On paper, and indeed in promotional materials, 'Justfied: City Primeval' sounded like it would be right up my street. The aging hero of "Justified" - one of my all time favourite TV shows and Westerns - was touted to return in series which, it was said, was going to be like James Mangold's "Logan" on bath salts. As the teasers and promos were released, nothing gave the impression that that wasn't going to be the case. Even the first episode set up a series where an aging Givens, who's glory days were a fading memory, was faced with the threat of of a pyschotic lawbreaker who was every bit as angry and volatile as the younger Givens was twelve (fifteen, lore wise) years before.
My reading of the first episode(s), in particular Givens' explosively violent encounter with Clement Mansell in the hotel bar, led me to believe that Raylan would have to choose between pursuing / killing Mansell and building a relationship with his errant daughter Willa. I was ready for it. I was ready to see Raylan struggle to protect her from both Mansell and the apocalyptic anger he would have to re-awaken in order to bring the Oklahoma Wild Man down. I was ready to see Raylan rediscover himself and redeem himself through violence and self sacrifice, as Logan did in his eponymous final film (to date). But that didn't happen.
Instead, that promised storyline disappeared when Raylan handed off Willa after the third episode. After which point, it must be said, Raylan is little more than a supporting character to far less interesting characters who take over a grim, uninspired narrative. In fact, in most scenes where he speaks or does anything, his role is simply to serve as a visual cue that viewers are still watching "Justified" in case they forget because of all the blue hued banality.
Eight episodes later, the first recognisably "Justified" thing that happens is a frankly insulting epilogue that sets up a proper sequel to the original series. One which has alientaed me, even as a dyed in the wool fan of the original run.
This show could have been better. Skip it, if you haven't already watched it. If you want something actually great to watch about an aging hero, watch "The Old Man" with Jeff Bridges which was easily my favourite TV show of 2022. If you want to recapture the feeling of watching the original "Justified", just watch Olyphant playing Cobb Vanth - especially the cold open for the sixth episode of "The Book of Boba Fett". Those 3 minutes are more stone cold "Justifed" than eight episodes of this misguided garbage, and Olyphant's portrayal as "Space Raylan" is more on point to boot.
My reading of the first episode(s), in particular Givens' explosively violent encounter with Clement Mansell in the hotel bar, led me to believe that Raylan would have to choose between pursuing / killing Mansell and building a relationship with his errant daughter Willa. I was ready for it. I was ready to see Raylan struggle to protect her from both Mansell and the apocalyptic anger he would have to re-awaken in order to bring the Oklahoma Wild Man down. I was ready to see Raylan rediscover himself and redeem himself through violence and self sacrifice, as Logan did in his eponymous final film (to date). But that didn't happen.
Instead, that promised storyline disappeared when Raylan handed off Willa after the third episode. After which point, it must be said, Raylan is little more than a supporting character to far less interesting characters who take over a grim, uninspired narrative. In fact, in most scenes where he speaks or does anything, his role is simply to serve as a visual cue that viewers are still watching "Justified" in case they forget because of all the blue hued banality.
Eight episodes later, the first recognisably "Justified" thing that happens is a frankly insulting epilogue that sets up a proper sequel to the original series. One which has alientaed me, even as a dyed in the wool fan of the original run.
This show could have been better. Skip it, if you haven't already watched it. If you want something actually great to watch about an aging hero, watch "The Old Man" with Jeff Bridges which was easily my favourite TV show of 2022. If you want to recapture the feeling of watching the original "Justified", just watch Olyphant playing Cobb Vanth - especially the cold open for the sixth episode of "The Book of Boba Fett". Those 3 minutes are more stone cold "Justifed" than eight episodes of this misguided garbage, and Olyphant's portrayal as "Space Raylan" is more on point to boot.
Tell Your Friends