timothy olyphant

On 'Justified' (Tue., 10PM ET on FX), Raylan Givens' victims can't say they didn't have options. When he spies two guys following him, prepared to kill him, Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) climbs into the back seat of their car and lays out two scenarios.

"One, I get outta the car and this guy takes you back to the airport.... Second option: next time I see you, I kill you." When they meet later on a desolate dirt road, the pair choose... unwisely. Why won't people take him seriously?

Watch the video after the jump.

(S01E04) "I knew that deep down, I was capable of this. I yank a guy's teeth out and now I kill a guy. You gotta get away from me." - Roland to Mindy

The real challenge for 'Justified' is finding new ways for Raylan Givens to blow people away. Of course he's going to do it in just about every episode. He's a borderline renegade U.S. Marshal with an eagle shooting eye and a distemper for disrespect. He's a colonial cowboy with a beat-up heart. He's Dick Cheney on Zoloft.

The trick, however, is changing the game just a little bit each time so the surprise doesn't wear away over time. This week's episode not only found a new way for Raylan to put a bullet in another smart-ass criminal's torso, but the ride getting there was just as fun.

'Justified' (10PM, FX)
It's not a fluke ... FX's latest drama just keeps getting better and better, and it's in no small part due to Timothy Olyphant, who's finally found his star vehicle as Kentucky-based U.S. marshal Raylan Givens. In tonight's ep, Raylan and Rachel are sent to Los Angeles, where they're hot on the trail of Roland Pike, a drug mob accountant-turned-dentist (guest star Alan "Cameron Frye" Ruck). Pike is a fugitive who's redeeming himself by providing low-cost or free dental care in a poor neighborhood. But when an obnoxious customer makes him lose his sh ... uh, temper, the authorities are alerted and Raylan, who let Pike get away from him years earlier, tracks him down. The big problem, for Roland and Raylan? Pike's old drug cohorts also want to get their hands on him.

(S01E03) The TV watching circles whose gazes are glued to the glow of their TVs like vultures at a duck crossing are starting to joke that Raylan Givens is racking up quite a body count.

Let's do a little TV addition. He's only killed two people in three episodes: the restaurant case in Miami and another poor schlub in this week's gripping tale of greed. Sure he shot Boyd in the chest, but that only turned out to be a serious wound and a sniper killed a hostage holder in the second episode. He's far from becoming the edgy dramatic equivalent of TV's 'Sledge Hammer' and definitely smart enough to know you don't challenge the kill record of a man who talks to his gun.

Besides, complaining about Raylan's penchant for blowing away scumsuckers is an unnecessary diversion from a show that is starting to build some gripping potential.

U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) is well aware that pursuing the bad guy can get dicey. But it's too bad when the good guys make that job more difficult, as he discovered on the third episode of 'Justified' (Tue., 10PM ET on FX).

During a shoot-out in a house, Givens takes a bullet -- from friendly fire. He's down but not out. Lying flat on the ground and with no clear sight-line, he shoots. He scores. But is he OK?

Watch the video after the jump.

(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.

I love almost every aspect of FX's new series 'Justified.' And, in particular, I love the big cowboy hat the show's lead character, Raylan Givens, wears, even though he's from Kentucky and it's 2010 and US Marshals generally don't sport them these days.

Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker points out that the hat -- a wide, white signifier of the modern day western -- has the potential to alienate young, female viewers who may not be into that sort of thing.

Still, it works for me. But does it work for everyone?

The premiere episode of FX's 'Justified' was a lot of fun to watch and apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so.

Tuesday's episode, titled "Fire in the Hole" after the Elmore Leonard novella upon which the series is based, scored 4.2 million sets of eyeballs, the network's second highest rating since the premiere of 'The Shield.'

Naturally, the show scored more older than younger viewers, but my gut tells me that could change once word spreads about the type of show it is and the quality it can produce. Sure it's a pseudo-western, but it has a very updated and edgy feel. It's fun for the whole family, if your family is one of those weird groups that lets their kids watch anything whether it's an edgy Western drama or late night Cinemax.

(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.

We probably wouldn't get all up in Givens' face on 'Justified' (Tue., 10PM ET on FX), but of course, the bad guys on that show don't know that yet.

A past acquaintance threatens the lawman, but a girl ends up coming through. Girls, that's a no-brainer. Of course, we'd be on Givens' side. We're guessing he's got all kinds of girls who've got his back. And probably a few who don't.

Watch the video after the jump.

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.

What do you get when you cross Timothy Olyphant and a supremely cool cowboy cop role? 'Justified,' FX's new drama. I get the scoop on costars (like Walton Goggins from 'The Shield') and dream guest stars (is Rose Byrne busy?) from Olyphant himself.

I also try to keep up with mile-a-minute 'Minute To Win It' host Guy Fieri, who beat me at foosball, then swiftly branded me with the nickname Foosinator. If you think he's funny on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,' just wait till you see him host a game show. Bonus for soap opera fans: I visit Pine Valley to act up with Erica Kane, a.k.a. 'All My Children' star Susan Lucci.

Want more? E-mail me TV questions at TheTVShowGirl@aol.com and I'll try to get you answers on the show. -- By Maggie Furlong

A while back we posted a clip from Timothy Olyphant's new FX drama Lawman. Well, the network has changed the show's name to Justified. No idea why. They've also released this trailer for the show, which starts in March. I already love it.

It's high noon for the bad guys on the upcoming FX series 'Justified.'

The exclusive new trailer for the series opens with star Timothy Olyphant as lawman Raylan Givens shooting a bad guy at a beachside resort.

"You know we're not able to shoot people on site anymore,' says Givens' commander.

'He pulled first,' quips Olyphant's Givens.