justified-olyphant

In good news for good shows, the first episode of FX’s “Justified” was the most-watched series premiere for the cable network since “The Shield” debuted in 2002. Based on Elmore Leonard stories and starring Timothy Olyphant as a throwback lawman in modern-day Kentucky, the show garnered 4.2 million viewers — a definitive success for a cable series. (For additional reading, check out the A.V. Club’s interview with Olyphant.)

My take? I’m glad you asked. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Olyphant shines in another role that requires him to be restrained and unflappable — and that’s not a complaint about the roles he chooses. (In general, more men need to act like the protagonist in an Elmore Leonard story.) It’s not perfect; I could quibble with details — the marshals choosing to use pistols after being attacked with automatic weapons, the neo-Nazis looking more like Hollywood actors than actual rednecks — but it’s worth it to watch Olyphant saunter around and permeate the show with his badassness. The New York Times called it “‘Burn Notice’ with more soul,” and it’s an apt description: a restrained compliment, but high praise in its own way.