Well, you guys know I’m not much of a TV watcher, but I have managed to keep up with JUSTIFIED, the FX show starring Timothy Olyphant as badass deputy marshall Raylan Givens, a character who originated in Elmore Leonard’s Pronto (although it’s credited to the later short story “Fire In the Hole,” since that’s what the pilot was adapted from).
This week we finally got to meet Raylan’s much referred to pops, who was a bastard as promised but luckily in a small-timer way. Some of the previous references to him made it sound like he was some international super-crook, but in this one he’s mostly an old man who smashes things with a bat. I was hoping somebody recognizable like Robert Forster or somebody would turn out to be the dad, like a surprise casting coup type deal. Instead it’s Raymond J. Barry, who is perfect. What they went for is much better than what I wished for. It’s a great character and great relationship.
My favorite episode so far was last week, though. Raylan went to L.A. after a mob accountant turned dentist played by Cameron from FERRIS BUELLER (looking alot like Anthony Bourdain these days). That was a great Elmore Leonard feel because they get you rooting for this dentist in the opening scene when he removes gold fillings from a rich asshole in the parking lot for yelling at his secretary.
Anyway, I want to point you to this article posted on elmoreleonard.com which reveals that Leonard likes the show so much he’s working on ideas to give them for season 2. Also, the comments here is a good place to discuss new episodes if you ever feel like it.
April 14th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Yeah, I’m still enjoying the show and last week’s was the best, although last night’s was excellent. I only know that actor from Walk Hard, so seeing him smashing those guys over the head with his baseball bat and being a crazy bastard.
I tend to prefer my TV shows to be more serialized then this, but Justified is such a well done procedural that it doesn’t really matter that the shows ongoing storylines are progressing so slowly. A Tuesday night with an hour of Lost and an hour of Justified is a good night.
My favorite moment in the entire show was the bit last week when Ruck was explaining about his love of Herbie the Elf and Raylan just goes, “THE LITTLE GAY FELLA? ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME YOU’RE GAY?!” That was hilarious.