Check Out Justified

You are missing on out some great TV if you are not tuning into FX's new show Justified. From the very first scene, the story captured my interest and continued to sustain it. And it's all due to the terrific acting by Timothy Olyphant, who plays U.S. Marshal Raylan Given. You may remember him as the Sheriff in HBO's Deadwood, another great performance (see photos to right). In his new show he wears the white hat, but in both shows he was a lawman dealing with the dregs of society - first the frontier town of Deadwood and now current day backwoods Kentucky. Another character to watch in this show is Boyd, played by Walton Goggins from The Shield. When Olyphant and Goggins are on screen, playing old coal mining friends and now foes, the show has increased interest. In fact, Goggins was supposed to die in the first episode, but fortunately he will be around for awhile (see the full story here). I think we have a hit on our hands. Olyphant continues to put on a great performance and, like many great actors, so much of his acting is in his pauses or the furrow of an eyebrow. While this may not work on the stage, its is very effective with the intimacy allowed by TV. If you need to catch up, episodes are already available on iTunes.