Justified

OK I had last night's episode on DVR from last night because I just couldn't get to it with all the Lost and Parenthood goodness so this is a little late coming but WOW is this a great show! Is there anyone else on the planet that does smoldering anger better than Timothy Olyphant? Answer: No. This is definitely going to the top of my must watch list, I'm just not sure how to fit it in to an already packed Tuesday.

Tonight's episode starts with U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens (Olyphant) on a hotel patio in Miami telling a drug kingpin that the 24 hours he gave him to leave town are almost up. He can either hop on the next flight out to South America or Givens would shoot him. Of course the drug dealer's not having any of that so he pulls his gun but Givens is the faster draw and kills him before he can get a shot off. This sets off an internal investigation into the shooting with the final result being Givens is shipped out to the Marshall's office in Lexington, Kentucky. Just so happens that Givens grew up in nearby Harlen and is very familiar with the area but doesn't like the idea that he has to come back.

When he arrives he finds out one of his old buddies he used to work in the coal mines with, Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), has become a Neo-Nazi that likes to blow up churches with bazookas and rob banks. He also had a brother that had just been shot and killed the night before by his wife. Givens figures he should go call on the wife and wait for brother Boyd to stop by but Boyd sends one of his men instead so Givens tells him to go back and tell Boyd that he's in town and is going to be seeing him soon.

When they do finally meet up each man takes the measure of the other, sizes him up and wonders how exactly they got to such different places though they started from the same beginning. Givens tells Crowder to show up at court the next day for a line up, which he does, then Crowder tells Givens he has 24 hours to leave town or he will kill him, a nice reversal from the deal Givens gave the druglord at the beginning of the episode. Of course, being a Nazi Crowder doesn't really feel obligated to give Givens the entire 24 hours so he goes to his brothers house and makes his widow call the Marshall over for dinner. Then, in one of the dumbest moves I've seen in a while, sends the widow away while he makes Givens sit and eat his "last meal". Why is this so dumb? Well this woman has already killed one brother with her shotgun, what makes him think she won't kill another? Sure enough, here she comes around the corner with a shotgun and shoots Crowder. Unfortunately she doesn't kill him as it looks like this is the beginning of a long story arc with these characters and not just a one and done story then off to the next case.

Admittedly the main draw for this show is Olyphant staring down bad guys then being quick on the draw but my goodness that appears to be enough. Not only that but it looks like they have surrounded him with enough talented actors to give this series legs and keep it going for a long time. If you missed this show go find it on FX, I'm sure there will be encore showings all week, and watch it. It will be well worth your time.