10 TV Characters Finally Returning In 2022
4. Raylan Givens - Justified
On the one hand, it’s a bit of a shame that Justified is coming back. The Kentucky-set neo-western had one of the best and most fitting endings of any recent drama, with series-long antagonists Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder sharing an amazingly poignant, fittingly low key conclusion.
On the other, seeing Timothy Olyphant once again don that cowboy hat and dole out some old school justice isn’t an unwelcome idea by any means. Givens is Olyphant’s career defining role, one that perfectly balances his capacity for dry comedy and stoic, bubbling aggression.
All we really know about the Justified reboot is that it’ll be set in Detroit, a change of scenery which certainly feels like a good idea. It’ll take its cues from another of the late, great pulp writer Elmore Leonard’s books - Givens first appeared in Leonard’s 1993 novel Pronto, and the author’s material was turned to for inspiration throughout the run.
We’ve seen with Deadwood - another Olyphant vehicle - that an unlikely revival can actually work wonders, and there’s arguably less at risk here. All things being equal, this should be a blast.