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[Optimusdouche]

Perhaps my favorite show of all time. Watched that final season twice.

Just one cool and amazing character after another. They might not last long, but man this show had so many cool characters. Great fun. It was always light on its feet too. Not too bogged down in darkness.

 

[-griffy-]

Hey, they're actually branding it as Raylan Givens Book 1, huh? Smart.

I believe that series goes:

Pronto
Riding the Rap
Fire in the Hole (short story from Up in Honey's Room)
Raylan

The cover is even styled like the Justified title treatment, and it's got the "Now a major motion picture" equivalent sticker.

Pretty much. The show is just...solid. Even had a somewhat satisfying ending and I usually am critical of how shows end.

I'd use the word "pleasurable" to describe the show. It's one of the most eminently pleasurable shows I've watched. It may not be as serious or "important" as some of the usual "Best TV Shows Ever," but I don't think that means it's not as good. It's as good in a different way.

 

[WedgeX]

Perhaps my favorite show of all time.

Saying something, as I watched Arrested Development from the pilot forward.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Also, Elmore operated in a shared universe. Not every book crossed over with the others, but often characters from one would show up for a few scenes or two. Road Dogs is the sequel to Out of Sight, and features characters from La Brava and Riding the Rap. Rum Punch features characters introduced in The Switch, and characters from Rum Punch end up in Out of Sight. There's more, but they're escaping me at the moment.

 

[Niraj]

One of my all-time favorite shows, and it has one of the best series finales there's ever been, absolutely perfect. Amazing, endlessly quotable dialogue, great acting, and just a ton of fun from start to finish.

 

[ColdPizza]

I'd use the word "pleasurable" to describe the show. It's one of the most eminently pleasurable shows I've watched. It may not be as serious or "important" as some of the usual "Best TV Shows Ever," but I don't think that means it's not as good. It's as good in a different way.

That works too. The show wasn't God-tier but I enjoyed it from A-Z.

 

[Zoibie]

I'm really bummed the Blu Rays didn't ever release in the UK, had to settle for the DVDs instead. But yeah, I can only echo what everyone else has said already. Three seasons in and everyone has been a joy to watch, especially Margo Martindale who has far and away been the standout performance of the show so far.

 

[ZeroX03]

Fantastic show. Delightfully humorous and dramatically satisfying. It's a shame it didn't get more attention.

 

[DirtyManos]

Great, great, great show.

Season 2 is one of the best seasons of any show, ever. The Bennett clan vs Boyd vs Raylan, oh boy.

Goddamnit, when will we ever get another show like this.....

Never ;_;

RIP Elmore Leonard

 

[Ri'Orius]

I watched the first episode and was kinda uncomfortable with it. I'm fine with "playing fast and loose with the rules" in a comedy (eg Psyche), but when it means shooting "the bad guy" and calling that a win I'm not having much fun. Part of the issue was probably that I was watching with my gun-loving, hard-right parents, though...

 

[ZeroX03]

I watched the first episode and was kinda uncomfortable with it. I'm fine with "playing fast and loose with the rules" in a comedy (eg Psyche), but when it means shooting "the bad guy" and calling that a win I'm not having much fun. Part of the issue was probably that I was watching with my gun-loving, hard-right parents, though...

The shooting was justified.

 

[DoomGyver]

You mean I had four kidneys?!

 

[jelly]

One of my favourites. Does wobble a bit in later seasons but the characters are ace, keeps it going and a great ending.

 

[inm8num2]

 

[Nappuccino]

The 4th episode of Season 1 (I think I'm remembering it right) was just terrible and turned me off from the show. It's the one with the guy from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The writing, plot setup, and performances in that episode were just bad, bad, bad.

I still want to give the show a chance because I've heard it's good and have friends that like it but that episode was a total buzzkill.

Good news is, shortly after that episode, the tone and drive of the show change quite a bit. You can basically skip that episode (and maybe the next one two) and miss nothing.

I watched the first episode and was kinda uncomfortable with it. I'm fine with "playing fast and loose with the rules" in a comedy (eg Psyche), but when it means shooting "the bad guy" and calling that a win I'm not having much fun. Part of the issue was probably that I was watching with my gun-loving, hard-right parents, though...

For as cool as the show makes Raylan out to be, I don't think we're supposed to take his side when it comes to the rule bending. Raylan constantly gets into trouble that he created and the show is pretty aware of that as the seasons go on, I think.

 

[Ri'Orius]

The shooting was justified.

I mean, opening scene from what I recall: good guy confronts bad guy in a restaurant. Implies that good guy had told bad guy to leave town with implicit threat. Tense discussion, eventually bad guy pulls a gun but good guy gets his shot off first. Says it's justified self-defense, right?

But now look at it the other way: good guy threatens to kill bad guy if he doesn't leave. Twenty four hours later, good guy shows up, armed, at the place where bad guy is eating. Repeats his threat. Strong indications that he intends to make good on it. As far as I'm concerned, when the bad guy pulls his gun he's got a great argument for self defense himself.

The bad guy may have drawn a gun first, but the good guy 100% instigated that conflict.

 

[Nappuccino]

I mean, opening scene from what I recall: good guy confronts bad guy in a restaurant. Implies that good guy had told bad guy to leave town with implicit threat. Tense discussion, eventually bad guy pulls a gun but good guy gets his shot off first. Says it's justified self-defense, right?

But now look at it the other way: good guy threatens to kill bad guy if he doesn't leave. Twenty four hours later, good guy shows up, armed, at the place where bad guy is eating. Repeats his threat. Strong indications that he intends to make good on it. As far as I'm concerned, when the bad guy pulls his gun he's got a great argument for self defense himself.

The bad guy may have drawn a gun first, but the good guy 100% instigated that conflict.

Which is why Raylan was demoted and booted to a podunk Marshal operation.

 

[-griffy-]

I mean, opening scene from what I recall: good guy confronts bad guy in a restaurant. Implies that good guy had told bad guy to leave town with implicit threat. Tense discussion, eventually bad guy pulls a gun but good guy gets his shot off first. Says it's justified self-defense, right?

But now look at it the other way: good guy threatens to kill bad guy if he doesn't leave. Twenty four hours later, good guy shows up, armed, at the place where bad guy is eating. Repeats his threat. Strong indications that he intends to make good on it. As far as I'm concerned, when the bad guy pulls his gun he's got a great argument for self defense himself.

The bad guy may have drawn a gun first, but the good guy 100% instigated that conflict.

This very idea is one of the key dilemmas the show explores as it relates to Raylan's character.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

I love that at one point in the blu-ray bonus features, it just devolves into all the writers/producers gushing for like 15 straight minutes about how awesome Dewey Crowe is.

 

[WedgeX]

There is a gaf poster, Alligatorjandro, whose every post I read as Dewey.

 

[Ri'Orius]

This very idea is one of the key dilemmas the show explores as it relates to Raylan's character.

Ah, gotcha. The impression I got from the first episode was that we the viewers were supposed to be 100% on his side, and those dumb rules were just getting in the way. Maybe I should give the show a real shot someday.

 

[Raylan]

More like one of the best TV series EVER, son!

The shooting was justified.

It was!

 

[StopMakingSense]

It's not the absolute highest tier tv show ever, but dammit it was the most enjoyable show Ive ever watched, bar none.

Just hearing the opening credits song would give me a gigantic smile.

 

[J_Viper]

The secret best show ever made.

I completely understand why it doesn't have the widest appeal, but man, almost every aspect of the show is simply impeccable.

Olyphant and Goggins deserved every award ever invented for their performances.

Damn it, now I need to change my avatar again. Sorry Batfleck

 

[firehawk12]

It's great. Although Longmire scratches the same itch in terms of modern cowboy stories.

 

[Aselith]

Ah, gotcha. The impression I got from the first episode was that we the viewers were supposed to be 100% on his side, and those dumb rules were just getting in the way. Maybe I should give the show a real shot someday.

Well, we are but that doesn't mean he's not egging people into confrontations. He actually does that a lot in the show, he will manipulate people he clearly wants to kill into letting him them and make himself look justified about it. I would put the title of the show in quotes because he is very often questionably justified.

He's actually an extremely manipulative person and I'm not sure anyone could make that work along with his extreme arrogance quite as well as Tim Olyphant does. Tim Gutterson is the real reason to watch the show though that dude is a boss.

 

[Macleoid]

It's not the absolute highest tier tv show ever, but dammit it was the most enjoyable show Ive ever watched, bar none.

Just hearing the opening credits song would give me a gigantic smi

Yeah pretty much this. It's not going to change your life or the way you think about anything but it's a fine diversion for an hour or so a week.

 

[etta]

It's an amazing show.

 

[dead souls]

Great show, with perhaps the best dialogue of all time.

 

[Wreav]

Great show, with perhaps the best dialogue of all time.

 

[Niraj]

One thing I love about the show is how well they would incorporate aspects of earlier episodes into the later parts of the seasons. As an example, the awesome "Next one's coming faster" scene in the Harlan Roulette episode in season 3. That scene was badass on its own, but they actually incorporate it in the plot of a later episode, Watching the Detectives. Quarles and Wynn Duffy use the bullet Raylan had dropped onto Duffy to try to frame him for murder. When the investigating detectives question him, the resulting conversation about that scene is hilarious (transcript taken from here [url], though he incorrectly notes that one is an FBI agent, both are homicide detectives, so I've edited that):

Homicide detective 1: “You’re in the motor coach, with Robert Quarles and Winn Duffy, there’s a bodyguard out front, but that still doesn’t explain to me how you got your fingerprints on a bullet casing.”

Raylan: “I threw a bullet at him.”

Homicide Detective 2: “You threw a bullet at him.”

Raylan: “Yeah.”

Homicide detective 1: “Wait. You… threw a bullet at him?”

Raylan: “No-no, I, like… dropped it.”

Homicide detective 1: “On the floor?”

Raylan: “On Duffy.”

Homicide detective 1: “So, Duffy was on the floor.”

Raylan: “Yes.”

Homicide Detective 2: “You failed to mention that, Deputy.”

Raylan: “Well, I’m… mentioning it now.”

Homicide Detective 2: “How’d he get on the floor, I wonder?”

Raylan: “Look, you wanted to know how my prints got on the casing, now you know. Okay?”

Homicide detective 1: “Wait, why-why did you throw a bullet at him?”

Raylan: “I was trying to make a point.”

Homicide Detective 2: “Which was?”

Raylan: “Get the hell out of Kentucky, and don’t come back.”

Homicide detective 1: “How was throwing a bullet at him going to accomplish that?”

Raylan: “Told him the next one might be coming a little faster.”

Homicide detective 1: *Long pause* “Deputy. That might just be the coolest thing I’ve ever laid ears on.” *Laughs*

I mean that's just some funny shit, but it also doesn't come across as out of place or anything like that, because it feels natural that people would react to Raylan's antics that way, because that's how the viewer would react as well.

While I'm on the subject, both episodes are brought back in the finale, with Raylan forcing Duffy to play Harlan Roulette with him, and also giving Quarles back the gun that he tried to use to frame Raylan. Just really thoughtful, great stuff.

 

[Vert boil]

Also, Fuck Ava.

 

[The Outsider]

Best dialogue on television. Olyphant and Goggins are electric. Great show.

Spoiler

#teamjackienevada

 

[Endorphineforeverybody]

I'm with you, really liked it, best dialogue and I love the accents. Never came around to watch the last season unfortunately. Will watch all again someday, it's worth it. But yes, nobody I know watched it.

 

[Raylan]

Best dialogue on television

You're damn right!

 

[Strax]

Great show and def. in my top 10 of all time. Its amzing how it turned during the middle of the first season from a criminal of the week to a big story arch. I've never seen a TV change so much in a middle of a season.

 

[Xevren]

My favorite speech will be Art reflecting about how badass Drew Thompson's antics were as they were getting him, shit was hilarious.

 

[Officerrob]

I agree that it's criminally underrated. While I don't think it's a top tier show (Breaking Bad, Sopranos, The Wire, The Shield), it's right below that. Season 2 was easily the peak, and the finale felt kinda sweet and satisfying. My major issue with the show was how underdeveloped Gutterson and Brooks were

 

[Bobby Roberts]

I agree that it's criminally underrated. While I don't think it's a top tier show (Breaking Bad, Sopranos, The Wire, The Shield), it's right below that. Season 2 was easily the peak, and the finale felt kinda sweet and satisfying. My major issue with the show was how underdeveloped Gutterson and Brooks were

I thought for sure they were gonna kill Art off and have Brooks take the chair permanently. Still think they shoulda, honestly.

 

[whytemyke]

how is it underrated if its a internet darling and has a 80 on metacritic and a 97% on rotten tomatoes for example?

Same with Southland I believe. Both just incredible shows, cherished by people that saw them and infinitely watchable

 

[epmode]

This show's pretty great. The one big downside is that very few plotlines are carried across seasons. More serialization pls.