Season 1 – Justified: City Primeval

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Jul 2023

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Drama

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Popcornmeter

92%

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49 Reviews

46%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Having left the hollers of Kentucky 15 years ago, Raylan Givens now lives in Miami, a walking anachronism balancing his life as a U.S. Marshal and part-time father of a 15-year-old girl. His hair is grayer, his hat is dirtier, and the road in front of him is suddenly a lot shorter than the road behind. A chance encounter on a desolate Florida highway sends him to Detroit. There he crosses paths with Clement Mansell, aka The Oklahoma Wildman, a violent, sociopathic desperado who's already slipped through the fingers of Detroit's finest once and aims to do so again. Mansell's attorney, formidable Motor City native Carolyn Wilder, has every intention of representing her client, even as she finds herself caught between cop and criminal, with her own game afoot as well. These three characters set out on a collision course in classic Elmore Leonard fashion, to see who makes it out of the City Primeval alive.

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Critics Consensus

Timothy Olyphant's quickdraw charm shows no signs of dulling in City Primeval, an introspective and very welcome return for Raylan Givens.

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James White

Empire Magazine

09/11/2023

4/5

It may not match Justified at its prime, but this fresh exploration of Marshal Givens works on a level that will serve to keep veteran viewers happy indeed. And yes, the mane is still intact.

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Emma John

Guardian

09/06/2023

4/5

A decade later, the hat is back. Good news: it still fits.

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Phillip Maciak

The New Republic

07/31/2023

City Primeval is considerably more careful in its treatment of that violence, of that anger, embodied in the handsome frame of a middle-aged white man. It’s an admirable project for a reboot.

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Anya Couture

Geek Vibes Nation

08/09/2025

7.5/10

What’s being examined in City Primeval isn’t the happy-go-lucky nature of our favorite trigger-happy marshal whose secret vice is an ice cream cone, it’s the primal nature of what makes him tick.

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Jared Mobarak

Hey, Have You Seen ...?

09/20/2024

6/10

So, while it's an okay police procedural with a fantastic antagonist (Holbrook truly is the highlight here), it's just a mediocre season of JUSTIFIED.

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Jackie K. Cooper

jackiekcooper.com

09/16/2023

6/10

A little sluggish but alls well that ends well.

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Frans B

@FransB 2d

Retire Ray, best for him and whole world. The original series was refreshing and captivating. This is completely the opposite. Still the Givens strut and flair, but the spark has gone, out the window, with the writing. Sad huh? It should have been so much more ...

Endre K

@Rohadaek Jul 1

A fine example when DEI ruins existing material. Savor the next sentence: Raylan Givens had sex with an overweight, black, grandma in this series. The bad writing, boring characters, annoying daughter are just the cherry on top.

Michael Z

@RT87792687 Jun 16

Writing is bad, and Story is forgetful...there are no witty retorts or acerbic one liners from Givens amd there is nothing to even remind you that this is Justified ... aside from Raylans hat. Raylans daughter (and actual daughter) is an annoying set piece. The secondary characters are mostly forgettable and often unlikeable, as is the "villain". Raylans "love interest" doesnt make sense. The series feels more like a procedural drama rather than what made Justified "Justified". DEI for DEI sake - there is a lot of forced racial bullshit. Dont waste your time and re-watch the original series instead.

P C.

@heypristo May 30

Terrible! Couldn't get through 3 episodes even though I tried. Bad writing, bad casting. Unbelievable, especially if you've watched and loved Justified. A better spinoff would have had these awesome characters: Art, Tim, Rachel and Wynn Duffy.

Pally C

@Pally510 Apr 6

Watched it all. It was painfull. Original was class but this was a massive let down. Mansell just did as he pleased & givens could not get 2 him. Terrible story line & delivery. I think best thing in series was cing Boyd at the end but seriously AVOID this 1 🙏🏼

James G.

@trkythrston Oct 18

Boyd Holbrook saved it but otherwise a muddled drawn out plot that largely missed the mark of the original series.

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Timothy Olyphant

U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Carolyn Wilder

Boyd Holbrook

Clement Mansell

Adelaide Clemens

Sandy Stanton

Vondie Curtis-Hall

Marcus "Sweety" Sweeton

Marin Ireland

Maureen Downey

Episode 1

Aired Jul 18, 2023

City Primeval

After Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky 15 years ago, a chance encounter in the Florida swamps sends him to Detroit and places him on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.

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Episode 2

Aired Jul 18, 2023

The Oklahoma Wildman

Raylan hunts a killer; Carolyn takes on a former client; Willa makes a new friend.

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Episode 3

Aired Jul 25, 2023

Backstabbers

Raylan and the Detroit Police round up some promising suspects, provoking Carolyn's ire; Mansell and Sandy move on the Albanian mark; things with Willa reach a breaking point.

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Episode 4

Aired Aug 1, 2023

Kokomo

Raylan tangles with the Albanian mob; Mansell forms a new alliance; Carolyn lets her guard down.

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Episode 5

Aired Aug 8, 2023

You Good?

Carolyn's past becomes Raylan's present; Mansell puts a plan into action.

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Episode 6

Aired Aug 15, 2023

Adios

A botched kerfuffle sends Raylan's pursuit of Mansell into chaos.

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Episode 7

Aired Aug 22, 2023

The Smoking Gun

Raylan and Mansell show down.

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Episode 8

Aired Aug 29, 2023

The Question

Raylan and Carolyn cross the line; Raylan attempts to make it out of Detroit alive.

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