TV: ‘Justified’ writers, FX teaming up for Elmore Leonard adaption City Primevil

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Wow. I am opposite of most folks here. I haven't been watching week-to-week. I let them build up and have watched them in close proximity in the last few days so I don't know if that's a factor.

Haven't watched the finale yet, but through seven episodes I think it's pretty good. It's not THE SAME, but that's also part of the point. I don't mind them reckoning with Raylan's loose cannon nature and the fact that times (and location) have changed. Rules of engagement are different. And he's clearly struggling with that on some fronts. Thought that was solid internal conflict and drama.

His daughter isn't great but she isn't around all that much ultimately. Plot device to get him from point A to B, nothing more.

I think Olyphant and Anjanue Ellis have great chemistry. I like their dynamics.

Boyd Holbrook is a good, skeevy villain. A preening, cocky peacock.

Solid supporting cast too. Particularly Vondie Curtis Hall and Marin Ireland.

It's not peak Justified but I'm very happy to have it back in my life for a few episodes.

 

[PK Cronin]

Wow. I am opposite of most folks here. I haven't been watching week-to-week. I let them build up and have watched them in close proximity in the last few days so I don't know if that's a factor.

Haven't watched the finale yet, but through seven episodes I think it's pretty good. It's not THE SAME, but that's also part of the point. I don't mind them reckoning with Raylan's loose cannon nature and the fact that times (and location) have changed. Rules of engagement are different. And he's clearly struggling with that on some fronts. Thought that was solid internal conflict and drama.

His daughter isn't great but she isn't around all that much ultimately. Plot device to get him from point A to B, nothing more.

I think Olyphant and Anjanue Ellis have great chemistry. I like their dynamics.

Boyd Holbrook is a good, skeevy villain. A preening, cocky peacock.

Solid supporting cast too. Particularly Vondie Curtis Hall and Marin Ireland.

It's not peak Justified but I'm very happy to have it back in my life for a few episodes.

I just finished the show and it definitely gets better as it goes but it's still not nearly as good as the original.

My thoughts that may contain spoilers:

Spoiler

They seemed to focus on twists and turns than they were good storytelling, compelling dialogue, and character development. There's an argument that none of the characters changed in any substantial way throughout the entire show.

Almost none of the side characters were delved into at all. While the first season of the original had little in that department as well, the characters were a lot more likeable. Part of that was by design since they're in the big bad city but part of it is because they didn't have those characters do or say anything remotely interesting. Wendell was the most interesting of the precinct officers and he certainly wasn't anything more than a partner.

I thought a bunch of the acting was good but just didn't fit. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor was great in some scenes but her romance with Givens was a bit much. She ripped him in the opening of the show and represents multiple clients that have issues with law enforcement, or Givens in particular, and we're supposed to buy that opposites attract? It didn't work for me. Boyd Holbrook was in a tough spot because he'd ultimately be compared to Goggins and there's just no winning there. He had some great moments where he was menacing but some of the things they had him do were just really outlandish and silly. He's simultaneously menacing, aggressive, impulsive, and everything that goes with it, but he's also the smartest man in the room that can constantly get out of any bit of trouble? Most importantly, why is he constantly in his underwear? Vondie's portrayal of Sweetie was quite good and I liked that character a lot. Adelaide as Sandy was fine as well but ultimately her character went nowhere, and that sort of thing happened all too much.

The things with Willa were just absurd and are even more egregious after having finished the show. She wasn't a vehicle to get from point A to point B, she was useless and soaked up screen time because Olyphant presumably wanted her included in the project. Raylan's personality wouldn't have created such a child. We saw Winona was also quite capable of handling herself and sizing up situations at different points in time during the original show. Where did this disrespectful, oblivious, rude, and quite frankly dumb character come from? Watching YouTube videos in a courtroom and laughing while your father is there to testify set the tone for this character and it never recovered.

It might've been mentioned before but one of the things that made the original show so great was that most episodes (especially in season one) were mini-stories that didn't require prior viewing. Off the top of my head I can rattle off at least a dozen episodes that can stand on their own and were compelling without a big bad guy being chased the entire time that leads into the next episode. Just to point to a few, the episode with the dentist, the one with the pawn shop, the one with the kidneys, the hostage situation in the office, the one with the ice pick, etc., etc. Something they did a lot in the original was show you the office, the Chief would give Raylan a rundown of the days activities, and off we went on a 40 minute adventure with our protagonist. I missed that here and there weren't many side stories of interest. It was just about Clement the entire time.

That's probably more than anyone would care to read about this show but I'll wrap it up by saying I'm no disappointed that I watched the show, but if you didn't view the original there's no point in watching this one. If you're not a huge fan of the original I wouldn't bother with this one either. I'm undecided on the ending, the original show nailed the landing better than any show I've ever seen.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

I just finished the show and it definitely gets better as it goes but it's still not nearly as good as the original.

My thoughts that may contain spoilers:

Spoiler

They seemed to focus on twists and turns than they were good storytelling, compelling dialogue, and character development. There's an argument that none of the characters changed in any substantial way throughout the entire show.

Almost none of the side characters were delved into at all. While the first season of the original had little in that department as well, the characters were a lot more likeable. Part of that was by design since they're in the big bad city but part of it is because they didn't have those characters do or say anything remotely interesting. Wendell was the most interesting of the precinct officers and he certainly wasn't anything more than a partner.

I thought a bunch of the acting was good but just didn't fit. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor was great in some scenes but her romance with Givens was a bit much. She ripped him in the opening of the show and represents multiple clients that have issues with law enforcement, or Givens in particular, and we're supposed to buy that opposites attract? It didn't work for me. Boyd Holbrook was in a tough spot because he'd ultimately be compared to Goggins and there's just no winning there. He had some great moments where he was menacing but some of the things they had him do were just really outlandish and silly. He's simultaneously menacing, aggressive, impulsive, and everything that goes with it, but he's also the smartest man in the room that can constantly get out of any bit of trouble? Most importantly, why is he constantly in his underwear? Vondie's portrayal of Sweetie was quite good and I liked that character a lot. Adelaide as Sandy was fine as well but ultimately her character went nowhere, and that sort of thing happened all too much.

The things with Willa were just absurd and are even more egregious after having finished the show. She wasn't a vehicle to get from point A to point B, she was useless and soaked up screen time because Olyphant presumably wanted her included in the project. Raylan's personality wouldn't have created such a child. We saw Winona was also quite capable of handling herself and sizing up situations at different points in time during the original show. Where did this disrespectful, oblivious, rude, and quite frankly dumb character come from? Watching YouTube videos in a courtroom and laughing while your father is there to testify set the tone for this character and it never recovered.

It might've been mentioned before but one of the things that made the original show so great was that most episodes (especially in season one) were mini-stories that didn't require prior viewing. Off the top of my head I can rattle off at least a dozen episodes that can stand on their own and were compelling without a big bad guy being chased the entire time that leads into the next episode. Just to point to a few, the episode with the dentist, the one with the pawn shop, the one with the kidneys, the hostage situation in the office, the one with the ice pick, etc., etc. Something they did a lot in the original was show you the office, the Chief would give Raylan a rundown of the days activities, and off we went on a 40 minute adventure with our protagonist. I missed that here and there weren't many side stories of interest. It was just about Clement the entire time.

That's probably more than anyone would care to read about this show but I'll wrap it up by saying I'm no disappointed that I watched the show, but if you didn't view the original there's no point in watching this one. If you're not a huge fan of the original I wouldn't bother with this one either. I'm undecided on the ending, the original show nailed the landing better than any show I've ever seen.

The thing that I liked and that made sense to me about Raylan and Caroline is that they weren't opposites at all. Both constantly struggled with the right way and wrong way of doing their jobs. Is justice doing it right? Or is justice getting the job done? They're far more alike than different. We already know Raylan's history on that front well. Caroline initially presents as straight-arrow, but she's far from it as the show progresses. Even in her early interactions with Raylan, she's laying out the path for getting Clement. She's not an active ally at that point, but she's letting her feelings be known. Her decisions only move into even grayer areas from there.

Clement is lacking next to Boyd (but who isn't!). What I appreciated is that he's a soulless Boyd. What makes Boyd a great character is some of those conflicts he has. Clement lacks any of that humanity. Does that make him less interesting? That's fair. But I appreciated the character as an even darker, less compromising opponent.

I have no defense of Willa other than she's ultimately a fairly minor annoyance in the season.

What's funny is that because it is generally detached from the rest of Justified I'd actually recommend folks checking this out if they were curious. I definitely agree it's not the show at its best, but I still think it's solid and it's an easy way to give someone a taste before they commit to the whole series (which they should because it rules).

 

[PK Cronin]

The thing that I liked and that made sense to me about Raylan and Caroline is that they weren't opposites at all. Both constantly struggled with the right way and wrong way of doing their jobs. Is justice doing it right? Or is justice getting the job done? They're far more alike than different. We already know Raylan's history on that front well. Caroline initially presents as straight-arrow, but she's far from it as the show progresses. Even in her early interactions with Raylan, she's laying out the path for getting Clement. She's not an active ally at that point, but she's letting her feelings be known. Her decisions only move into even grayer areas from there.

I don't think you're wrong by the end, but when they get the ball rolling they are definitely opposites and it's the way the formation of their relationship happened that didn't quite fit for me.

Clement is lacking next to Boyd (but who isn't!). What I appreciated is that he's a soulless Boyd. What makes Boyd a great character is some of those conflicts he has. Clement lacks any of that humanity. Does that make him less interesting? That's fair. But I appreciated the character as an even darker, less compromising opponent.

Like I said, there are moments that I thought he was really great (definitely when he's darker) but there were also moments that were head scratchers from a writing perspective. Near the end he shows an uncharacteristic amount of humility towards the old man in the nursing home (or whatever that place was) and it struck me as odd.

I thought he'd have fit better if they showed less of him or gave us any glimpse of intelligence to justify how he gets away with everything. They didn't but he was just always so smart. With Boyd's character they would show the audience his plans and schemes, even when he was playing cat and mouse with Raylan (and others). Unfortunately that didn't happen this series.

I have no defense of Willa other than she's ultimately a fairly minor annoyance in the season.

The amount of attention they paid her in the beginning of the show was absurd for the level of impact she had. Her entire existence could've been summed up with a phone call where she fights with Raylan instead of all the shenanigans we saw. It made her unlikable and made me care significantly less about their relationship.

What's funny is that because it is generally detached from the rest of Justified I'd actually recommend folks checking this out if they were curious. I definitely agree it's not the show at its best, but I still think it's solid and it's an easy way to give someone a taste before they commit to the whole series (which they should because it rules).

When you put it that way I could see that. The original was just so good though that I don't think anyone would have trouble getting into it from the beginning. If someone happened upon this first and went back they'd be in for a real treat.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Wow. I am opposite of most folks here. I haven't been watching week-to-week. I let them build up and have watched them in close proximity in the last few days so I don't know if that's a factor.

Haven't watched the finale yet, but through seven episodes I think it's pretty good. It's not THE SAME, but that's also part of the point. I don't mind them reckoning with Raylan's loose cannon nature and the fact that times (and location) have changed. Rules of engagement are different. And he's clearly struggling with that on some fronts. Thought that was solid internal conflict and drama.

His daughter isn't great but she isn't around all that much ultimately. Plot device to get him from point A to B, nothing more.

I think Olyphant and Anjanue Ellis have great chemistry. I like their dynamics.

Boyd Holbrook is a good, skeevy villain. A preening, cocky peacock.

Solid supporting cast too. Particularly Vondie Curtis Hall and Marin Ireland.

It's not peak Justified but I'm very happy to have it back in my life for a few episodes.

This definitely has to play a part

I watched week to week and I haven’t watched a show that way in a few years and I feel like waiting week to week was such a disappointment that I almost didn’t finish