Raylan Givens

Digging Coal Together: 20 'Justified' GIFs to Help You Mourn the End of the Series

By Daniel Ford

I have plenty of thoughts about the series finale of "Justified," but I want to save them for an upcoming podcast with Sean Tuohy and Dave Pezza (who I dig literary coal with on a daily basis). I’ll just say that Raylan’s final television nod (come on, they can make Pronto into a movie, right? Right???) was one of the most satisfying conclusions to a show I have ever seen. The writers did Elmore Leonard very, very proud.

So now that we all escaped Harlan alive, let’s ease our transition out of the holler with these 20 "Justified" GIFs. Godspeed, Raylan.

For posts from The Boneyard, check out our full archive.

Hillbillies, Whiskey, and Raylan: 15 Great Moments From ‘Justified’

"You've got two minutes to read this blog before we shoot you..."

"You've got two minutes to read this blog before we shoot you..."

By Sean Tuohy, Daniel Ford, and Dave Pezza

On Wednesday, Sean and I posted a video podcast of us watching the pilot episode of “Justified,” which was based on Elmore Leonard’s short story “Fire in the Hole.” That got us thinking about our favorite moments from the entire series and scouring the Internet for clips. We even convinced Writer’s Bone contributor David Pezza to tear himself away from his opus on vinyl to join in the fun.

Pour yourself a glass of apple pie (after you confirm Mags Bennett didn’t poison it), and spend some time in Harlan, Ky. Feel free to share your favorite moments in the comments section or tweet us @WritersBone.

Raylan Givens Makes an Entrance 

Sean Tuohy: Ah, first impressions are the most important and we meet Raylan as he guns down a mafia member on the run.

Daniel Ford: As Sean and I discussed on our video chat, there’s nothing more entertaining than a conversation between two guys who are about to shoot at each other.

“You’re the Asshole”/”Do You Know Where I’m From Asshole?"

Dave Pezza: Raylan has an obsession with calling people “asshole,” particularly outlaws. I love it. In fact, it has started to come out in my everyday vernacular. It’s music to my ears when we get to hear Olyphant say ‘asshole’ in his southern drawl and through Raylan’s badass persona, turning one word into a perfect description for criminals who have a flare for the idiotic.

“I Didn’t Order Assholes With My Whiskey”

DF: Ditto.

Showdown With Quarrels 

DF: Speaking of conversations between guys who want to want to shoot each other. Season 3 is highly underrated and this scene between Raylan, Wynn Duffy, and Robert Quarles is one of the tensest of the series.

Hillbilly Dance Off

ST: Boyd Crowder is smooth-talking and dancing crime lord. We got to see the fun side of the gun-toting preacher. Boyd Crowder.

Dewey Crowe Loses His Kidneys

DF: Dewey Crowe might be the ultimate showcase of an Elmore Leonard incompetent henchman. He’s a loveable loser much like Robert De Niro’s character was in “Jackie Brown” (based on Elmore Leonard’s novel Rum Punch). You root for Dewey even though you know his intentions are suspect and he’s dumber than the keyboard this paragraph was typed on. Crowe being convinced his kidneys were cut out…was…hehe…I mean…ha, ha, ha…I can’t…

Wynn Duffy

DF: I love everything about Wynn Duffy. His hair, his reactions to all the insanity that occurs around him, and his incompetent badassery.

Mags Bennett Apple Pie Exit

ST: One of the greatest villains in the show's history this scene is haunting and proves a point: No one leaves Harlan alive.

DF: The second season of “Justified” was perfect television. It had everything you want in a series finding its stride: villain progression, tortured hero, and an ending that defies cliché. Never has apple pie been so depressing.

"You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive"

Also listen to Sean Tuohy and Daniel Ford watch "Fire in the Hole:"

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Sean and Daniel Watch Television: “Fire in the Hole”

By Daniel Ford 

Sometimes it’s better to relive the beginning than focus on the end.

The finale of the sixth season of “Justified” aired last night and it sets up an epic final season sure to include Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder’s last stands. As Sean says, “they both need to die and have their blood be soaked up by the soft Kentucky soil.”

Those thoughts are for another day.

Recently, Sean and I sat down to watch the pilot episode of the series, titled “Fire in the Hole,” and discussed how perfectly it depicted Elmore Leonard’s short story. This video podcast also features us drinking cans of Miller High Life, my awesome hat, and plenty of Raylan Givens gunplay.

For posts from The Boneyard, check out our full archive.