A little over 18 months ago a programme known as The Shield came to the end of its Tuesday night run on American channel FX. Known as the best show on FX, having some of its highest ratings and lasting 7 seasons, it left a pretty big hole on Tuesday nights. FX needed something to fill it. Justified is that show. But as much as it was promoted towards Shield fans (Doors being kicked in, guns going off, Walton Goggins featured prominently in advertising) Justified is a much different style of cop show.
Using Elmore Leonard's 'Fire In The Hole' as a jump-off point for the show, it nails his style completely. From the pilot the the season's end it maintains a slow and steady pace, each episode heavy on the dialogue, loads of great character moments and typically ending with someone catching a bullet or two.
The jist of the season is Deputy Marshall Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant of Deadwood fame) with having to protect his old flame Ava from the biggoted and corrupt Crowder family she was married into - before shooting her husband with a shotgun over dinner - in particular white supremecist Boyd Crowder, played by Walton Goggins. Meanwhile Raylan has to keep a lid on his temper as he's being investigated for his tendency to fill criminals with lead. And his issues with his Ex-wife and her new husband. And his dad.
The first half of the season (pilot aside) are procedural like, with their stand alone storylines and excellent one-off characters (How about a former mob accountant, now working as a dentist who attacks one of his more annoying patients?), but the second half gets into the serialised story, Boyd gets more screen time and it builds towards it's Wild West climax.
Most shows first seasons are uncertain about that they want to be as they expand their world beyond the pilot and find that the show that works isn't necessarily the ones the creators had in mind. Justified is one of those that know exactly what's up from the first minute and works like a charm.
Those of a downloading persuasion should check out episodes 4,8 or 9 for a great taster.