Justified: City Primeval Series-Premiere Recap: An Angry White Guy 2023
Justified: City
Primeval Series-Premiere
Recap: An Angry White Guy 2023
Nightly Report July
18, 2023
 |
Justified: Urban
Genesis Series-Premiere Recap: A Furious Caucasian Individual Raylan Givens was
never one to tolerate insults or threats and simply walk away. This was
typically how our cherished U.S. marshal found himself in trouble during the
original six-season run of Justified. He refused to let anything - be it an
injustice or a crime - go unnoticed. That characteristic remains unchanged when
we encounter Raylan, sporting his signature cowboy hat, in Justified: Urban
Genesis.
Fifteen years after the events preceding the
time jump in the Justified series finale, "The Promise," Raylan
retains his inquisitive nature and resilient attitude. He refuses to be
intimidated or pushed around, at least not by criminals.They hold emotional or
legal power over Raylan. As the premiere episode, "Urban Genesis,"
concludes, their strained relationships with Raylan pave the way for the
series' future narrative.
Giddyup! Fans of the original Justified know
that Urban Genesis presents an entirely new environment for Timothy Olyphant's
Raylan, while readers of Elmore Leonard's novels are aware that Urban Genesis
was not originally a story centered around Raylan. By relocating Raylan to
Detroit, the miniseries, created by Dave Andron and Michael Dinner (Andron
served as an executive producer on the original series, while Dinner served as
an executive producer and director), offers the character, now decades into his
career as a U.S. marshal and far from his hometown of Harlan, Kentucky, a
different playing field.
Gone are the echoes
of his past, the characters whose story arcs were just as crucial as Raylan's
throughout the original Justified: Boyd Crowder (played by Walton Goggins) is
likely still incarcerated, and Ava Crowder (portrayed by Joelle Carter) is
probably still in hiding with their son. Raylan's former colleagues from the
marshal's office, Rachel Brooks (Erica Tazel) and Tim Gutterson (Jacob Pitts),
are not mentioned either.
Nearly everyone
Raylan encounters in Urban Genesis is new to him, whether they are adversaries
like Carolyn or the deceitful con man and aspiring singer, Clement Mansell
(Boyd Holbrook), or allies such as Wendell Robinson (Victor Williams), Norbert
Beryl (Norbert Leo Butz), and Maureen Downey (Marin Ireland) from the Detroit
Police Department. However, can they truly be considered allies? The suspicious
comment made by Judge Guy, hinting at confidential information that the DPD
would rather keep under wraps, raises doubts.
Norbert's repeated emphasis on "that's how we do things in Detroit" demands attention. All these fresh dynamics highlight Raylan's fish-out-of-water experience, as does his role as a beleaguered father to a teenage daughter. Don't get me wrong, Olyphant's charm remains as irresistible as ever; he effortlessly exudes that rakish appeal.
Nevertheless, Urban Genesis immediately challenges the perception of his character,
exploring which aspects would endure after 15 years of change and which ones
would withstand scrutiny, such as Carolyn and Judge Guy's critical stance on
law enforcement. It's a shame that Keith David's character doesn't survive this
episode, as his particular brand of arrogance is always entertaining. Let's
rewind to the beginning. "Urban Genesis" commences with Raylan
dropping off his daughter, Willa, at a facility for what she refers to as
"conversion therapy." Inherited from her father, she possesses a
nonchalant attitude toward violence, coupled with a general sense of
disconnection typical of a rebellious teenager.
Willa finds herself
in trouble for assaulting another girl at school and frequently clashes with
Winona, Raylan's ex-wife, who is currently vacationing abroad with someone
Willa refers to as "the 'Stache." The Everglades facility aims to
straighten out Willa's behavior, and there's a familiar tone to their
conversation, indicating that Willa can be quite a handful most of the time.
(I'm not entirely convinced by the younger Olyphant's performance here, but she
shares a believable weariness with her father.) Willa's plea, "Why can't I
just stay with you?" to Raylan stems from a clear desire to spend more
time with her father.
However, Raylan
avoids answering the question when two felons attempt to carjack their sedan
but unknowingly chose the worst possible person to mess with. Raylan confronts
them with a shotgun upon their threat to harm Willa, discovers their wanted
status in Detroit, and ends up driving all the way there with the felons and
Willa since he missed the strict camp drop-off time. Raylan has always treated
villains with a certain level of dignity and courtesy. When he tells them,
"If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. You have my word," he
genuinely means it.
He adheres to a
personal code that doesn't always align with the law. However, he also expects
criminals to show remorse and obedience, which they often refuse to do.
Therefore, in true Raylan fashion, he stuffs the two would-be carjackers and
kidnappers into the trunk. He leaves them sweltering in the heat and takes his
time reaching Detroit. Upon appearing in Judge Guy's courtroom, defense lawyer
Carolyn interrogates him, exposing flaws in Raylan's testimony. The sequence
cleverly alternates between his leisurely road trip with Willa and his time on
the witness stand.
Carolyn
straightforwardly points out Raylan's tough-guy façade, leading Judge Guy to
side with Carolyn due to his annoyance at Willa's giggling in the audience and
Raylan's sarcastic remark about the absence of assassination attempts on his
life. As a result, the charges against her client are dropped, and both Raylan
and Willa end up in jail. Speaking of the assassination attempt, that morning
Judge Guy's car was blown up by a pair of racist militiamen infuriated by his
involvement with their mother. Raylan, accompanied by the DPD, whom he enlisted
at the judge's request, effortlessly solves the case. This situation provides
an opportunity to contrast the more mature and less impulsive Raylan with his
DPD counterparts, particularly Norbert (a typical aggressive cop, annoying) and
Maureen (competent but not overly thorough).
Detective Wendell, deliberate and sarcastic,
comes closest to being a genuine partner for Raylan. Although he is not
included in Judge Guy's office when the judge mentions confidential matters
that neither Norbert, Maureen, nor Raylan's superiors are aware of, Wendell
pays close attention. What does he know, and will he involve Raylan? Lastly, we
are introduced to Clement, an impulsive, dangerous, and dare I say, strikingly
handsome individual. The marketing materials for Urban Genesis describe Clement
as "the most dangerous man Raylan has ever faced. An unpredictable
nihilist with no moral compass.
" While I am
uncertain about the former claim (have we already forgotten the wickedness of
Robert Quarles?), the character description brings to mind Holbrook's portrayal
of the Corinthian in The Sandman. Clement possesses enough narcissism to sing
along to his own demo tape in the car and enough slick.
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