With all of the high-profile TV revivals that have come out of the woodwork in recent years, from the most expected returns to the most highly questionable ones, Justified fans like myself have been metaphorically holding our breath in hopes that the day might come when Timothy Olyphant’s Raylan Givens would return to deliver more Kentucky fried justice to twang-heavy criminals. Well blessed be 2022, because this is the year when it’s finally happening! Well, sort of.
FX and Sony Pictures Television have confirmed that Justified will return for a new chapter as a limited series that’ll have the somewhat awkward title of Justified: City Primeval. Based on the late Elmore Leonard’s novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit, Raylan Givens’ next televised outing will reteam series creator Graham Yost with much of the original creative team, but this new story will apparently be taking Raylan away from his Kentucky roots.
Within the novel, Raylan is eight years removed from the Bluegrass State, and is living in Miami as both a U.S. Marshal and the father-esque figure of a teen girl. After a chance encounter sends him on a mission to Detroit, Raylan catches wind of a dangerous and violent criminal called The Oklahoma Wildman, real name Clement Mansell, who has been evading law enforcement in the city partially with the help of his rule-bending lawyer, Carolyn Wilder, who has her own motivations independent of her client and those hunting him down.
Fans can no doubt expect for those two new roles to be filled by amazing actors, given the stunning pedigree Justified can boast when it comes to stellar co-stars. From Sam Elliott to Margo Martindale to Garret Dillahunt to Kaitlin Dever — I could keep going for a while — there’s no end to the talent within this show, and that’s not even bringing up the almighty Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder.
Neither Goggins' nor Boyd's name came up in the announcement, but you know there are gonna be riots if he’s not involved at all. While it's understandable that this new limited series isn't sticking around the former location, what with the myriad deaths that occurred over the years, can this truly be a Justified project without some version of Raylan Vs. Boyd at the center of the narrative?
FX shared the news on Twitter as well with the post below:
High noon approaches. Timothy Olyphant returns as Raylan Givens for FX’s Justified: City Primeval, an all-new limited series. pic.twitter.com/x6BgJpQpIvJanuary 14, 2022
To be sure, this isn't the first time that we've heard about this project's potential existence, as it was first brought to light in March 2021 when the conversations started to get more serious. But considering how many promising TV projects start the development process before folding in on themselves, it’s not like any guarantees were set in stone. But now they have definitely been carved in, and we cannot wait.
No premiere date has been planned just yet for Justified: City Primeval, but I’ll be hollering about it from rooftops as soon as something is announced. In the meantime, check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what else is hitting the small screen soon.
