On the season 1 finale of 'Justified' (Tue., 10PM ET on FX), Boyd Crowder and Raylan Givens form an unlikely partnership -- especially considering Raylan nearly killed Boyd in the series premiere.

[Spoiler alert.]


Just as Boyd is about to fire upon his dad, mystery shooters take him out instead, and Boyd and Raylan run for cover together. Turns out it's the drug cartel after Raylan. They're willing to let Boyd go free, but he won't budge because they killed his father.

"You came here to kill your daddy yourself," says a confused Raylan. Explains Boyd: "You got to kill the two men that came after your daddy. You give me the same courtesy."

(S01E13) "There's more than one way to kill a man: you can kill his physical body, or kill his spirit within." - Boyd Crowder

"You gonna pull the trigger or are you gonna talk me to death?" - Bo Crowder

Boyd Crowder's faith has been the most interesting and mind-twisting mystery of the season.

It's also made him the most interesting character, not just in this show but all of current television. He's a lost soul trying to find redemption for a lifetime of evil deeds and hateful actions, but he's also a conniving criminal with a penchant for causing more destruction and mayhem than a runaway car on an offshore oil rig.

Has he been just wearing the face of a devout man for some grand criminal plan, or is he truly a changed man? And if it's the answer behind "Door No. 2," does being a changed man necessarily make him a better one? The season finale gave us the answers to all of those questions and so much more.

'Justified' has unfolded in a nice, slow manner throughout its first season, but tonight's season finale (10PM ET) of FX's latest hit offers a big payoff for fans, with action and character revelations that make for a satisfying capper and new developments that will have you wishing season 2 was starting next week.

At the center of it all: 'The Shield' alum Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder, the complicated Kentuckian who started off the series as a swastika-ed white supremacist, but, thanks to a near-death experience (and some Emmy-worthy acting by Goggins), has turned into one of the most compelling characters in primetime, and, yes, one you can't help but like, or at the very least, be completely fascinated by.

Goggins, who's already been bumped to series regular for the show's second season, called TV Squad from Los Angeles to talk about how he almost turned down the role of Boyd, how he helped saved the character's life -- literally -- in the pilot, how he felt about the way the storyline wrapped for his other complex TV alter ego, Shane Vendrell, and how he's going to make movie fans fall for his death-row inmate character in 'Predators,' the Robert Rodriguez-produced big-screen 'Predator' sequel.

Don't mess with Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) on 'Justified' (Tue., 10PM ET on FX).

[Possible spoilers ahead]

The last episode of 'Justified' ended with criminal Boyd Crowder at large. Now, so is the guy who plays him.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Walton Goggins has been raised from guest star to series regular on FX's critically acclaimed series, which was just renewed for a second season.

On 'Justified' (Tue., 10PM ET on FX), someone broke in to Ava's house in the middle of the night, tearing through her bedroom in a spray of bullets. Since U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens was conveniently sharing Ava's bed, he took matters into his own hands.

Watch the video after the jump.

(S01E07) "I'm so very disappointed in you, Raylan." - Boyd Crowder after Raylan attacks him in prison

'Justified' has been running surprisingly low on its juicy, meaty main plot up until the closing minutes of last week's episode. It feels like a whole decade has passed since Raylan blew away some hapless schmuck in a posh Miami restaurant and landed in the middle of the last place on Earth he'd ever want to be.

It all came back this week with the mighty force of a tropical tsunami and it was worth the wait.

Batten down the hatches and get below deck because things are about to go from slack tide to choppy faster than you can say "Chips ahoy!"

(S01E06) "In the words of St. Francis, 'It is only by forgiving that we ourselves are forgiven.'" - Boyd to Raylan upon hearing that Raylen doesn't want to know about his father's misdeeds. "Ain't he the one with the birds?" - Raylan

I've been waiting with eager anticipation for Walton Goggin's character, the reformed bigot Boyd Crowder, to saunter back into Raylan Givens' field of view since the very first episode.

(S01E02) "I gotta ask, why the hat?" - Rachel

"I tried it on one time and it fit." - Raylen

It's been a long time since I've been itching to catch up on a show. I mean, the kind of frustrating nervousness that makes your gut ache and wish you had control over time and space.

It got even worse my TiVo decided not to record Tuesday night's episode, which means I had to wait to find out what happens next. This just made my nerves twitch and convulse more until my entire body lit up like a Christmas tree of pain, which didn't help since I'm already fighting off a killer cold.

The weirdest part? It actually feels kinda nice.

(S01E01) "Would you shoot me if you got the chance?" - Boyd Crowder
"You make me pull, I'm gonna put you down." - Raylen Givins

Here at TV Squad HQ, no one really jumped at the chance to review the premiere of 'Justified,' and that's not meant to belittle or embarrass any of the writers (except for one, you know who you are and my mother still hasn't forgiven you). We're a busy bunch.

That's why I feel so very fortunate that I got to watch it because it's one damn fine hour of kick-ass television and it's well on it's way to be one of the best hours of the year so far.

Timothy Olyphant, 'Deadwood's fearless Sheriff Seth Bullock, takes up his badge -- and his gun -- once again to defend a lawless small town tonight on the debut of FX's new series 'Justified.'

Olyphant plays US Marshal Raylan Givens, who is forced to return to the rural Eastern Kentucky county where he was raised. There, he finds a town as corrupt and violent as any the Old West had to offer. He squares off against his former best friend, now a hardened bank robber, played by Walton Goggins from 'The Shield.' It's smart casting: Goggins indelibly played Vic Mackey's closest friend turned deadliest enemy and we're dying to see these two actors face off.

'Justified' (10PM, FX) series premiere
At last, something to help us get through the long months until our favorite biker drama, 'Sons of Anarchy,' returns. 'Justified,' based on the writings of Elmore Leonard, is yet another fantastic entry in FX's primetime line-up, with Timothy Olyphant front and center as Raylen Givens, a deputy U.S. marshal who, much to his chagrin, is reassigned to help uphold the law in his Kentucky hometown. Gritty, intense and peppered with darkly funny moments, 'Justified' is filled with colorful supporting characters -- namely 'The Shield' scene stealer Walton Goggins -- and more than a little action, but it's 'Deadwood' star Olyphant, donning the big cowboy hat once again, who propels it, in a show that finally provides him with the star vehicle he's long deserved.

Television is a vast alien landscape of shows, programs and other watchables. So the odds of a really good show not getting special recognition are about as good as Michael Chiklis' chances of his noggin being mistaken for a shiny, beige Brunswick in a bowling alley.

The Emmys also tend to favor younger shows rather than the oldies that have had their chance to win some awards because the best stuff on television is always fresher out of the gate. It's just the beast of the cycle. Great movies age like a fine cheese. Great TV shows age like spray cheese.

The Shield, however, got totally snubbed from this year's nomination list. And is that something the Academy really wants to do to a guy with a hair trigger anger who considers a Smith and Wesson as his "backup piece"? (I should ask myself the same thing after that bowling ball noggin joke.)

Every year I foolishly get excited that maybe this year the Emmys will reach out and nominate something different. But then it's the same old nominees from the previous year. Even if a show has an off year, Emmy just goes ahead and nominates it again.

Of last year's six nominees for Drama Series, only one didn't make the cut this year. Lead Actor kept five of their six nominees as well, and Lead Actress kept all five nominees from last year. That's fifteen of 17 repeat contenders from last year in three categories. If Emmy hadn't added a slot each to Series and Actress it might have been a virtual rerun.

With all those repeats, there's no room to honor the final season of Battlestar Galactica. Maybe Emmy voters look at the shows they picked last year and say "That's still on, right? Let's go with that." And they're done picking their nominees in less than ten minutes.

(S07E13) "Family meeting!" - Shane

Seven seasons, 88 episodes, and it all comes down to this. Vic Mackey, one of television's greatest anti-heroes, finally got what was coming to him. The Shield is over and Tuesday nights across America just got a little less exciting. Shawn Ryan has crafted some masterful Vic Mackey moments since 2001, but this episode (and Michael Chiklis' acting in it) easily stand apart as one of the show's greatest achievements yet.