Justified is one of those works of fiction that can be described as a ‘meditation’. Unlike other famous works with that moniker – I especially think of The Sopranos, particularly because that’s also an American crime television drama and thus about as close to what Justified is as you can get – it achieves this through plotting. It isn’t just that the situation provokes fascinating thoughts from the characters, it’s that it moves fast enough that we never linger too long on one situation or thought – never risk boredom. Actually, the most accurate way to describe Justified would be that it’s top-quality entertainment; by this, I mean that it exists not to convey an idea or challenge the audience in any real way, but to induce pleasure in the viewer.
I want to say there’s no real shame in simply being pleasurable – I do, after all, enjoy many things that exist purely for pleasure (especially Justified), and I respect the necessity of escapism for people with shittier lives than me. That wouldn’t quite be the truth though; there’s an emotional truth that Justified repeatedly avoids. I can’t tell you what it is – something to do with the horrifying absurd final logic of Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) and Boyd (Walton Goggins). It’s been suggested to me that the subantepenultimate episode of the series implies the actual tragic finale, with Ava (Joelle Carter) killing Boyd and Raylan and getting out of Harlan; this does not happen, because it’s just not that kind of show.
Perhaps the truest companion to Justified is the Stargate TV franchise; it exists on a different place on the quality spectrum, but it has the same basic motivations – being funny, being sweet, and being interesting – where the things it has to say are more about stimulating the brain than they are about actually going somewhere philosophically difficult. To put it another way, the thoughts in the show are pleasurable in the way that talking to an old guy at a dive bar is pleasurable.
Which, of course, isn’t to say that what the show has to say is completely uninteresting. The main thought on Justified’s mind is stupidity; how do you live with it? In the pilot episode, Raylan’s ex-wife Winona (Natalie Zea) describes him as the angriest man she’s ever met, setting up a dichotomy that defines the show: Raylan’s intelligence in dealing with criminals and his rage at the existence of them. Like many heroes of American television – particularly procedurals – Raylan is the Rational Man, capable of calculating and acting more quickly than the people around him.
His two biggest enemies are his violently abusive father Arlo (Raymond J Barry) and Boyd, both of whom provoke his rage. It would feel so good for him to straight-up kill either one of them; if Raylan runs away from his anger, it’s to prevent himself from turning into his father. The final conclusion for Raylan is that he’s incapable of committing to irrationality – he wants to live in Miami with his daughter, so he won’t straight-up murder Boyd and land himself in prison. The real thematic meat, however, is in all the criminals Raylan faces; one of the flaws of the series – one that connects it to The X-Files, oddly – is that the case o’ the week stuff is substantially more fun and more interesting than the main arcs, because ironically they provide more extreme action that gives us fascinating patterns over time.
The stupid people Raylan meets tend to be poor or, at most, working class; Justified is one of those stories where the location is as much a character as any of the actual characters. This requires being well-travelled – or at least well-read – to be able to compare across time and space, to which one can see the American vibe, which I’ll get to in a second. He does meet stupid people across a spectrum; the most notable is Gary (William Ragsdale), Winona’s new husband at the start of the series, who is a middle class realtor, but he also meets the adult failsons of gangsters, land-owning assholes reaching beyond their grasp, and other more well-off idiots.
There are two unifying things across this spectrum of idiocy, and both of them are emotions: pride, where the stupid person wants to demonstrate how tough they are, and greed, where the stupid person wants to not have to work as hard anymore. There are elements to which class interacts with this; we see over and over how hard poor people have to work just to be able to get by – one of my favourite lines in the series is when Shelby Parlow (Jim Beaver) is asked if he likes being a Walmart greeter (“Far as I can tell, they’re not payin’ me to like it.”) because it conveys so beautifully how degradation is a basic fact of life for poor people.
We also see – and this is how America factors in – how poorly educated the poor people of Harlan are; indeed, Raylan frequently takes advantage of this to lie to and intimidate criminals, humiliating and frightening them into a corner. One can see not only how this makes them believe their situation is more limited than it already is, one can see how that would instill a sense of resentment and anger that they’ll kick down to the people below them (I believe Raylan notices this too, and it’s why he doesn’t arrest Ava at the end of the series – he doesn’t want her son to lose whatever opportunities he has and go down the same roads as the various teenagers and children he meets and even befriends over the series).
Boyd is fascinating from this perspective, even if he points to the flaws and limitations of the series (he really should be either dead or permanently in jail by season three). The Goggins’s spectacular charisma (fed by the writers having the most fun writing for him – “I love the way you talk. You use ten words where four would do.”) lends plausibility to Boyd’s desire to represent an ideal – any ideal, at the start of the series – and he continuously finds his rationality keeps winning over that.
But the most interesting of all the random idiots on this show is Choo-Choo, all the way towards the end. The show takes an extra step to make him sympathetic by making his incompetence a literal brain injury, but this is merely foundation for making him self-aware, asking a new question: how do you live with being stupid? For Choo-Choo, this means accepting what’s within the limits of his control, which means making emotional decisions with full knowledge that they’ll get him killed. This does extend to all kinds of limitations; some of us know that eating meat contributes to destruction of the environment, but we also know this is largely driven by companies far bigger than we’ll ever be, so we either stop eating meat just to feel we don’t contribute, or we eat meat and accept that we’re part of the problem; either way, we become Choo-Choo.
Raylan’s methods of dealing with stupid people are also fascinating. Part of the reason I like the COTW episodes over the main arcs is because Raylan is at his most likeable and charming there, which is a direct result of his being much less emotionally invested. Part of it, obviously, is that he’s afforded authority and power – it’s easy to be convincing when you can arrest someone – but with that comes, surprisingly, an ability to negotiate. I like how frequently he frames it, too; you do what you wanna do, and I’m gonna arrest anyone who breaks the law. In terms of wording, it’s incredibly close to denying responsibility, but it isn’t; in fact, it reminds the other person that they make choices, and he’ll make his.
Raylan’s conflict is that this falls down around Boyd, around Arlo, around Gary, and around other people he’s close to. If anything saves him, it’s catching himself before that. Justified is something of a romance of having to work in the world; that the right thing, the smart thing, the humiliating thing, the tedious thing, and the disappointing thing are all often one and the same. You either act rationally or you don’t. Although sometimes you get really lucky and the right, smart, humiliating, tedious, disappointing thing is also funny. What are you gonna do?
About the writer
Tristan J. Nankervis
Tristan J Nankervis (aka Drunk Napoleon) has been a writer, pop culture critic, dishwasher, standup comedian, waiter, potato cake factory worker, gamer, TV worker, and various other things. You can find him in Hobart, Tasmania.
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Year of the Month
Well, it's not realistic. I suppose it's socialist.
Year of the Month
A man's attitude goes some ways to the way his [movie interpretation] will be. Is that somethin' you might agree with?
Department of
Conversation
What did we watch?
Happy Endings, Season Two, Episode Ten, “You Snooze, You Bruise”
“I am going to get ripped. Deal with it.”
“I’m confident we can deal with it.”
“Okay, so, shoot me a text on how this turns out.”
Making Jane an HOA President sure works to make her less sympathetic.
“I’m pretty sure you just said the definition of fascism.”
“Get ready, America, coz there are TWO black men in office up in here!”
“Actually, there’s more than two.”
“Max, why are you dressed like Josh Brolin from The Goonies?”
“You noticed!”
The argument over whether or not the bully is Max’s floor or ceiling was great.
“You know you’re both fat, right?”
“You were a bully?!”
“Yes.”
“But you’re so tiny!!!”
“It’s homo slomo.”
“Snitches get stitches!”
“How is this a phrase that everybody’s heard but me?”
Great to see Rusty pre-moustache and post-football career.
“Do you think he thinks about me?”
“Um. When was this photo taken and why are you making the Kobe Bryant intensity face?”
“Sleeping on it was amazing. You should do it.”
“I was doing it.”
“Keep doing it. I’ll watch. … Are you doing it?”
“Bitch, it is five thirty!”
“You do not want to get into a patient wait-off with this guy, bro.”
“Really? That was your monkey? … Again, you’re trying again?”
“It be a’ight, dawg.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Buzz one out? That’s a weird way to say snoring.”
“Did he just slam my door in my face?”
“Wake up, slut.”
“It’s been days! Look at all this hair! I look like Gene Wilder!”
“Go Dave! Punch his shirt off! Or whatever you think is best!”
Josie And The Pussycats — still a blast of course, although it looks a tad cheaper in spots than I remembered. But I still laugh just at the visual of Seth Green, Boy Band Member and Tara Reid remains a world-class ditz here, just delightful. And of course the songs are era-accurate to microscopic precision (now HERE is mall-punk) and timeless in their craft.
1408 — anything I could say has already been said better by our own Lauren James — https://www.the-solute.com/film-on-the-disc-1408/ — this isn’t terrible but got enough hype from people who should know better to make it disappointing. It’s been a while since I read the King short story but I’m pretty sure it did not have FAMILY TRAUMA as a throughline and inventing that shit just because you are lazy and want to make a plot for a haunted house story is stupid and drags the whole thing down. Cusack and Jackson excellent though.
China Girl — Romeo and Juliet in 1980s NYC with Little Italy and Chinatown and a focus on the romantic leads’ older siblings as thwarted youth trying to reignite the conflicts buried by their elders in the name of peaceful criminal prosperity. Sometimes the acting (especially from those leads) is a bit stiff but this is more than compensated by Bojan Bozelli in his “I will synthesize Dean Cundey and Robby Muller and make the most gorgeous shit you’ve ever seen” cinematography phase, this was apparently his first movie! And his first shooting for Abel Ferrara and here is the thing with Ferrara — he has zero irony (although he is not without humor), he does not wink making this movie or deny either the stupidity or the frustrations of the young people he’s chronicling, and he certainly does not look down on his city. There is a directness here that blasts through any flat notes and that more than anything is missing from way too many movies. The Ferrara collection on Criterion remains not optional.
Blue Heron — I had vague inklings of the reality behind Sophy Romavy’s movie before watching but read up afterwards and knowing its overlap with her own life definitely changes things. This is not direct and in fact muddles not just story but genre, but that is by design. Memory is not solid even though it’s all you have sometimes. What Romavy tries to get at, especially with a late-film twist, is how reality is also unstable and could never be otherwise, living through and piecing together are different things. Evocative (the parts of the movie set in the mid-90s did their homework) and unsettling and sad. I don’t know if it’s the best movie of the year but it’s hard to shake.
1408 almost worth it for Jackson, a professional in a situation he has fully acknowledged is beyond the rational. “It’s an evil fucking room.”
That whole scene is great and should probably just be a short film.
Live burlesque and poetry! Had a pretty great time, perhaps because I got to see a hot woman twerk to Tom Waits’ “St. Infirmary Blues”, but also getting to do some of my raunchier poetry for a very receptive crowd. Am now convinced that poets should get dollar bills thrown at them in approval (though this was for a fundraiser so I didn’t keep said bills) and I definitely want to go to more burlesque shows. I had a brief strip club phase as an awkward virgin and this feels like a less depressing version of that atmosphere. (I think it’s crucial that the men weren’t really in charge here, there were guys helping out but the hosts and organizers were women, and it was for a good cause, not making a buck.)
Three Acres and a Cow – not sure what to call this, it’s a live show that combines kinda historical storytelling with folk music. It uses the songs as part of the story of land ownership in the UK, and also the tradition of protest that has run alongside it, from the 11th century to the present day. I’m a bit shit on history so it was pretty educational and it’s a fun idea to use folk ballads from across the ages to illustrate particular characters whose legacy has persisted. The first half is pretty dense with general info and then after the intermission it gets a bit into the specific things that have led us to the fucked up world we inhabit today, where nobody can really afford to live.
The British Guide to Showing Off – prep for the NEXT odd event on the list, this doc is about eccentric English sculptor Andrew Logan and the unusual event he runs every few years which is a mix of fashion show and beauty pageant, open to all genders and beyond (previous winners have included a robot). For the most part it’s a celebration of queer joy with roots in the UK art scene, and people like Divine, Tim Curry, David Hockney, Derek Jarman have been involved over the years as contestants, judges or co-hosts. I really enjoyed the doc, especially the unsurprising reveal that art people aren’t AMAZING at organising events that require a lot of admin.
Alternative Miss World – and this year I had a ticket to attend, hence the above viewing to get into the swing of things. It was a lot of fun, the judges included Jarvis Cocker and Hayley Mills (!) this year and the sixteen contestants included a crocodile and several team efforts, including my favourite “Miss Magma McGoo” which was four women dressed as a giant sun with independently moving hands. The winner stole the show in the last segment with a pretty amazing costume with huge wings that they used to perform a dance that was really beautiful. Really fun and an unusual way to spend an evening.
Seinfeld, S9 – “The Cartoon” was one of the most purely funny episodes of the season, Kramer taking a vow of silence after blurting out too many home truths was inevitably a great showcase for physical comedy, Elaine’s slightly unhinged efforts to understand a New Yorker cartoon delivered the goods, George’s girlfriend looking like a female Jerry was pretty classic but for once Jerry’s plot might be the funniest, a run-in with Susan’s old roommate leading to her launching a one-woman show about how terrible he is – really very funny indeed.
“I like the kitty.” I have understood MOST New Yorker cartoons, that line is still funny!
I don’t think they’re the worst offenders for that kind of cartooning (in my admittedly limited experience) but it’s a very well constructed subplot. I always love it when Elaine gets totally obsessed by some pointless quest, and Kramer suggesting an alternative punchline for her pig cartoon cracked me up.
You know what? I probably would want to see “Enclosure Act: The Musical.”
Haha, that does sum it up pretty well!
I only learned of Enclosure by reading the Aubrey/Maturin novels and it’s covered very interestingly there — Jack Aubrey is a straight up Tory (he has a seat in Parliament but doesn’t really give a shit as it is On Land and not out At Sea) who does not really question his prejudices, but he fucking hates the Enclosure Act and gets his hate on with the plebs who work the land. A lot of this comes from a nobless oblige point of view but it’s honestly respectful of the land working and it contrasts very heavily with the proto-technocrat argument for enclosure (which of course sucks).
Programming note: I will expected to go to the office more starting next week. (I am not thrilled about this but WFH seems to be dying for everyone.) So my posts here will miss some days since I can’t really do this at work.
Barney Miller, “Sniper” Someone is shooting at the precinct. Didn’t we do this already? Meanwhile a man is worried that his wife (Charlotte Rae) is about leave him and join a cult going to Saturn. Some funny bits but not really very interesting for once.
That’s bizarre. We can do this at home very easily!
What did we play?
Played a few levels of Super Mario Bros. 3 and a few rounds of Wario Ware, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! (both on Switch) for our baby girl. She’s still too young to be engaged, but I think she liked what little she saw.
I finished Justified a little frustrated with my inability to just enjoy it on that talkin’-to-a-guy-in-the-bar base level, for me it was an uneven experience where I spent the first few seasons just engaged enough to continue, then thought everything just perfectly clicked in season 4 and it finally became the show I had hoped for all along… but then I felt like it was running on fumes a little in 5 and 6, and that weird discrepancy between the show needing Boyd around but it not really making any sense that he’s still there definitely weighs into that. I’d feel a lot more positively about it as a whole if I’d stopped watching after S4 but obviously after that high I was always going to chase more thrills, alas.
When I was going through those last few seasons, I was keeping your frustration in mind – I could never get sick of the basic voice of the show, but I get it for season five – though I do think it almost immediately swung back around in the final minutes of season five and continued all the way to the end.
Year of the Month updates:
This September, you can write about any of these movies, albums, books, etc. from 1937.
Sept. 18th: Gillian Nelson: Pluto’s Quin-pup-lets
Sept. 20th: Tristan J. Nankervis: The Hobbit
Sept. 22nd: Lauren James: Stage Door
Sept. 25th: Gillian Nelson: Donald’s Ostrich
And here’s all the movies, albums, books from 1998 you can sign up for this October!
Oct. 3rd: Gillian Nelson: Movie Surfers
Oct. 4th: Tristan J. Nankervis: Pi
Oct. 9th: Gillian Nelson: Mighty Joe Young
Oct. 13th: John Bruni: High Art
Oct. 18th: Tristan J. Nankervis: Who Moved My Cheese?
Oct. 30th: Gillian Nelson: Halloweentown