Ten years ago, the Western's return to primetime ended up being frustratingly short-lived, as the genre took one in the gut when Deadwood buckled under the weight of its own budget, leaving our screens after only three superb seasons. Following this, it took a fair few years and a handful of Elmore Leonard novels to bring the oater back to where it belongs. The genre's prodigal return was Justified, a cop/western hybrid bursting with small town character and flair. This one is so understated it may well have rode past many unassuming viewers.
Major Players:
Silently raging, lethal on the draw but ever the Kentuckian gent, Timothy Olyphant has deservedly drawn praise for his portrayal of Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens. Playing the robber to Raylan's cop, Walton Goggins is a blast as Boyd Crowder - Harlan County's very own Lex Luthor - and able support also comes in the form of Margo Martindale and Jeremy Davies, who have both picked up Emmys for their roles as Mags and Dickie Bennett.
What Next?
Executive producer Graham Yost has tantalised fans with the prospect of a sixth season, but this will come at a price: it will be Justifed's last outing on screens. Season five was very much focused on the escapades of the gator-farming Crow family - headed up by Michael Rapaport as Daryl Crowe - and events look set to unfold further into this final season. The internet is buzzing with speculation about how Yost and Olyphant plan on drawing Justified to a close, with the persistent rumour being that Boyd and Raylan will face off with each other one last time.
Shaun is a former contributor for a number of Future Publishing titles and more recently worked as a staffer at Imagine Publishing.
He can now be found banking in the daytime and writing a variety of articles for What Culture, namely around his favourite topics of film, retro gaming, music, TV and, when he's feeling clever, literature.
