Based on the short story “Fire in the
Hole” by crime novelist Elmore Leonard, “Justified” worked as an adaptation with
room for growth. Timothy Olyphant carries the narrative as U.S. Marshal Raylan
Givens, bringing a familiar gunslinger swagger to the western set-up, though
this FX series is far more similar to “Sons of Anarchy” than “Deadwood.” With his personal knowledge of Harlan County,
Kentucky, Raylan is perfect candidate to take down a local crime family. This
location becomes the primary premise for the series, along with Raylan’s
vendetta against local criminal legend, Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins).
The final season inevitably deals
with the resolution of this longstanding conflict, though it also provides an
additional final villain with the arrival of an aggressive pot farmer and drug
lord intent on buying up local land for expansion. Avery Markham (Sam Elliott)
continues the tradition of providing Raylan a new storyline each season, though
he even becomes an enemy of Boyd over time. Not only does he come into town
with big plans, he has a small fortune with him, stored in an impenetrable safe
that Boyd sets his sights on. He also comes with a small army of soldier turned
mercenaries to help obtain the property from locals unwilling to sell, headed
up by a bearded Garret Dillahunt. In case these soldiers don’t provide enough
of a challenge for Raylan, Markham
The last season introduces plenty of
colorful new characters, mostly because of the need to replace all of the
series regulars who are dispatched. Plenty of bodies drop in this final season,
both new and old, while other storylines continue to drag on for another
season. As much as I enjoy the writing and acting for most of the major roles,
both new and returning, it is probably best that the series called it quits
now. As much fun as these new characters are, the old love triangle between
Boyd’s current fiancé and Raylan’s former flame, Ava (Joelle Carter), has been
stretched thin over the six seasons. Even Raylan’s dynamic with his boss (Nick
Searcy) has become somewhat predictable and derivative of itself.
The dialogue is clever and far more
engaging than anything to come out of “Sons of Anarchy” (not to mention lacking
the forced melodrama of that series), and the action is exciting and decisive
in this final season. There is limited sentimentality in the resolution of the
series, but this somehow adds to the poignancy of the brief epilogue. I would
have continued to watch this series for several more seasons, but I think this
is a perfect example of how less can be more. I only wish the same could be
said of the special features for the final season package. All thirteen
episodes are included on three discs, but only one featurette on the making of
the show is included in the extras.
Entertainment Value:
9/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8/10
Historical
Significance: 7.5/10
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