The essential episodes of Justified
Watch these 10 in order and you've got Justified — each pick states its reason.
- 01
After some bad publicity involving a shooting, Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens' boss transfers Raylan from Miami to Lexington, Kentucky. Under Chief Deputy Art Mullen, an old friend from the academy, Raylan takes on the case of the murder of a young white supremacist who is linked to a church bombing. The chief suspect is Boyd Crowder, a childhood friend of Raylan's. In order to catch him, Raylan returns to his hometown of Harlan. Boyd gives Raylan an ultimatum: leave Harlan within twenty-four hours or be killed. After a tense confrontation at an old acquaintance's house, Raylan gets the drop on Boyd and shoots him in the chest, though he survives and is hospitalized.
- 02
Raylan is turned hostage negotiator when a dangerous inmate holds a group of people hostage. Raylan's affair with Ava inadvertently grants Boyd an early release from prison.
- 03
In the first season finale, Harlan is turned into a battlefield when the tense situation between Raylan, Arlo, Boyd and Bo Crowder finally comes to a head. When Bo sadistically kills all of his son's followers, Boyd looks to Raylan for help. Arlo's plan to betray Raylan is found out, and he is shot by Raylan. Ava is kidnapped by Bo and Johnny Crowder, after which, Bo shoots Johnny for suspected collusion with Boyd. Boyd and Raylan go after Bo to rescue Ava. At the standoff, Bo is unexpectedly killed, in an ambush, by Miami gun runners who are after Raylan. Raylan and Boyd manage to save Ava and kill three of them, but one of them escapes. Raylan is forced to let Boyd (who calls Raylan his "only friend") chase after Bo's surviving killer.
- 04
As the coal mine makes one final attempt to negotiate with the Bennett clan, Loretta begins to piece together what the Bennetts did with her father.
- 05
Raylan tries to track down Dicky after Helen is killed, but he is forced to turn to Arlo to make a deal and get Mags' blessing.
- 06
The bad blood between the Bennetts and the Crowders reaches its boiling point and results in bloodshed, and Loretta returns from Lexington to avenge her father's death.
- 07
After the murder of his friend, Raylan is a man on fire as he goes after any- and everyone he holds responsible on the way to a bloody final showdown.
- 08
Boyd and the Detroit Mob try every dirty trick there is to stop Raylan and Drew Thompson from leaving Harlan alive.
- 09
Raylan puts pressure on every criminal in town as a ploy to arrest Darryl Crowe Jr., while Boyd and Duffy enlist an unlikely ally to fight off cartel killers.
- 10
In the series finale, one last battle between Raylan, Boyd and Ava will determine who—if anyone—gets out of Harlan alive.
Shows like Justified
The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.
- 01Drama·Crime·WesternThe essential episodes of Marshals2026–present·CBS
Marshals stars Luke Grimes reprising his role as Kayce Dutton. - 02Drama·Crime·WesternThe essential episodes of Lawmen: Bass Reeves2023–2023·Paramount+
Bass Reeves was known as the greatest frontier hero in American history and also believed to be the inspiration for "The Lone Ranger". - 03Drama·Crime·WesternThe essential episodes of Deadwood2004–2019Timothy Olyphant also stars·
- 04Drama·Crime·WesternThe essential episodes of Killer Women2014–2014·ABCKiller Women takes us inside the dangerous world of the Texas Rangers from a female perspective.
- 05Drama·Crime·ThrillerThe essential episodes of True Detective2014–presentTouch darkness and darkness touches you back.
- 06Drama·Crime·ComedyThe essential episodes of Fargo2014Same network — FX·
