Justified

I am starting to see where this show might be heading, but first I wish to say that the episode in and of itself was a bit on the weak and ordinary side. The similarities between In Plain Sight and Justified were even more obvious, but hey, nothing new under the sun, right.

Early into this show, two topics of interest have emerged for me thus far. Religion and Nostalgia.

Let me talk about religion first, because this is where I actually find merit in the series. It is shown ambiguously, shown as dangerously easy to manipulate. One could take the hospital speech as both the turn to good and the character's salvation in God, or, which is how I read it and see it played out, a possible future excuse for this maniac to do bad in the lord's name. Because we have seen this character wittingly abuse, not believe in, the bible in the previous episode, the ease with which the word can be tweaked, changed, altered is all to obvious. Religion then is rather a social point of view, and a tool of power, than a believe system in the world of Justified. But even smart religious people will tell you that religion has often been abused and used. So, while nothing new, I like that this series nonchalantly shows this.

Now I am waiting to see 'church goin' folks' and the other end of the spectrum.

The nostalgia is clearly manifested in the vestige of a rather classic Western Masculinity. Honor, love, and a sense of control, invincibility, and constrain are powerful ideas generated here. The calm demeanor of the elderly perp when facing the marshall, the simple interaction between Raylan and his superior, and the smirking ex-husband making fun of his ex-wife's new husband's non-masculinity all make us aware of a simpler time, one in which rules were laid out more clearly and perps could be handled, gender was defined by norms... While I'd like to have more order, I certainly do not want this skewed intolerant world image to return.

Unpredictable drug addicts and gun wielding racists are too often treated as fumbling idiots in the first two episodes. They do not really pose a threat. Is this because the show simply magnifies the superiority of the Stetson wearing marshall, or is it lulling the viewers into believing this simpler and very white washed world actually exists. I will stay tuned to see what will be next.