Bloody Harlan (Justified)

"Bloody Harlan"
Justified episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 13
Directed byMichael Dinner
Written byFred Golan
Featured musicSteve Porcaro
Cinematography byFrancis Kenny
Editing byBill Johnson
Original air dateMay 4, 2011 (2011-05-04)
Running time43 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"Reckoning"
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"The Gunfighter"
Justified (season 2)
List of episodes

"Bloody Harlan" is the thirteenth episode and season finale of the second season of the American Neo-Western[1] television series Justified. It is the 26th overall episode of the series and was written by executive producer Fred Golan and directed by executive producer Michael Dinner. It originally aired on FX on May 4, 2011.

The series is based on Elmore Leonard's stories about the character Raylan Givens, particularly "Fire in the Hole", which serves as the basis for the episode. The series follows Raylan Givens, a tough deputy U.S. Marshal enforcing his own brand of justice. Following the shooting of a mob hitman, Raylan is sent to Lexington, Kentucky to investigate an old childhood friend Boyd Crowder, who is now part of a white supremacist gang. In the episode, the Crowder and the Bennett clans go to war over control of Harlan, which results in deadly consequences for everyone involved.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.68 million household viewers and gained a 0.9/2 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received universal acclaim from critics and audiences, who hailed nearly every single aspect of the episode, with most of the praise heading towards the writing, pace, directing and acting (particularly Margo Martindale) and some deeming it as a strong ending to a strong season.

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    • Hale, Mike (January 19, 2015). "A Wry Comedy of Manners in Kentucky Coal Country". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 13, 2023. another gun-happy neo-western, 'Justified' has been true to its Elmore Leonard roots
    • Jensen, Jeff (April 14, 2015). "'Justified' series finale: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 13, 2023. The crackling neo-western pulp of Justified always wore its heft and depth as casually as Raylan Givens wore his Stetson.
    • Hibberd, James (May 5, 2010). "Walton Goggins upped on FX's 'Justified'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 14, 2023. The producers of FX's neo-Western crime drama "Justified" have elevated Walton Goggins to a series regular on the show.
    • Ettenhofer, Valerie (October 16, 2022). "Justified Is a Satisfying Neo-Western Anchored by Great Performances". /Film. Retrieved January 14, 2023. A soulful neo-Western at heart, "Justified" uses a near-procedural format.
    • Matthews, Liam (January 12, 2023). "Everything to Know About Justified: City Primeval". TV Guide. Retrieved January 13, 2023. Timothy Olyphant is getting his cowboy hat out of storage to play Raylan Givens, the witty, perpetually pissed U.S. Marshal he played for six seasons on FX's neo-Western crime drama Justified.
    • Klein, Brennan (January 7, 2023). "Justified Revival's Murderous Villain Teased By Executive Producers". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 13, 2023. The reboot series, which is coming to FX later this year, is a follow-up to the neo-Western show Justified, which is adapted from the stories of Elmore Leonard