Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens
The hook for FX’s Justified: City Primeval was “New city. New enemy. Your favorite U.S. Marshal is back” when it launched July 18, 2023 (10pm ET/PT). Starring Timothy Olyphant, the 8-episode limited FX series (available next day on Hulu) is a must-see for great crime drama/action/tender-macho man lovers. Get caught up before the last episodes air on August 22 and 29.
After the first Justified ended its acclaimed six season run in 2015, fans missed their favorite U.S. Marshall, Raylan Givens, created by great American novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard. Raylan is a modern principled character molded after Wild West heroes from a bygone era. Now Justified: City Primeval continues his saga.
Olyphant talked to the Television Critics Association during the most recent TCA press tour and explained his thoughts about stepping into the U.S. Marshal’s boots again. With his usual flair for smartass chit-chat, Olyphant revealed, “My biggest concern was that I would only make a lot of money.”
He added, “I really didn’t have any concerns. I love these guys (the show’s creative team). Elmore Leonard and Graham Yost (series creator) gave us so much material to launch what I’ve always thought was potentially numerous stories. I thought as long as we were still in the Elmore Leonard world and the Graham Yost world that the two of them created, I just thought I’d love to be there for it.”
After the first series ended he put the character away, yet was happy to do another “marshal” role (as Cobb Vanth) in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, Disney+ series. Olyphant kidded his Vanth sheriff/marshal “was a direct lift. I was, like, ‘Just put a helmet on with the costume, and it will work. This will play.’ I felt a very deep sadness when we ended the show (Justified), but not because of the character, but because of the people that I was working with and how much I had enjoyed being in their company, let alone being able to collaborate with them. I cried like a baby on that last day.”
Timothy Olyphant with daughter Vivian
To recap the beginnings of Justified: City Primeval — Having left the hollers of Kentucky 15 years ago, Raylan Givens now lives in Miami, a walking anachronism balancing his life as a U.S. Marshal and part-time father of a 15-year-old girl (his daughter played by Olyphant’s real life daughter Vivian Olyphant). Raylan’s hair is grayer, his hat is dirtier, and the road in front of him is suddenly a lot shorter than the road behind.
A chance encounter on a desolate Florida highway sends him to Detroit. There he crosses paths with Clement Mansell (Boyd Holbrook), aka The Oklahoma Wildman, a violent, sociopathic desperado who’s already slipped through the fingers of Detroit’s finest once and aims to do so again. Mansell’s lawyer Carolyn Wilder (Aunjanue L. Ellis) has every intention of representing her client, even as she finds herself caught in between cop and criminal, with her own game afoot as well. These three characters set out on a collision course in classic Elmore Leonard fashion, to see who makes it out of the City Primeval alive.
Tune in Justified: City Primeval on FX at 10pm ET/PT, available next day on Hulu.
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