Justified offers viewers a crime drama that doesn’t fit any mold we’re used to seeing. A mesh of old school western justice and contemporary legal mumbo jumbo makes every season a treat. The juxtaposition between characters that fall into the category of either criminal or the law that exists within this show keeps us entertained as we keep watching to see if U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant), and his infamous cowboy hat, can keep some semblance of balance in an environment that doesn’t seem to respect it, or want it.
Givens isn’t your typical law enforcement agent. He isn’t afraid to take the command ‘by any means necessary’ and is never one to turn down an invitation to a fight – even when the odds are clearly not in his favor. He is a product of his environment that left, only to return years later and do his fair share of wreaking havoc to the accepted practices within his former stomping grounds. His badge is an offense that his former friends, and even his own father, have had issues looking past.
Besides delivering justice by his own off-beat means, Givens has a tenacity for always having the last word. Regardless of the circumstances, whatever message he has is usually delivered with a comedic undertone which can take even a lackluster scene to a more entertaining level. This is what ultimately kept the momentum going for us in season 4, which aired in the winter/spring of this year on FX.
This season of Justified gave us higher stakes, more substantial consequences, and off-the-chart character development. It’s not the first time we’ve seen Givens emotionally compromised, but the idea of becoming a father served as his biggest distraction yet. When Winona (Natalie Zea) and the baby got caught in the cross-fire, Givens pulled out all the stops to save them.
We’re looking forward to more of the same when Justified returns to FX for season 5 on Tuesday, January 7th.