SEASON 2 QUOTES
The Hollywood Reporter, May 5, 2011 (Tim Goodman) “The strides that FX’s sophomore sensation JUSTIFIED made this season were impressive…season finale…one of the strongest episodes so far…if Timothy Olyphant doesn’t get an Emmy nomination for best actor and Margo Martindale a nod for her season-long guest-starring role, there is no justice.”
“And that’s not even factoring in Walton Goggins…his can’t-take-your-eyes-off-him footprint exponentially this season as Boyd. Beyond awards, JUSTIFIED elevated itself from a very good series last season to a great one this season. Not a lot of shows make that jump.”
“…moving, a showcase for a number of strong performances…”
“JUSTIFIED had the kind of season where viewers will want to go back and rewatch scenes just to bask in the dialogue, which combined the verbal gymnastics of ‘Deadwood’ with the kind of subtle humor a ton of comedies should take notice of. Elmore Leonard is proud of this series and it’s easy to see why.”
“…a very good series got a lot better…There’s no sin in being very good. But there’s glory in begin great. JUSTIFIED proved this season that it’s in television’s top tier.”
The Hollywood Reporter, April 20, 2011 (Tim Goodman) The Power Rankings!
Rank 3: “Let's use JUSTIFIED right here and right now as a testament to the power in these Power Rankings! Here is a series that has consistently been either No. 1 or No. 2 in its run. It churns out yet another high quality episode and ends up as No. 3. Again. How does that happen? Great television. There's suddenly a lot of it. I have no doubt that Raylan will continue to bring it. I'm not worried about JUSTIFIED.”
The Hollywood Reporter, March 16, 2011 (Tim Goodman) The Power Rankings!
Rank 1; Show: JUSTIFIED; Previous: 4; Comment: “Raylan reclaims the No. 1 spot this week and it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise.”
The Hollywood Reporter, February 23, 2011 (Tim Goodman) “Timothy Olyphant continues to be great in the lead role here and the fact that JUSTIFIED is more intriguing than its impressive freshman season is cause for joy. Margo Martindale was a superb casting choice, Walton Goggins is a gem and just think of all the Boyd Crowderisms we've got left this season.”
The Hollywood Reporter, February 9, 2011 (Tim Goodman) "The man [Olyphant] was born to be in a Western and wear a badge — he looks absolutely iconic in a cowboy hat. Olyphant owns one the best squint-eyed stares in all of acting. Give him a gun, and you just know he’s got an itchy trigger finger."
1 '...Olyphant is the poster boy of the series. But his intensity is matched by Walton Goggins..."
"...Yost has upped the ante by bringing in Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett..."
Variety.com, April 25, 2011 (Brian Lowry) “Thanks to shrewd casting -- including the addition of the terrific Margo Martindale as a crime boss mom, and Jeremy Davies as her sadistice near-idiot of a son -- and a cleverly serialized storyline, the show continues to deliver a mix of action, laughs and drama. The FX series has managed to keep moving forward while still providing solid procedural elements within its episodes, and continues to showcase star Timothy Olyphant while strengthening contributions from the supporting cast…JUSTIFIED’s tone -- essentially a modern-day western, down to the cowboy hats and ‘He drew first’ dialogue -- also makes a strong case to revive that genre…make no mistake: This show's as loaded as a 10-gallon hat.”
Daily Variety, February 2, 2011 (Brian Lowry) “…the wonderfully entertaining…”
Entertainment Weekly, June 24, 2011 (Ken Tucker) My Emmy Ballot “…even more JUSTIFIED was Martindale’s turn as a mean mountain mama.”
Entertainment Weekly, May 6, 2011 The Bullseye
“Season 2’s Givens/Bennett feud has JUSTIFIED our love of this show.”
Entertainment Weekly, February 18, 2011 (Ken Tucker) A- “Most TV series feel the need to up the ante in their second season, to prove the first one wasn’t a fluke. JUSTIFIED proceeds with such assurance, however, that it can maintain a cool, witty serenity that only enhances its tough-guy drama.”
“…propulsive storytelling.”
“Thank goodness Walton Goggins is still around as the grinning bad man Boyd Crowder…”
“…(the rapturous Natalie Zea).”
“…(a sly Joelle Carter)…”
“JUSTIFIED is ripe with under-covers action…”
Entertainment Weekly Online, January 1, 2011 (Ken Tucker) 10 TV Events to Look Forward to in 2011
“3. Justified (FX) The first episode of the season, ‘The Moonshine War,’ is a nod to the title of an Elmore Leonard novel…a lot of hardboiled fun.”
2 TV Guide, May 8, 2011 (Matt Roush) What’s Worth Watching: Our Top 5 Picks for the Week
“JUSTIFIED TV’s coolest lawman goes out with a bang.”
TV Guide, April 28, 2011 (Bruce Fretts) “Cheers to Adam Arkin for becoming one of TV’s highest-caliber directors…his finest behind-the-camera work has been on JUSTIFIED…Arkin…coaxing Emmy-worthy performances from the cast…JUSTIFIED’s consistently superb second season.”
TV Guide (Matt Roush) “You can't do better than tonight's exceptionally eventful episode of FX’s JUSTIFIED, which has never been better. Margo Martindale is on everyone's ‘give her an Emmy’ list for her tremendously entertaining and often chilling portrayal of this literally larger than life character…Martindale exhibits an awesome range…an episode like this confirms JUSTIFIED’s standing as one of the smartest, most suspensefully surprising and gratifying series on TV. The Peabodys made a great call last week by honoring this show. Even Mags would approve.”
TV Guide, March 31, 2011 (Bruce Fretts) “Cheers to JUSTIFIED for giving Margo Martindale the role of a lifetime: Mags Bennett. The prodigiously gifted character actress, who's been amazing in everything from Sidney Lumet's sadly forgotten A&E drama series 100 Centre Street to Clint Eastwood's Oscar-winner Million Dollar Baby, is nothing short of miraculous as the backwoods drug runner on FX's just-renewed (yay!) crime drama. In this week's episode of JUSTIFIED…Her town-meeting speech was a stirring tour de force. And just wait til you get a load of next week's "whoop-de-doo" at Mags' place, where Martindale shows off her gorgeous singing voice. Is there anything this woman can't do? Would an Emmy victory for Margo Martindale be utterly JUSTIFIED?”
TV Guide, March 20, 2011 (Matt Roush) “…the most badass show on cable…”
TV Guide, February 13, 2011 (Matt Roush) “…spectacularly entertaining….so riveting it could curl your whiskers. Buoyed by the effortless charisma of Timothy Olyphant’s star turn as the laconic but lethal Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, this series is a twisted triumph…the terrific Margo Martindale…good TV…JUSTIFIED sneaks up on you, its laid-back attitude punctuated by grisly shocks.”
TVGuide.com, June 21, 2011 (Joyce Eng) TVGuide.com’s Pick’s for Supporting Actor in a Drama
Walton Goggins, Justified
“…we can't imagine Justified without him now. The Boyd-Raylan dynamic continues to fascinate and stimulate, thanks in large part to Goggins' morally ambiguous outlaw, whom he portrays with such control, soul and panache. Goggins wasn't nominated during The Shield's run, so recognition is long overdue.”
3 TVGuide.com, May 6. 2011 (Matt Rous) “…fabulous finale. Brava, Margo Martindale.”
TVGuide.com, April 25, 2011 (Matt Roush) “… what a great ride that's been an appreciative shout-out to Nick Searcy (Art), who brings such a sharp and understated wit to the often stock role of the exasperated boss.”
“…praise another member of the wonderful JUSTIFIED ensemble. (Are you listening, SAG Awards?) Much of this season, we've been justifiably raving about Margo Martindale's staggering work as Mags Bennett, but there are plenty of accolades to go around.”
TV Guide.com, March 3, 2011 (Bruce Fretts) “Cheers to JUSTIFIED for turning Larenz Tate back into a Menace II Society….The cable net's top-notch crime drama…Well-directed by John Dahl (The Last Seduction), the episode, ‘For Blood or Money,’ was a standout hour not just for Tate but also the often-underutilized Tazel. As good as he is, Olyphant isn't the only JUSTIFIED star who deserves a tip of the hat.”
TVGuide.com, February 9, 2011 (Matt Roush) “…[FX]…its very best current series: JUSTIFIED, the wry, dry and my-oh-my-is-it-fun crime drama that's so riveting it could curl your whiskers….effortless charisma of Timothy Olyphant... this series is a twisted triumph…Only good TV….(the electrifying Walton Goggins)…JUSTIFIED is expert at taking the audience by delightful surprise, lulling you with its laid-back attitude, only to jolt you off the couch with a shock of grisly mayhem… It's a blast.”
TVGuide.com, February 9, 2011 (Adam Bryant) “… it's harder than ever to take your eyes off Walton Goggins' electrifying performance as Boyd Crowder…”
Time.com, April 28, 2011 (Jim Poniewozik) “…Timothy Olyphant remains fan-dam-tastic in this role….Just a staggering powerful rendering from beginning to end. This season has shown a richness and depth beyond anything in season one… If Emmy is listening, this looks like a submission episode for Olyphant and Davies alike. The rest of us viewers, meanwhile, have already won.”
Time.com, April (Jim Poniewozik) “…fantastic ensemble of actors and characters who now fill it…how great Margo Martindale is…how well Jeremy Davies portrays Dickie's frustrated hurt…Walton Goggins has done such a fine job transforming his character—with the aid of that stint in prison—that Boyd is now a more compelling criminal than his earlier, more purely despicable incarnation. ”
Time.com, April 7, 2011 (Jim Poniewozik) “…’Brother's Keeper,’ the best episode of JUSTIFIED this season…she [Margo Martindale] damn sure deserves to win [an Emmy]… Mags is a once-in-a-blue-moon role, and Martindale wholly inhabits her—
4 her craftiness, her emotion and her sociopathic coldness. Speaking of which, there were plenty of acting plaudits to go around here. Kaitlyn Dever has been captivating as Loretta, and she was fantastic here in finally showing vulnerability, as her prematurely-grown, hardened character discovered her father's murder and the horrible situation she really was in. And Brad William Henke, as menacing as Coover was, also managed to make him sympathetic (as well as pathetic), showing how deeply damaged he's been by Mags… Also a nod, once again, to Jeremy Davies… Finally, while I was initially unsure how well the coal-mining storyline would mesh with Justified's drug-crime stories, it's worked out fantastically well so far, and helped deepen the show's sense of its particular regional world, its grievances, culture and alliances. With four more episodes to go, let's hope this terrific show keeps delving deep.”
Time.com, March 31, 2011 (Jim Poniewozik) “its strongest episode so far this season—including a flat-out stunning performance by Margo Martindale...engrossingly…”
Time.com, February 9, 2011 (Jim Poniewozik) “Jeremy Davies makes a shockingly good redneck drug-runner.”
“…very funny. Timothy Olyphant is still spun from the sweetest eye sugar.”
“Watch Justified!”
People, May 9, 2011 (Tom Gliatto) “A dang fine show.”
People, March 7, 2011 “…terrific…Margo Martindale, one of TV’s best character actresses, plays her [Mags Bennett] with a slow drawl and a squint sharp enough to skin a jackrabbit.”
USA Today, May 4, 2011 (Robert Bianco) “…one of TV's best shows — and quite possibly the season's very best drama….what a joy it has been to get here, and how cleverly this series — brilliantly shaped by Graham Yost out of Elmore Leonard's novella — has brought us here, while masking its true intentions. Beneath the tension it sustains so admirably, the weekly stories it tells so well, and the comic/sexy tone it inserts so effortlessly, JUSTIFIED weaves an American version of a Greek myth…the season's best addition, Mags Bennett (Margo Martindale)…(Jeremy Davies, who, like everyone else in this show, is flawless)… If there's a better trio of actors on TV than Olyphant, Goggins and Martindale, or a stronger ensemble overall, you'd be hard- pressed to find it. In particular, this has been a great year for Olyphant, who had already made Raylan as cool, sexy and charming as all get out. Now in this last run of episodes, as Raylan was pulled between competing demands, he has shown us the fear and anger behind the facade. As with Martindale, Goggins and the show itself, it's Emmy-worthy work…be thankful that in a dismal TV season, we had JUSTIFIED to brighten our weeks…Nothing tragic in that.”
5 USA Today, May 4, 2011 (Robert Bianco) “The don’t-miss-pick tonight is, of course, the season finale of FX’s JUSTIFIED.”
USA Today, April 6, 2011 (Robert Bianco) “…this fabulous FX series…Tonight's outing is the kind of artistic breakthrough that, if there's any justice at all, is certain to draw Emmy attention to the show itself, and to Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins and -tonight especially -Margo Martindale, who has a tour de force outing as Mags Bennett. The spark is a "whoop-dedo"…this excellent series…Martindale brilliantly exposes every facet of her determination and delusions, to the point where we fear her and feel for her simultaneously. There is humor and horror in near equal measure…marvelously Jeremy Davies, Brad William Henke, Joseph Lyle Taylor and Kaitlyn Dever embody the rest of the temporarily extended clan. Or just sit back and enjoy one of the best hours you'll find anywhere this season.”
USA Today, March 9, 2011 (Robert Bianco) “JUSTIFIED Deserves Accolades. Looking for great acting rather than singing? Look no further than yet another fabulously entertaining…JUSTIFIED, which offers a tour deforce of terrific TV acting, along with its quota of twists, jolts and shocks. There may be a better trio of actors working at the moment, or a stronger overall ensemble, but it's hard to imagine who it would be.”
USA Today, February 23, 2011 (Robert Bianco) “Speaking of shows that should be Emmy contenders, JUSTIFIED…(the wonderful Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins), the more you sense a darker turn coming, a shift this show always negotiates brilliantly.”
USA Today, February 9, 2011 (Robert Bianco) **** (out of ****)
"Still looking for a show to get excited about? How about the return of FX's JUSTIFIED which kicks off its second season looking better than ever.”
”This is a series that had already found a great character in Elmore Leonard's gun-slinging U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens and an equally great star in Timothy Olyphant, who blends sexy, sardonic and stalwart as well as any actor on Earth."
"...Mags, brilliantly played by Tony (and potential Emmy) nominee Margo Martindale...Like the show itself, her performance is smart, chilling, amusing, convincing and unfailingly entertaining. And like the show, you really don't want to miss it."
New York Post, May 14, 2011 (Tiffany Wendeln Connors) Best and Worst Dramas of 2011
“The Best: JUSTIFIED: If crush-worthy Timothy Olyphant as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens wasn’t enough to draw you in, you missed the best cop show on TV.”
6 New York Post, March 17, 2011 (Tiffany Wendeln Connors) “This is the best cop show currently on the air…likeable cast….The series never overloads you with anyone’s saga for overextended periods, which makes a character’s re-appearance more exciting. Evidence: Boyd, played to quiet perfection by Walton Goggins…”
New York Daily News, February 9, 2011 (David Hinckley) ****(out of *****) “…Olyphant plays all this beautifully. Taking a great serial character from a novel and giving him the same feeling on the screen is devilishly difficult. It's hard to imagine nailing Givens more elegantly than Olyphant does in JUSTIFIED.”
New York Daily News, February 8, 2011 (David Hinckley) “…Raylan Givens, played beautifully by Timothy Olyphant…”
New York Daily News, January 30, 2011 “Elmore Leonard’s JUSTIFIED is the best dramatic series on TV…”
Newark Star-Ledger, February 9, 2011 (Alan Sepinwall) “Raylan's mix of steely confidence and self-aware humor fits Olyphant like a glove - it's actually an even better role for him than Seth Bullock on "Deadwood"…And when the bad guy's as well-written and performed as Raylan himself, so much the better.”
Boston Globe, May 13, 2011 (Matthew Gilbert) “You must nominate not only JUSTIFIED, Olyphant and Goggins but also Margo Martindale…”
Boston Globe, April 7, 2011 (June Wulff) Ten Places I’d Rather Be on Opening Day
“In my basement watching JUSTIFIED the best show on TV. On Demand uploads each new episode most Thursdays. Fridays will never be the same.”
Boston Globe, February 9, 2011 (Matthew Gilbert) “…a winning crime drama that brings it s own unique spirit to everything it touches.”
“[Olyphant]…has found the perfect role as Raylan. It's hard to imagine any other actor in the part…”
"JUSTIFIED keeps on justifying and demanding our viewership.”
Chicago Red Eye, March 9, 2011 (Curt Wagner) ***** “Walton Goggins can cast a spell over you during a phone conversation just as easily as he does playing the magnetic Boyd Crowder in FX’s JUSTIFIED...It’s not hard to be drawn in by his zeal for the work he ‘s doing.
San Francisco Chronicle, February 8, 2011 (David Wiegand) “ HYPERLINK "http://topics.sfgate.com/topics/Timothy_Olyphant" \t "_top" Timothy Olyphant more than
7 deserves all the praise he's earned as sweet-grinning, quick-drawing HYPERLINK "http://topics.sfgate.com/topics/United_States_Marshals_Service" \t "_top" U.S. Marshal HYPERLINK "http://topics.sfgate.com/topics/Raylan_Givens" \t "_top" Raylan Givens in JUSTIFIED…But what makes the show among the best on TV is that it's a team effort. The ensemble cast is terrific and the direction lean and perfectly pitched at every turn…And what holds all the individual elements in place is the writing, much of it from executive producer HYPERLINK "http://topics.sfgate.com/topics/Elmore_Leonard" \t "_top" Elmore Leonard and creator HYPERLINK "http://topics.sfgate.com/topics/Graham_Yost" \t "_top" Graham Yost.”
“JUSTIFIED is the kind of show that causes people to invoke the names of the great ones – ‘The Wire,’ ‘The Shield,’ ‘Deadwood’ and ‘The Sopranos. ”
Oakland Tribune, April 17, 2011 (Chuck Barney) “If you're not watching JUSTIFIED, you're missing one of the most gripping dramas of the season.”
Contra Costa Times, May 1, 2011 (Chuck Barney) “…electrifying crime drama…”
Ft. Worth Star Telegram, February 9, 2011 (Robert Philpot) ***** “JUSTIFIED…is the best show on TV right now.”
“…JUSTIFIED maintains and even improves on all the virtues of the show's strong first season.”
“…Olyphant continues to give one of his best performances…”
Scripps Howard News Service, February 2, 2011 (Rob Owen) “While most TV shows offer up straw men, JUSTIFIED gives its colorful villains more shades, more depth.”
“… the show's true star is the language inspired by the prose of author Elmore Leonard…”
“…worth watching…”
McClatchy Newspapers, February 8, 2011 (Aaron Barnhart) “Such a character-rich and culturally specific premise rarely comes to TV…”
“…an Emmy-worthy portrayal by Timothy Olyphant…”
The Detroit Free Press, January 30, 2011 (Julie Hinds) “With eyes that burn through your soul and the wall behind you, Goggins has an intensity that jumps off the screen..steals scenes on FX’s JUSTIFIED
Orlando Sentinel, March 2, 2011 (Charlie Bethel) “…riveting…”
The Salt Lake Tribune, February 2, 2011 ( “JUSTIFIED goes where no TV series ever goes…quirky, engaging series…”
8 The Kansas City Star, January 27, 2011 “Walton Goggins ("The Shield") is crazy and charismatic…Nick Searcy is terrific…JUSTIFIED absolutely nails that Leonard nexus of crime, comedy and sexiness, and the acting is right on the money.”
Arkansas Democrat Gazette, February 8, 2011 (Michael Storey) “…one of the best dramas on TV…”
US Weekly, (John Griffiths) *** ½ (out of ****) “…full of surprises in its season opener. Olyphant charms…”
GoldDerby.com, April 25, 2011 (Tom O’Neil) Gold Derby Editors Wish List: The Actors
Timothy Olyphant: JUSTIFIED
“ Timothy Olyphant is a great, under-appreciated actor who was unlawfully snubbed for this JUSTIFIED role last year.” -Matthew Cormier
“Olyphant and co-star Walton Goggins…their performances go up another notch in JUSTIFIED where they get to play opposite each other as Marshal Raylan Givens and criminal Boyd Crowder.” -Andrew Pickett
The Envelope.com, April 18, 2011 (Tom O’Neil) “JUSTIFIED was robbed at the Emmys last year. Many of us kudo-watchers believed it would receive nominations for TV drama series and lead actor Timothy Olyphant, but it was snubbed. Don't make the mistake of writing JUSTIFIED off this year, however. Sometimes TV series take a while to get on Emmy voters' radar, and this program, most TV critics agree, got even better in Season 2.”
Yahoo.com, February 28, 2011 (Adam Sparks) “…a great choice....JUSTIFIED has a raw, gritty feel to it that makes it more realistic than a lot of other dramas on other networks. Timothy Olyphant is awesome…I've found that having missed out on the initial season, and much of the back stories of these characters, hasn't dulled my ability to enjoy the second season of JUSTIFIED…If you're not already watching this show, you should give it a shot….TV crime/drama done right.”
WSJ.com, February 10, 2011 (Chris Simmons) “Aren’t you glad it’s back, like me??”
Bloomberg, March 4, 2011 (Greg Evans) “…Timothy Olyphant is a charmer as the deputy marshal…Mags is shaping up as an even better nemesis for Olyphant’s lawman than Walton Goggins’ syrup-voiced hoodlum Boyd Crowder.”
9 LATimes.com, April 7, 2011 “’Brothers Keeper’ is my new favorite episode of “Justified” ever made. If I were going to make a list of my 100 favorite TV episodes, it would stand a good shot at making it on there (and I’ve seen a lot of TV over the years). It does pretty much everything I want a good episode of TV to do -- thrilling plot twists… providing lots of strong character moments…It’s the best JUSTIFIED episode yet…that’s what JUSTIFIED has done this season: It’s taken a bunch of characters we didn’t know before this year and made them feel fully realized and deeply felt.”
LATimes.com, March 17, 2011 “…lots of great texture and lots of great character moments. In particular, it's amazing that this show can create characters as complex…and it's great that it can do very funny scenes…and alternate them with surprisingly tense scenes… [JUSTIFIED]…it's created a fascinating world to hang out in.”
LATimes.com, March 4, 2011 At its best –- as it has been all season long – JUSTIFIED is so much fun…an enjoyable viewing experience…This is a show that’s riding high, consistently turning out great TV...still wildly entertaining…I really enjoy the ways that the show comes up with cases for Raylan to solve…it often tosses in all manner of crazy, quirky character moments. That’s one of the show’s greatest strengths…”
TVLine.com, May 5, 2011 (Matt Mitovich) “…outstanding JUSTIFIED…top-shelf acting…a gripping finale…”
TVLine.com, February 9, 2011 (Matt Mitovich) “…the new episodes hit the bulls eye…”
TV.com, April 28, 2011 (Tim Surette) “The penultimate episode of JUSTIFIED’s incredible second season, ‘The Reckoning,’ was absolutely enthralling…the episode gave us some of the season’s finest moments…Olyphant was masterful in the episode…Bring on the Emmy buzz, because this was easily one of the season’s best dramatic performances…’Reckoning’ set the table for the season finale…Olyphant isn’t the only one throwing his hat into Emmy ring…Jeremy Davies played a hopeless and fidgety Dickie with equal parts ferocity and sensitivity…a wonderful cast…”
TV.com, April 18, 2011 (Tim Surette) “The snappy dialogue is also top-notch…and feels like it could have been written by wordsmith Leonard himself. Even the country bumpkins say the darndest things. The show is worth watching for Boyd alone —he's one of television's most interesting characters.”
TV.com, February 17, 2011 (Tim Surette) “Martindale is absolutely killing is as Mags…I’m going to start an Emmy campaign for her already….Great, great stuff.”
Televisionary.com, February 9, 2011 (Jace Lacob) “…electric second season…”
10 “… Mags Bennett…played to perfection by Margo Martindale…”
“JUSTIFIED returns with its swagger, precision, and character intact in its second season. Olyphant is once again at the top of his game with a character that he was born to play... Season Two, off to an electrifying start.”
TVSquad.com, May 5, 2011 (Maureen Ryan) “The magnificent season finale of JUSTIFIED…the season finale was actually perfect. I still reserve the right to be disappointed that the season had to end at all.”
“..the leading contender for best drama of 2011 in my humble opinion…”
“JUSTIFIED does so many things very well…The acting, the writing, the dialogue and the production values are top-notch every step of the way…”
“What I find especially impressive is the way that JUSTIFIED deftly unites big ideas with those atmospheric settings, well-drawn characters and taut storytelling….the plotting on JUSTIFIED is extremely satisfactory…”
“Thank God for JUSTIFIED, which is, despite the faults of its hero, is a damned optimistic show…”
“JUSTIFIED is a wonderfully immersive slice of life…”
TVSquad.com, April 5, 2011 (Maureen Ryan) “JUSTIFIED has created a big problem for itself: Its excellent second season isn't even over, but I'm already wondering how it'll create a character as compelling as Mags Bennett when it returns next year. It’s definitely a high class problem to have… For fans of Mags and the woman who plays her, the extraordinarily versatile Margo Martindale, Wednesday's episode of JUSTIFIED is a particular treat, though it'd be hard for the show to top last week's outing, which should have been titled ‘And the Emmy Goes to Margo Martindale’…an outstanding hour of television….Martindale, who can effortlessly command an operatic scene… I have no doubt that 'Justified' will come up with creative ways to follow up one of its finest episodes….Martindale's mischievous, cunning Mags has provided a solid anchor for the season, but one of the most satisfying things about the show is the ways in which JUSTIFIED has continued to build up the rich, complicated worlds in which Raylan finds himself…. Goodness knows this cast can step up when called upon to do so -- Erica Tazel proved that in an episode featuring her character, Deputy Marshal Rachel Brooks. And Nick Searcy, who plays as Raylan's boss, Chief Deputy Art Mullen, is a continual treat, whether he's giving Raylan one more raised-eyebrow look or commiserating with an aging criminal who totes his oxygen tank to bank robberies… And that may be season 2's greatest accomplishment: It has believably ramped up the stakes Raylan faces without becoming overwrought or unbelievable. JUSTIFIED still has the light touch it has had since the show's pilot, but the dualities pulling at Raylan -- between sanctioning lawbreaking and catching lawbreakers, between wanting to stay in Kentucky and wanting to be anywhere else, between truth and self- preservation -- have gotten every more difficult for this basically decent character to bear… Because Raylan doesn't really know what to do with his life, I never quite know what JUSTIFED will do next. I can't think of a better justification for continuing to tune in.”
11 TVSquad.com, February 11, 2011 (Piet Levy) “…one of the cleverest, most enjoyable shows on TV…”
“It's characters like them, brought to life by great actors (Olyphant especially) and dynamic dialogue, that make this show so good. Yes indeed Raylan, it's good to have you back. You and your hat.”
TVSquad.com, February 8, 2011 (Maureen Ryan) “In its second season, JUSTIFIED is better than ever; it's still a rich and intoxicating blend of shaggy yet taut storytelling, sterling dialogue and terrific acting.”
“…fun…”
“But JUSTIFIED is that rare top-flight cable drama that offers, among an array of other pleasures, the appeal of escapism.”
“It's probably difficult to mix ambiguity and intelligence with a sense of playfulness, but JUSTIFIED makes it look easy.”
Hitfix.com, April 27, 2011 (Alan Sepinwall) “[‘Recoking’]…penultimate episode…Hell of a scene at the end of a hell of an episode for Olyphant…But everyone’s great around him. Just consider Jeremy Davies…Or consider Margo Martindale for that matter…And whatever Graham Yost and company have in mind for the final showdown…I surely can’t wait to see it.”
HitFix.com, April 7, 2011 (Alan Sepinwall) “…fantastic JUSTIFIED…this was a damned fantastic hour of television, proving once again what a masterstroke it was for Graham Yost and company to both conceive of the character of Mags and to cast Margo Martindale in the role. Martindale owned every damn second she was on screen, presenting so many different faces of Mags - doting mother figure to Loretta, charming hostess and then cold and blunt negotiator to Carol, grieving mother and then evil spirit of vengeance to Raylan at the end - and doing it in a way so that, as with Walton Goggins' work as Boyd, you can believe as much or as little of the public poses as you choose to, and it works either way….Martindale so strong and charismatic in playing her (just check out the infectious joy of her impromptu musical performance after she checkmated Carol), that anything and everything is possible…after the last 10 or so minutes of ‘Brother's Keepers,’ I'm damn dying to see it already.
Televisionwithoutpity.com, May 3, 2011 (Mindy Monez) “…exemplary second season…If there’s a better evil mastermind on TV right now I can’t think of one…”
MonstersandCritics.com, January 15, 2011 (April MacIntyre) “Ms. Martindale is astoundingly good, and one of the many reasons you need to tune in...”
E! Online, April 19, 2011 (Jennifer Arrow) “We never get tired of talking about how awesome JUSTIFIED is. It's so awesome! This week's episode is no exception”
E! Online, December 30, 2010 (Kristin Dos Santos and Jennifer Arrow)
12 Winter TV Premieres to Get Excited About: What’s Number 1 “4. Justified (FX): Is there a sexier man on television these days than HYPERLINK "http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/celebs/c117094_Timothy_Olyphant.html" Timothy Olyphant's Marshal Raylan Givens?... Justified is just about everything we fans dream of finding in a scripted series (smart, funny, specific)…”
Starpulse.com, January 19, 2011 (Brittany Frederick) “Season two of FX's JUSTIFIED reminds me why the series becomes the only thing in the world to me when it's on. My house could catch fire and I wouldn't notice. It's just that good.”
“…entertaining…”
“For all the wonderful other things about it, though, JUSTIFIED remains Timothy Olyphant's show to carry and he continues to turn in a perfect performance. I honestly have run out of superlatives to describe what he does every week. Tim's work as Raylan Givens is that very rare marriage of a character so perfect for an actor that you can't tell that you're watching a series anymore; when I see him, I'm seeing Raylan Givens as a real person. He is the character, and as a result, is the show. If you want to see one of the best performances on television, period - not simply this season but ever - you need to watch him in this role. At least, he leaves me speechless.
“I named JUSTIFIED my best new series of 2010, and by the end of season one, it had become one of my favorite series of all time. Season two is aimed to hit just as high, and somehow, I don't think Raylan's going to miss.”
Crave Online, February 18, 2011 (Blair Marnell) “…refreshing…well-rounded….Frankly, it would be nice if we had more shows like JUSTIFIED on television.”
Fanbolt.com, March 9, 2011 “Nothing can top FX’s JUSTIFIED, which is the best show currently on television…such an amazing series… I don’t want to think of a TV landscape without JUSTIFIED.”
BlogCritics.org, March 24, 2011 “…one of the best shows currently running. Quite arguably, the best…it is so, so good…I can’t think of anything negative to say about the series, one of the few shows on the air that holds that special status… The chemistry between Olyphant and Zea is flawless…Brilliant writing, backed up by amazing actors who bring to life such specific, well defined characters keep all the moving parts running smoothly. It’s why there’s nothing negative to write about in this review. Everything is so top notch, that tray as I might, I can’t even find one little fault to pick at.”
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