this something fans are excited about?
While it’s true that the fan base was not clamoring for more of Justified, but not because they did not want to revisit the characters. Another series was an afterthought for most because of how successfully executed the final season of the show was. The ending to the series was beautifully written down to the last exchange between Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) and Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins). The final episode of the series, “The Promise,” currently holds a 9.6 user rating on IMDB.
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Why Now Is the Time for More Justified
20th Television
With renewed interest in all things cowboy, now seems like exactly the right time to reintroduce the fish out of water story of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. When we first met our hero, he was the epitome of an old-time gunslinger in a world gone mad. How will a man like Raylan navigate a world that has gotten even more complex since we last saw him?
With the runaway success of Yellowstone, primetime television has renewed interest in the Western genre. There is a slew of shows airing that explore the dramatic themes and tropes of both the modern and period western. That Dirty Black Bag, Outer Range, and the Yellowstone spin-offs 1883 & 1923 show that audiences are hungry for more gritty western dramas. Established fans of the original series are eager to see Raylan Givens back on the job, and newcomers will tune in to get their cowboy fix.
A New City Is For the Best
The plot follows Raylan Givens, who has relocated to Miami, a clever nod to the pilot episode of the original series titled “Fire in the Hole.” While performing his duties as a U.S. Marshal, Raylan is also tasked with dealing with his teenage daughter Willa, played by Timothy Olyphant’s real-life daughter Vivian. A stroke of bad luck sends Raylan to Detroit.
This is not the first time our lawman has had dealings with the Motor City. He has come up against several shady characters from the seedy underworld of that city, including drug-addled Robert Quarles (Neal McDonough), inept mob boss Sammy Tonin (Max Perlich), and the slimy Wynn Duffy (fan favorite Jere Burns). Unfortunately for Raylan, he has never come across someone quite like Clement Mansell aka The Oklahoma Wild Man, played by Boyd Holbrook.
Basing the action in Detroit is a bold move, and should prove a welcome departure for fans. Relocating Justified: City Primeval from Kentucky makes sense creatively. The story arc of the original show is complete, and a return to Harlan County would feel forced. Detroit is a perfect choice. The gritty urban setting will be yet another challenge for Raylan to overcome, as he truly does not belong in that city, nor will he be particularly welcome. The aforementioned dealings Raylan has had with many of the fictional underworlds of Motor City will make him a target for the criminal element. His approach to law enforcement will be sure to raise the ire of the local police and politicians as well.
The Original Team Is Back
Some great news for fans of the original series is that Justified City: Primeval is based on the work of the late author Elmore Leonard. Much of the creative team behind the original series is returning as well. The writing of the original Justified series was a strong suit for the series. The characters and dialogue felt fresh and the situations they found themselves in had a real sense of urgency. The plot lines seemed to flow organically weaving elements from Raylan’s past into the show. The strong writing kept the show from getting stale or relying too much on deus ex machina to keep the action turning.
There will be some new faces rounding out the cast. Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard, Ray) plays Carolyn Wilder, a brash defense attorney with her own motives for representing Clement Mansell. Adelaide Clemens (Rectify, Under the Banner of Heaven) plays the mercurial Sandy, who is every bit as dangerous as she is beautiful.
More than any show of the last two decades, Justified, along with the show’s main protagonist Raylan Givens, combined the ethos of the old west cowboy at odds with the modern world. Played with a wry sense of humor and a lot of swagger by the always-entertaining Timothy Olyphant, Raylan Givens is the genuine article. An honest-to-goodness cowboy trying to follow an outdated code of conduct in a world that has long since passed his kind by. His tactics were frowned upon then, and he does not seem like the type of character to mellow with age. It should be fun to see him back in action.
