# "Justified" - new FX series - anyone watch?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 17, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734 "2010-03-17T05:03:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 13

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/241 "2010-06-04T16:25:31Z")

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> [@AuntiePam](#):
>
> …And I liked that Eva…

That’s “ **Ava** ” - again. :D;)

This ep was fine - a bit of attention to Raylan’s drinking and a set up for a showdown in the finally. Not exactly sure why they needed Winona to come back to Raylan at this point, other than upsetting Ava and increasing her chances of being stubborn and not budging…

…need to see the finale to see how it all comes together. Really enjoy it overall.

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**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/242 "2010-06-04T16:56:56Z")

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> [@AuntiePam](#):
>
> Okay, everybody raise your hand if you think either Eva or Winona add a damn thing to this show. Anybody?
> 
> Maybe I’m just too damn old, but I don’t see the need for a love interest in a show like _Justified_, let alone two love interests. Raylan can’t spend a month at home without getting some? And without even having to go look for it? Is that how it is for all you good-looking young men out there?
> 
> Rant over.
> 
> Is Arlo going to hang around and hope Crowder ends up dead, and he keeps the $20K? Or is he looking for a bigger score? I don’t know what it might be. Seems like staying alive should be enough. I like the character and hope he survives. I think he wants to impress Raylan, or at least do something to get Raylan’s approval and still be a man instead of a snitch.
> 
> Do you think Raylan has any suspicion that Arlo’s playing them? It sorta looked like he did, especially when Crowder made the comment about Eva. And speaking of Eva, would Crowder admit to being worried about her? If he cared about what she did, she’d be dead. I don’t think he cares.
> 
> I think Eva will wind up dead, but maybe it’s just wishful thinking.
> 
> Loved the sermon. That preacher better be careful or he’s gonna lose his pulpit.

I really like both Ava and Winona as characters. They are both more complex than the typical love interest.

As for Arlo, I don’t think he wants Raylan’s approval. I think he just wants the money.

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**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/243 "2010-06-04T16:57:22Z")

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> [@WordMan](#):
>
> That’s “ **Ava** ” - again. :D;)

It’s officially a mental block now. When I typed “Eva” I thought “I got it right this time!”

The TV Critics Association has nominated Justified for best achievement in drama. I think Emmy nominations should be out soon. It’d be cool if the show was recognized.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/244 "2010-06-04T17:26:18Z")

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> [@AuntiePam](#):
>
> The TV Critics Association has nominated Justified for best achievement in drama. I think Emmy nominations should be out soon. It’d be cool if the show was recognized.

Damn straight! If _Mad Men_ and _Breaking Bad_ can get the nod early on, then _Justified_ should be, too. It’s definitely the best new show this year. Bar none.

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**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/245 "2010-06-04T17:27:01Z")

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Agreed, but I don’t think the Emmy committee ever recognizes shows this quickly.

EDIT: On preview, how quickly did Mad Men and Breaking Bad get their nods? This would be something like 3 months after the premiere…

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**Author:** ![MsChilePepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MsChilePepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsChilePepper)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/246 "2010-06-09T03:06:06Z")

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“Maybe he’s Batman.”

**snerk**

Oh, man, I hope those opening lines at the very end from Brad Paisley’s “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” aren’t a foreshadowing of something to do with Ava. ☹

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**Author:** ![robgotabingbang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@robgotabingbang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robgotabingbang)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/247 "2010-06-09T03:34:55Z")

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Jesus, 26,000 views? This show sucks ass. You people have awful taste.

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**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/248 "2010-06-09T04:15:05Z")

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> [@MsChilePepper](#):
>
> “Maybe he’s Batman.”
> 
> **snerk**
> 
> Oh, man, I hope those opening lines at the very end from Brad Paisley’s “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” aren’t a foreshadowing of something to do with Ava. ☹

Too bad we have to wait X months to find out. I thought the song referred to Raylan, but I suppose it could have been about several people. The body count was pretty high.

I liked this episode and liked it as a finale, but I agree with Sepinwall that Raylan was back to where he was in the pilot, a gunslinger. However, he was again justified – all the shooting was in self-defense.

I also liked confirmation of Crowder’s conversion. We can stop wondering about that now.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/249 "2010-06-09T13:32:04Z")

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The door is wide open for a new batch of villains with Boyd chasing down the Miami mamacita and all the baddies from this season unable to participate further.

Can’t wait for next season, and I hope the awards folks give it some love.

My favorite line: “He took a bullet.”

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**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/250 "2010-06-09T15:08:00Z")

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I love it when a show exceeds expectations - this finale was a nail biter - not sure who was going to live/die - would love to see the report Ralan has to write up.

Loved the scene in front of the cabin - wonder how many times they had to film it .

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**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/251 "2010-06-09T16:00:42Z")

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> [@MsChilePepper](#):
>
> “Maybe he’s Batman.”
> 
> **snerk**

I missed this - explain?

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/252 "2010-06-09T17:26:13Z")

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> [@robgotabingbang](#):
>
> Jesus, 26,000 views? This show sucks ass. You people have awful taste.

[You already said that upthread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12401432#post12401432) This is becoming a habit with you - see [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12396495#post12396495), [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12553318#post12553318), and [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12399738#post12399738). This is called threadshitting and it’s not allowed here. If you want to post a criticism of a show, fine, but that would involve a real critique and not these one-line dumps you’ve been taking. This is a formal warning to knock it off.

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**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/253 "2010-06-09T17:49:29Z")

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> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#):
>
> I missed this - explain?

Raylan and his boss were discussing whether Boyd was sincere about his religious conversion and the boss said “Maybe he’s some sort of vigilante,” to which Raylan replied “Maybe he’s Batman.”

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**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/254 "2010-06-09T18:34:52Z")

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Thinking about Sepinwall’s criticism of the finale:

“My problem is that the writers spent most of the year deconstructing Raylan - putting him in an uncomfortable setting, rubbing his nose in the consequences of his trigger-happy ways and turning him from the supremely confident man who killed Tommy Bucks and snatched a shotgun out of Dewey Crowe’s hands into a more uncertain figure who was almost desperate to prove he could solve problems without resorting to lethal force - and then largely reverted him back to bad-ass Raylan without a big transformative moment in between. The Raylan of this episode isn’t exactly the man he was in the pilot - for one thing, he’s again hatless for a good chunk of the action - but I still wanted the moment when he takes out Bo’s first two goons to feel like it mattered to him more than it did, whether it was frustration that he has to kill people even when he’s not trying to set people up for justified shootings, or a recognition that it doesn’t automatically say something about him every time he has to use his gun.”

I think there **was** a transformative moment in this episode, and it was when Raylan turned around to find his **daddy pointing a gun at him**. From that point on, it looked to me like Raylan was on auto-pilot. He had to do something to resolve things, and if it involved another shootout with bad guys, so be it. No matter how bad your relationship is with your daddy, it’s gotta be traumatic to see that they’re willing to shoot you, even if it’s just in the leg.

Plus, there was too much going on and it was happening too quickly for Raylan to deal with things in any other way. If we didn’t see remorse for Bo’s goons, maybe it was because they had snatched Ava and no doubt would have killed her. And those same goons had just killed Boyd’s men.

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**Author:** ![markm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@markm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markm)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/255 "2010-06-09T21:16:10Z")

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> [@AuntiePam](#):
>
> I think there **was** a transformative moment in this episode, and it was when Raylan turned around to find his **daddy pointing a gun at him**. From that point on, it looked to me like Raylan was on auto-pilot. He had to do something to resolve things, and if it involved another shootout with bad guys, so be it. No matter how bad your relationship is with your daddy, it’s gotta be traumatic to see that they’re willing to shoot you, even if it’s just in the leg.
> 
> Plus, there was too much going on and it was happening too quickly for Raylan to deal with things in any other way. If we didn’t see remorse for Bo’s goons, maybe it was because they had snatched Ava and no doubt would have killed her. And those same goons had just killed Boyd’s men.

First off, this is probably my favorite show out there right now. Secondly, I agree with the above quote. I think what really cinched it was at the end when He let Boyd drive off after the woman, and Raylan had this look of near frustration, then held up his gun and mimicked shooting Boyd as he drove off.   
I think it was at this point he truly realized how he had wasted so much time trying to nail Boyd to the wall for his own mistake, and at the same time realized the gun really is his crutch.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/256 "2010-06-09T21:36:40Z")

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Best new show I’ve seen in a long time. I will look forward to next season!

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**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/257 "2010-06-10T04:10:08Z")

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> [@markm](#):
>
> First off, this is probably my favorite show out there right now. Secondly, I agree with the above quote. I think what really cinched it was at the end when He let Boyd drive off after the woman, and Raylan had this look of near frustration, then held up his gun and mimicked shooting Boyd as he drove off.   
> I think it was at this point he truly realized how he had wasted so much time trying to nail Boyd to the wall for his own mistake, and at the same time realized the gun really is his crutch.

I took that Raylan still a bullet left, yet made the decision to let Boyd go.

Raylan is Boyd’s only friend? That has to suck some oxygen out of you.

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**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/258 "2010-06-10T13:29:39Z")

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Raylan fake shot at Boyd’s leaving because he was not supposed to let him go - especially knowing Boyd’s intentions at the time - the fake shot was " I attempted to stop him and missed" for the report.

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**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/259 "2010-06-10T17:38:30Z")

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> [@AuntiePam](#):
>
> I think there **was** a transformative moment in this episode, and it was when Raylan turned around to find his **daddy pointing a gun at him**.

I disagree with you on this. Mainly because it wasn’t Raylan that turned and found his daddy pointing a gun at him…it was Arlo, scrambling for his own gun, that turned and finds his son pointing a gun at him. Raylan has known his daddy was a sell-out, this was not a new revelation, why do you think that Raylan got the jump on him?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/justified-new-fx-series-anyone-watch/532734/260 "2010-06-10T18:40:16Z")

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True, it was obvious that Raylan wasn’t surprised, but there’s a difference between anticipating that someone will behave badly and having it actually happen. His dad was ready to shoot him. I don’t think Raylan wanted to believe it would go that far.

ETA: But I could be stretching. One of my childhood fears was betrayal by a parent. I think it came from watching _Invaders from Mars_ when I was 9 or 10. 🙂

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