Posts tagged justified
Television, pop culture and a healthy dose of snark
Justified Returns for a Third Season With Guns Blazing
Strap on your Stetsons because FX’s Emmy-winning hit Justified is returning on Jan. 17 for a third season. It’s been far too long since we’ve checked in with sarcastic law man Raylan Givens and watching the first four episodes I realized how good it felt to be back in the saddle again with the show.
Last season focused on the unfurling dreams of the Bennett clan lead by the dangerously good Margo Martindale as matriarch Mags. Throughout the season, Martindale’s performance as Mags became such a standout that losing her by season’s end was as much a tragedy for the show as in the show. Fittingly the ghost of Mags lives on in the third season, still haunting the lives of our favorite Harlan County residents.
Season three starts off on a great foot and hints at some further twisty complications down the road. For starters, Raylan has a whole lot more on his plate now that the downfall of the Bennett family has left a power vacuum in Harlan.
Stepping into the picture is a new addition from Detroit named Quarles, played with both scary intensity and boardroom cool by Neal McDonough. He’s got a few tricks up his sleeve (some literal) and some less than savory connections to former small time crook Wynn Duffy. Plus there’s the mysterious Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson) who has a history with Raylan’s criminal daddy Arlo (Raymond J. Barry).
The other power player is none other than Raylan’s sometime friend, often nemesis Boyd Crowder played by the always fantastic Walton Goggins. Boyd began to set up his operation and get back into the crime game last year and he continues his efforts this season.
What’s so great about the show is that the world of Justified is such a fully-realized one. From the Marshals office in Lexington to the backwoods of Harlan County, the show has such an indelible sense of place. Unlike many shows on the dial, there’s no mistaking the landscape of Justified for anywhere else. And just like a real small town, characters never truly disappear from the world of the show unless they do so in a body bag. Seeing minor characters pop up in different configurations and roles is part of the charm of the show, lending reality to the small town feel. Season three sees the return of several major and minor players from seasons past like Dickie (Jeremy Davis) and wise-beyond-her-years Loretta (Kaitlyn Dever).
What I’ve always loved the most about the show is its sly sense of humor, even in life or death situations. Most characters on Justified are some shade of gray and they all share a welcome sense of humor that grounds even the most outrageous acts. Star Timothy Olyphant has credited this to the writers and to the world created by the work of novelist Elmore Leonard, on which the show is based. But Olyphant himself is a big part of what makes Justified so intensely compelling. His U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is flawed and tough while still retaining a very human sense of humor and compassion. The show itself rarely gives into the urge for melodrama, sprinkling even the most intense moments with bits of levity. It’s an adept show that can get a viewer to both cringe and laugh when its hero runs over a criminal (twice!) with his car.
It’s that ability to balance drama and humor that makes the relationship between crime fighter Raylan and criminal Boyd so fascinating. Underneath all the suspicion and hostility is a very real sense of camaraderie and affection. The two men might not always like each other, or indeed be on the same side, but their scenes always carry an undercurrent of respect. The beginning of season three sees quite a bit of the complex dynamic between the two, including some explosive fisticuffs in the premiere.
Season three also seems to be delivering on the promise of a more active Ava. Last seen shot by Dickie in the finale, Ava has certainly toughened up. She was already beginning to dip her toes into Boyd’s life of crime last season and this Bonnie and Clyde dynamic continues. Ava has always been a series standout since her intense husband-murdering monologue in the show’s pilot. Not many actresses could pull something like that off, but Joelle Carter has always struck the right balance between flirtatious and tough. It’s great to see Ava continue to develop and gain more agency.
The third season promises some nice stories for Raylan’s fellow marshals as well. Tim (Jacob Pitts) has a good time laughing at Raylan’s injured desk-bound state in the premiere. We see Chief Deputy Art Mullen (Nick Searcy) get out from behind the desk when tragedy befalls a fellow marshal. Underused but fantastic Rachel (Erica Tazel) also gets some nice moments, especially in the fourth episode where we learn more backstory on her character. Her interactions with Raylan have always been infinitely fun to watch. With an African American community introduced in the first few episodes, its possible Rachel will play a bigger part this season. One of the great things about Justified is its unflinching look at race in the backwoods and how bigotry still runs rampant in these communities.
Justified is a rare treat, a show with subtle humor, humanity and flawed heroes and antiheroes that feel like real people. Coming off a phenomenal second season, it would have been easy for the show to drop the ball. Don’t fret though; the third season is shaping up to be another gun-slinging, hillbilly-whispering good time.
Justified starts its third season on Jan. 17th at 10 p.m. EST on FX Networks.
What are you most looking forward to in Justified’s third season?
— Read the full article and sound off in the comments at HuffPost TV HERE!
The 5 Best TV Villains of 2011
What would a good show be without a good villain? The answer to that is a whole heck of a lot less interesting. This year the dial was chock full of great, delicious villains making our small screen heroes look even more heroic. It was a tough call picking out just five of the best TV villains of 2011, but these characters’ dastardly deeds put them ahead of the pack.
Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) - “Breaking Bad”
Can you think of a more frightening villain from 2011 than the mild-mannered chicken man from “Breaking Bad”? Because I can’t. Giancarlo Esposito was perfection in the role turning Gus into one of the scariest villains on televisions, often without saying a word. The meticulous Gus always seemed five steps ahead in the game, until his anger finally got the best of him. Even still, Gus got one of the coolest send-offs of any villain in recent memory.
Who knew straightening a tie could be so disgustingly cool?
Mags Bennett (Margo Martindale) - “Justified”
There are few villains that can make apple pie terrifying, but Margo Martindale’s Mags Bennett from the second season of “Justified” was one of them. Martindale won a much deserved Emmy for her turn as the matriarch of a truly twisted Harlan clan. Steely and vulnerable at once, Mags would literally kill you with kindness. Mags was a woman who would do anything to get what she wanted, but her struggle to lift her family out of a life of crime and drug trafficking made her infinitely human and relatable. “Justified” will have to work hard next season to find a bad guy even half as great.
Klaus (Joseph Morgan) - “The Vampire Diaries”
Last year, the quest to first avoid and then kill Klaus drove the plot of CW’s supernatural “The Vampire Diaries”. Having heard much about the character without ever seeing him, Klaus certainly had a big reputation to live up to. And he did in spades with Joseph Morgan confidently inhabiting the part of the murderous vampire-werewolf hybrid. Yet the show doesn’t shy away from Klaus’ vulnerability. His quest to make more hybrids is motivated at least in part by his loneliness. Plus he has more family issues (patricide and matricide?) than you can shake a (pointy) stick at. “The Vampire Diaries” loves a good bad guy, and we can’t help but love Klaus.
Victoria Grayson (Madeline Stowe) - “Revenge”
It’s a bit hard to pick out just one villain on ABC’s primetime soap-fest “Revenge”. After all, heroine Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) is on a mission of vengeance that includes most of the characters on the show. With a fun anti-heroine at the center of the action, who is villainous enough to take her on? Enter Madeline Stowe’s campy, amazing Victoria Grayson. The former lover of Emily’s father and the matriarch of the Grayson clan, Victoria always has a lot on her plate. But that never keeps her from delivering amazingly catty bon mots. How can you not love a woman that hugs a frenemy and declares the warmth of her body is her hatred burning through? Even her hugs are scary!
The House - “American Horror Story”
Sure, the latex gimp suit got a lot of the scary play on FX’s horror serial “American Horror Story”, even landing on the cover of Entertainment Weekly beside show stars Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott. But after finding out that lovestruck, whiny teenager Tate was the one embodying the suit, the scary got a bit zapped out. But the house where all the creepy madness took place never stopped being terrifying. Looking for a mad scientist, a school shooter, a pig baby or an angry gay ghost? The house has those to spare!
The creepy atmosphere of the “murder house” was a great backdrop for the disturbing happenings for “American Horror Story’s” freshmen outing. The house became like a malevolent character in itself, scarier than the sum of it’s parts. Although house didn’t work out very well for the doomed Harmon family, if you want to try your luck the actual house in Los Angeles where they filmed is on sale. Ghosts not included…or are they?
— Who were your favorite TV villains of 2011? Sound off in the comments at Yidio HERE!
‘Justified’ Season 3 Preview Guide: More Trouble in Harlan
Last season on FX’s western hit Justified, U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) faced off against the deadly, apple pie-serving Mags (Margo Martindale). He might have won that fight, but he made plenty of enemies in the process. Meanwhile, his criminal counterpart Boyd (Walton Goggins) hooked up with pistol-packing Ava (Joelle Carter), last seen shot in the season finale. Not all love stories ended with bullets flying though: ex-wife and current paramour Winona (Natalie Zea) discovered she was pregnant.
The second season of the Kentucky-set western cast back into Raylan’s past to explore a family feud with the Bennett clan. It didn’t work out so well for the Bennetts but it did work out well for the show, which scored Emmy nominations and a win for stand-out actress Martindale. What will Raylan be up against in Justified season 3?
What to Expect from Justified Season 3
Familiar faces and ghosts from Raylan’s past will abound when Justified returns for its third season on FX on January 17. The fallout from Mag’s suicide in the finale will have an impact even beyond the first episode, according to TV Fanatic.
Dexter and Gossip Girl fans have another reason to be excited: Desmond Harrington will show up in the season premiere! The details on his character are mum but word is he’ll be sporting a southern accent, a tough attitude and connections to “businessman” Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns). Looks like Harrington might get to show off some of the tough-guy skills he learned as the villainous Uncle Jack Bass on Gossip Girl.
Other familiar faces reappearing besides Duffy is Dickie Bennett (Jeremy Davies) and the always hilarious Dewey Crowe (Damon Herriman). Of course this is Harlan, where there’s always another criminal right around the corner. In Justified season 3, we’ll be saying hello to two new complicated bad guys when Quarles (Desperate Housewives’ Neal McDonough) and Limehouse (24’s Mykelti Williamson) stop by to make life more complicated for our favorite lawman.
Speaking of complications, Raylan’s love life might get a bit messier with the introduction of assistant director for the U.S. Marshals Service Karen Goodall (Carla Gugino) in the episode airing January 24. The lovely Gugino is no stranger to the tales of Justified author Elmore Leonard, having previously starred in the short-lived TV adaptation of his work Karen Sisco. With her pretty face and tough demeanor, she seems like a natural object of affection for Raylan. Should Winona be jealous?
”They were always attracted to one another,” executive producer Graham Yost told Entertainment Weekly. ”But when Raylan was free, Karen wasn’t — that kind of thing. Now comes this situation where the attraction is still there, but Raylan has reconnected with Winona.”
Women aren’t the only thing complicating Raylan’s life, not when he has old friend turned weird friend/nemesis Boyd around. The two men have one of the most fun dynamics and complicated relationships on the dial, both admiring and suspicious at once. Expect to see more of the two of them butting heads and joining forces in the upcoming season. In fact, Raylan might even try to help Boyd out of a jailhouse pinch. Who could have seen that coming?
The official FX description of the Justified season 3 premiere, “The Gunfighter,” makes it a sure thing that this season will be as dangerous and exciting as ever: ”The arrival of a dangerous new player in Lexington puts Raylan on a collision course with a sadistic Dixie Mafia hitman.”
Justified returns to FX for a third season of gun-fighting and hillbilly whispering on January 17.
—Will you be watching? And what are you most excited about seeing this upcoming season? Sound off in the comments at BuddyTV.com!
Yidio Writers Vote: The 5 Best TV Shows of 2011
1. “Justified” - The show that manages to balance drama and comedy so seamlessly you don’t even realize you’ve gone from laughing to crying. It also sports some of the best characters on the dial and this year featured a show-stopping, Emmy-winning performance by the great Margo Martindale as the terrifying Mags.
2. “Breaking Bad” - Yes, “Breaking Bad” ends up on the best of list every year but this year seems particularly worthy. The tension was ratcheted up to almost inhuman levels every week this season and it was glorious to see just how bad Walt would break.
3. “Friday Night Lights” - One of the best, most naturalistic shows on television left us with a season of renewal and hope. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.
4. “Parks and Recreation” -The sweetest comedy on TV got even sweeter this year with the introduction of the love story between Leslie and Ben. Political nerds have never been as sexy.
5. “Community” - Please watch this show. NBC has taken it off the winter slate, which is a mistake because it’s one of the freshest and most inventive comedies on television right now. Six seasons and a movie!
Best Television Shows of 2011
It’s that time of year again. There’s a chill in the air, carolers singing and around every corner of the Internet is another best-of list. As the clock ticks down on 2011 and we prepare ourselves for the apocalypse (next year is 2012 after all, didn’t you see that John Cusack movie?) it’s time for critics and bloggers everywhere to weigh in. Who was naughty and who was nice this year in the land of television? I’ll leave it to someone else to hand out coal, because despite the “Whitneys” scattered about the dial, the TV landscape has never looked brighter. Here are the 11 shows from 2011 that elevated the game this year:
1. Justified— Picking a stand-out performer on FX’s western shoot-em-up hit Justified is like picking a favorite child; you probably have one but that doesn’t mean you don’t love the rest. Timothy Olyphant earned his Emmy nomination every episode playing U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens with a steady mix of good humor and dangerous resolve. The second season of the show played a long cat-and-mouse game featuring the wonderful and terrifying Margo Martindale’s Mags, a villain who will literally kill you with kindness. The season felt meticulously well-plotted and the ending felt at once crushing and inevitable. Plus there are few shows with Justified’s restrained yet excellent sense of humor.
2. Breaking Bad — There’s a reason AMC’s crystal meth cooking Breaking Bad ends up on every critic’s best of list. That’s because it’s really that good. As a fairly recent convert to the culture of Walter White I feel it necessary to state that I found the first few seasons of the show to be a bit too dense and depressing. This year, however, the show upped the stakes in a way that made the end of every episode feel like the season finale. Speaking of the season finale, a straightened tie has never been so terrifying. This year the tension on Breaking Bad has never been so high, while the depths that Walt is willing to sink have never been so low.
3. Friday Night Lights — We lost one of our best shows this year in the NBC/Direct TV football drama Friday Night Lights. The show was one of the most naturalistic on television thanks to lived-in performances from its cast and fly-on-the-wall cinematography. Thankfully, the drama got a send-off that was as hopeful and moving as the show itself. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.
4. Parks and Recreation — NBC’s comedy about a bunch of misfits in local government is one of the funniest sitcoms on the dial without sacrificing any of its sweetness. The addition of Rob Lowe and Adam Scott brought the show to the next hilarious level while the romance between Leslie and Ben made political nerds sexy. So let’s hear it for the fictional town of Pawnee: first in friendship, fourth in obesity.
5. Community — While NBC hasn’t given the meta comedy a place on its winter schedule, Community will always have a place in our hearts. That’s because the show balances high-concept comedy and emotional character-driven stories with ease. As Magnitude would say “Pop pop!”
6. Game of Thrones — Come for the ridiculous sex scenes and violence and stay for the intrigue in HBO’s swords and scheming epic fantasy series. The great thing about Game of Thrones is that no one is safe and the noblest characters are often the first to lose their heads. Literally.
7. Downton Abbey — Imagine if Jane Austen and the writers of Gossip Girl had a baby. That baby would be Downton Abbey. The stylish and sophisticated British import packs more drama than most daytime soaps into the grand sitting rooms of the titular castle. Besides, no one can turn a phrase quite like Maggie Smith.
8. The Borgias — While largely ignored by critics the historical drama The Borgias by Oscar winning screenwriter Neil Jordan is great historical fun. The acting is top notch and the members of the infamous Borgia clan feel well rounded and human. Neither too soapy nor too dull, these wonderfully compelling Borgias make history come alive.
9. Raising Hope — The FOX sitcom takes wacky to a whole new level while never sacrificing its heart. The Chance family, now saddled with son Jimmy’s infant daughter Hope, is both sweetly affecting and balls-out crazy. It’s a combination that keeps Raising Hope walking the delicate line between oddball goofiness and saccharine earnestness. It’s a line the show walks without a misstep, even if the Chances’ attempts at childrearing aren’t as picture perfect.
10. Happy Endings — What started off as another Friends-knockoff midseason replacement soon morphed into a word-of-mouth hit. That’s because Happy Endings is what many sitcoms hope and fail to be: legitimately funny. It also hinges on the great chemistry between the close-knit group at the heart of the show, as well as hilarious stereotype defying characters like gay slob Max. We check in every week with the Happy Endings crew because if they really existed we’d want to hang out with them.
11. Revenge- ABC’s new hit Revenge is a rare breed: a prime-time soap that revels in its soapiness and takes it very seriously. The Hamptons-set show is great fun with nonstop scheming, a convoluted backstory involving betrayal and great ruthless characters. Apparently vengeance is a dish best served with an ocean view.
— Sound off on your favorite shows of the year on HuffPost TV HERE!
Spoiler Alert: ‘Justified’ Spoilers
Last season FX’s western US Marshal drama Justified went out with a bang, or at least a glass of apple pie with some very unhealthy additives.
Thankfully, the phenomenal Margo Martindale received some Emmy recognition for her work as tough mama bear Mags. Less fortunately, Mags’ departure left a baddie power vacuum in Harlan. So what’s next for quick-drawing US Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant)? Read on to find out!
Beware, Justified spoilers ahead! This is your last chance to turn back!
