Justified- A Review

What if you have a modern day rendition of a Western set in the Deep South?

Such is the story of Justified, a show conceived and developed from the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard. It is the story of Raylan Givens, a recurring character in Leonard’s novels who is a deputy US Marshall working in Lexington, Kentucky. True to the Western form, the place is crawling with local criminal elements and the story is that of Givens delivering justice, often somewhat deviating from the straight path of legality.

Those who are fans of Deadwood would be delighted by the fact that Timothy Oliphant is back on screen as a hard edged, soft spoken man of the law in a near lawless environment. Oliphant’s rendition of Raylan Givens is one of the finest performances on TV. The dialogue is snappy and to the point as are the storylines- taut and edgy. This is a good example of how well TV shows can be made if they have good stories and characters to begin with.

Raylan Givens is a man of integrity and honesty. He means what he says and often does not say much. He is the sort who, when he gives his word, would put his life on the line to keep it. An extraordinary figure in pursuit of justice, law-enforcement is his default state of being.

We meet Raylan in Miami, Florida where he meets a hit man of the cartel. He had given the man twenty-four hours to leave town or he was going to shoot him- an old school frontier style of justice. The man, Tommy Bucks, does not take him seriously and ignores the warning.  They do have a history together: Bucks had murdered a man in cold blood in front of Raylan in Central America. He had put explosives in his mouth and taped it shut- a very nasty way to die.  He had however, allowed Raylan to live, a favor he returns by his offer of banishment. He feels it is generous since what Bucks truly deserves is a bullet in the head.

Long story short, Bucks pulls on Raylan and subsequently dies.  The Marshall may not be the fastest gun in the service, but he is close.

An internal investigation into the shooting by the Feds makes it impossible for Raylan to stay in his post in Florida. He is transferred to Lexington, Kentucky- a place he grew up in. Naturally he is reluctant to go back to the place of his childhood- his memories are not sweet. But since that is the only way he can keep his job, he accepts.

As soon as he lands in Kentucky, he runs into a new problem. His former friend, Boyd Crowder, a man he had worked with in the coal mines, had become a walking talking target of the Feds. Wanted for armed robbery, bank heists and blowing up buildings, he has become a White Supremacist and peddler of rabid anti-government propaganda. We see him at first, blowing up a black church with a rocket launcher.

Raylan does not buy Boyd’s act. He ascertains, rightly, that Boyd had been paid to blow up the church, a local hub of the marijuana trade.  To complicate matters, Ava Crowder, Boyd’s sister-in-law, had shot her husband- one raised hand too many. The DA’s office had decided to give her probation due to the mitigating circumstances. The Marshall’s office fears that Boyd may try to avenge his brother. When Boyd takes Ava hostage, Raylan steps in.

One thing we learn about Raylan Givens is that he never draws his gun unless he wants to shoot. He respects the weapon and keeps it where it belongs and the only time he would shoot would be to kill. So the final showdown begins when Boyd and Raylan are face to face across a table, a reenactment of the Tommy Bucks scene. The outcome is no different either- except that Boyd is injured but not fatally.

This is one of the central themes of the show- the relationship between Boyd and Raylan. Boyd recovers from his wounds but his near death experience changes his life. He finds Christ and decides to change his life and that of the others around him. This being Boyd, he resorts to persuading local criminals from pursuing a life of crime through violence. Raylan refuses to believe that Boyd had changed and still thinks his religiousness is an act.

Raylan’s other relationships are somewhat similarly twisted. He still loves his ex-wife and begins a relationship with her.  Despite being warned about witness tampering, he also has a relationship with Ava. He tries to remain estranged with his father, a lifelong criminal, but is drawn into his former family life despite all his efforts. His father’s wife, a friend of his mother, is someone he cares about and cannot see her dragged into trouble with his father.

  

Above all, he remains the eternal lawman, a figure of justice in a rough world. Soft spoken and cordial by nature, he is polite and friendly with all the criminals- he has to be since he knows most of them since childhood. But his manners are not something to be taken in by- the hard edge lies under a thin layer and is willing to come out at the slightest provocation and this being the rural South, they are plenty.

And yet, the man of Justice remains a faithful servant to her.

Justified Season One is available on DVD.