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When does Justified get good?

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sans_pants

avec_pénis
I'm only 3 episodes in. Huge fan of Olyphant (Deadwood) and Goggins (The Shield). Really like Elmore Leonard books. It was on FX and has Goggins so I came at it expecting something similar to the shield, which to be fair also started out a little rough


But so far, everything is just too cutesy. Everyone's smiling and joking their way through every scene and stakes are practically non-existent. Plus the "crime of the week" thing is already pretty bad and none of the side characters seem very good. This feels like a CBS show so far.


Does it pick up? Does it get any more realistic or gritty? Or is this just not my style?
 
The episodic nature after a little after halfway through season 1, it's basically entirely serialized after Boyd shows up again. A lot of the love for the show is more about the amazing characters than the plot.

Season 2 is spectacular.
 
I felt the same way as you, but stick with it. I'd say about halfway through season 2 it finds its groove. It does lose the 'crime of the week' thing by the way, I hated that too.
 
It moves away from the crime of the week format later into season 1 but it doesn't ever get too gritty. The actual subject matter is pretty dark but I mostly watched the show just for Raylan and Boyd trading barbs.
 
Season one is harder to get through. After that it's damn fine television. Just slog through season one and you won't regret it
 
It doesn't.

It's a mediocre CBS procedural that got noticed because it was on a different network, one where swearing is allowed

Edit: as in it would be the 4th or 5th best procedural on CBS. Not that the genre is somehow lacking
 
The last three or four episodes are pretty good and Season 2 is spectacular.

wenis said:
I've been told numerous times to skip the first season.
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Nah.

It's procedural nature makes it less thrilling than the rest of the series, but there's still some good stuff in there and it sets up far too much.
 
jdstorm said:
It doesn't.

It's a mediocre CBS procedural that got noticed because it was on a different network, one where swearing is allowed

Edit: as in it would be the 4th or 5th best procedural on CBS. Not that the genre is somehow lacking
Click to expand...

Almost literally every word you wrote is wrong.
 
jdstorm said:
It doesn't.

It's a mediocre CBS procedural that got noticed because it was on a different network, one where swearing is allowed
Click to expand...

It's quite impressive how awful this post is with so few words.

Justified is objectively not a procedural past the first 8 or 9 episodes and the swearing that's allowed on FX is also allowed on CBS - they just use the word "shit" a lot more for their own reasons.
 
Season two on is great, although not if you hate jokes. Justified is not The Shield, it's not trying to be. If you have a distaste for charming dialogue and the occasional goofball character, steer clear.
 
Yeah I remember not thinking it was that special at first. Not sure when but by the time I finished the first season I was hooked.
 
jdstorm said:
It doesn't.

It's a mediocre CBS procedural that got noticed because it was on a different network, one where swearing is allowed

Edit: as in it would be the 4th or 5th best procedural on CBS. Not that the genre is somehow lacking
Click to expand...
worst post ever
 
jdstorm said:
It doesn't.

It's a mediocre CBS procedural that got noticed because it was on a different network, one where swearing is allowed

Edit: as in it would be the 4th or 5th best procedural on CBS. Not that the genre is somehow lacking
Click to expand...

I can't believe Les Moonves has a Gaf account.
 
Tbh I think it comes out strong with "Señorita" but really comes into it's own around "Cry Me a River"
 
WBPlex7.gif


The anus is on you to keep watching the first season. It gets better at the end once the show transitions from criminal-of-the-week to longer arcs. As others have said, season 2 is a huge step up. You'll continue to grow fond of the characters thanks to excellent writing and performances.

(that's the second time I've used that gif today)
 
It's not even particularly procedural in the crime of the week episodes that start the first season. A lot of characters are setup and a few plot points are put into place.

I finished the whole show about 2 weeks ago. Loved it. And I wouldn't skip any episodes as you'll want to maximize your time with these characters.
 
The show was a slow burn for me. Mid way through S2 you should be hooked. It had a bad lull around season 4 but I'm glad I got through it. It has one of the best final episodes to close out the show.

The bad guy in season 3 (and his end) was just epic.

Biggest problem for me was at times they let it get too complicated or contrived. The best parts were the banter between the main characters.
 
wenis said:
I've been told numerous times to skip the first season.
Click to expand...

Whoever told you this isn't a true fan of this show.

Season 1 has a slow starter with some episodic stories, but all in all, it's hugely important as a set up to everything that follows from season 2 on wards, which is where the show really hits its stride.
 
jdstorm said:
It doesn't.

It's a mediocre CBS procedural that got noticed because it was on a different network, one where swearing is allowed

Edit: as in it would be the 4th or 5th best procedural on CBS. Not that the genre is somehow lacking
Click to expand...

God damn this post is just so wrong on so many levels
 
Season 1 establishes the relationship between Raylan and Boyd, therefore it's required watching, though it definitely is the weakest season due to the procedural structure of the first half. Once you hit Season 2 though, the quality skyrockets.

Easily one of my favorite shows ever.
 
jdstorm said:
It doesn't.

It's a mediocre CBS procedural that got noticed because it was on a different network, one where swearing is allowed

Edit: as in it would be the 4th or 5th best procedural on CBS. Not that the genre is somehow lacking
Click to expand...

Your opinion is bad and you should feel bad.

Justified was amazing to me from like minute 2 of Episode 1. It definitely gets stronger in later seasons, but I don't think it was a chore or anything early on either. It's just a steady improvement over the entire series. Most shows wish they could be that consistent!
 
Goodstyle said:
One of that show's actors (Nick Searcy) insulted me on Twitter. Soured me on the whole thing forever.
Click to expand...

StopMakingSense said:
Nick Searcy is, sadly, a shitty person. Adam Baldwin-esque
Click to expand...

Oh man, I remember one day a while ago I looked at his Twitter (big mistake) and it was just a bunch of him fat shaming people and holding up his alleged adopted black kid as a shield against accusations of racism.

He still doing that? (I kinda don't want to know)

But more on topic... I loved the show from start to finish. *shrug* Like others have suggested, I'd say at least give it through season 2.
 
Going to say it sounds like it's not for you. Probably my second favorite show ever, after The Shield. It is a completely different beast, though. Like, they are not alike in any way shape or form. It's certainly not gritty and real. It's a warm safe place where you know the good guys are always going to come out ahead. So, yeah, nothing like The Shield.
 
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