Second, if you're wondering why I'm writing about something other than LOST on Tuesday night it's because i'm still reeling from the show I watched subsequently after LOST.
Tonight I experienced the debut of FX's JUSTIFIED. The show is based on a story by Elmore Leonard and stars one of my favorite actors of all time, Timothy Olyphant.
I am by no means a fan of Leonard's writing, in terms of character development, dialogue, and plot progression. I do love the world's he creates, which makes it so much more insufferable to read how he squanders his setup. The beauty of JUSTIFIED the tv series, though, is that it was written by someone else and in their own style.
Often enough scribes try to emulate Leonard's style, and it's a failure, as was the case with the recent Killshot. There you have an interesting premise, but it's flushed down the toilet by Leonard's shortcomings and is followed by the movie adapter.
In JUSTIFIED someone apparently knew what to leave alone and what to radically change, because the result is excellent. We have enough of the slow methodical pacing of Leonard, but it's punctuated by worthwhile lines and not just reliant on disappointing climaxes.
Most of JUSTIFIED's success rests on the back of Olyphant, who plays the 19th century law man in the 21st century world with ease and the fierce intensity of now. He's a man who recognizes the world he's in and acts accordingly, but doesn't abandon his principals or bend his style for fashion's sake. (Not just talking about his cowboy hat.)
JUSTIFIED doesn't appear to be a sprawling epic. At first glance it seems like an episodic television show, with the rare occurrence of story evolution. While plots may be contained in one episode, characters will not end up in the same place by the end of the hour.
There is a underlining current that pits Olyphant (no idea what his character's name is) against his old mining buddy. This will be the undercurrent of the show, much like Jeffrey Donovan on Burn Notice. In that case he has a overarching quest that is interrupted by weekly adventures. Something similar will happen here, albeit on a much higher level.
The only other character we got to know besides the protagonist and antagonist was the girl trapped in the middle, AVA (Joelle Carter). I have no idea who Carter is, and I'm embarrassed to say i don't recognize her. I can confidently say this, though, the writers of the show would be wise to extend her arc as long as possible. She is captivating on screen. There is something about her look, accent and sensibilities that just ooze charm and charisma.
Anyway, i looked her up and she was the girl Jason Biggs fails to have sex with in the opening scene of American Pie 2. (Just thought you should know.)Maybe i haven't done a good job explaining this show, and that's because it's not a show that is easy to quantify. It relies on glances, one liners and a beautifully shot scene. The closest comparison would be something like NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, and that speaks to the amazing things being done on cable television.
Anyway, I'd strongly recommend this show to anyone who likes Cable television. I'd also recommend it for network nitwits who are ready to play with the adults.
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