Things to Remember Before Watching Justified Primeval City

Things to Remember before Watching Justified: City Primeval

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Things to Remember Before Watching “Justified: City Primeval.”

For this list, we’ll be going over important facts to keep in mind ahead of the premiere of “Justified: City Primeval,” the much anticipated limited series follow-up to FX’s critically acclaimed “Justified.”

What are YOU most looking forward to ahead of this series? Let us know below.

#10: You Don’t Need To Have Watched the Original Series

For those who haven’t seen “Justified” and wonder if they’ll need to watch all six seasons to understand the miniseries “Justified: City Primeval,” don’t worry; it’s a stand-alone series with a whole new story. It’s even set in a new location (more on that later). According to cast member Adelaide Clemens, the new series serves more as an expansion of the “Justified” universe. However, Clemens did reveal that the show will include a few easter eggs that longtime fans will surely be able to spot.

#9: The Release Date

For those wondering when to tune in to watch the show, here are the details: “Justified: City Primeval” had its world premiere on June 1, 2023 at the ATX Television Festival. For the rest of us, a two-episode premiere will air on Tuesday, July 18 on FX, with subsequent episodes airing on a weekly basis. Those episodes will become available to stream the day after they air on Hulu. The series as a whole will reportedly consist of 8 episodes.

#8: The Storyline

“Justified: City Primeval” is set 15 years after the events of “Justified.” Raylan Givens, the original series’ protagonist, has left Kentucky and now lives in Miami. He is still working as a U.S. marshal, but is now also a father to a 15-year old daughter. His world is suddenly turned upside down when he comes across notorious criminal Clement Mansell, a.k.a the Oklahoma Wildman. Raylan is set on bringing him down, but as you can probably imagine this’ll be easier said than done. One of the obstacles standing in his way is Mansell’s lawyer, Carolyn Wilder, who will go to great lengths to defend her client - and perhaps she has her own motives for doing so. Expect fireworks.

#7: It’s Based on Another Elmore Leonard Story

Like its predecessor, “Justified: City Primeval'' will be based on a work by author Elmore Leonard - in this case, the novel “City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit.” The book follows detective Raymond Cruz as he pursues notorious criminal The Oklahoma Wildman. For this series, Cruz will be replaced by Raylan Givens. The show’s creators have revealed that they are huge fans of the story, so they thought it would be interesting to drop an older Raylan Givens into the story to see how he’ll fare. While they indeed want to keep the charm of the original series intact, for “City Primeval,” their hope is to capture the true essence of Leonard’s original story as well.

#6: The Show’s Setting

Viewers of the original series will remember that the vast majority of the story takes place in the state of Kentucky, where Raylan Givens is originally from. Now, the creators are changing things up: although Givens has settled in Miami, his pursuit of Clement Mansell will take him to the city of Detroit. Aside from their love of the book’s story, one of the reasons they chose to use “City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit” as a basis for this new iteration of “Justified” was so they could place Raylan in new scenarios in new territory. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares on unfamiliar ground, as viewers are accustomed to seeing Givens on his home turf in Kentucky, with people and places he’s used to. But whatever happens, we’re sure to be entertained.

#5: The Original Executive Producers Serve as Showrunners

Dave Andron and Michael Dinner both served as executive producers of the original “Justified” series. This time around, they’ll be the ones calling the shots. Both Andron and Dinner stated that they never intended to make another “Justified” series. However, a chat with Timothy Olyphant - who played lead character Raylan Givens in the original series - their aforementioned affinity for “City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit’s” story, and previous attempts by others to adapt it pushed them to go for it. Both Andron and Dinner are behind several hits, including “Snowfall”, “Mayans M.C.” and “Sneaky Pete,” so we’re sure they’re the right people for the job.

#4: The Show Will Address Law Enforcement

Since the original “Justified” ended in 2015, several tragic incidents have shined a spotlight on law enforcement and the methods used to establish law and order. The creators know this, and intend to address these issues through their U.S. marshal Raylan Givens. In “City Primeval,” Raylan is a changed man living in a changed world, and as such, this show will include references to the ever-evolving sentiment towards law enforcement. Although it’s unclear how the show intends to do this, we’re sure that with a character as complex as Raylan Givens, who has his own flaws, the show will find some unique ways to incorporate it.

#3: The New Cast Members

With a new story comes a new set of characters. The show’s cast will feature several prominent actors, including Aunjanue Ellis, Adelaide Clemens and Vondie Curtis-Hall. Among the most notable coming to the show is Boyd Holbrook, who plays the show’s antagonist, Clement Mansell. With Holbrook’s track record of playing shady villains, we know we’re in for a treat. Other cast members include Marin Ireland, Victor Williams and Ravi Patel. What’s more, making her acting debut is Timothy Olyphant’s daughter, Vivian, who will play Raylan’s daughter, Willa.

#2: The Mystery of Boyd Crowder

Speaking of the cast, the question remains as to whether we’ll see any of the characters from the original show making an appearance on the new series. But there’s one character in particular that fans are hoping to see show up: Boyd Crowder. Actor Walton Goggins’ turn as Raylan’s foil and nemesis was mesmerizing, so much so that it earned him an Emmy nomination. The last we saw of Crowder, he was in prison, having one last conversation with Raylan. Though no official announcement has been made about Crowder’s potential inclusion in the new series, the creators have indicated that “City Primeval” will reveal the fate of several prominent characters who appeared in the original series. Here’s hoping one of those characters is Boyd Crowder and that he is still very much alive.

#1: Raylan Givens Returns

If you watched the trailers, you already know this, but we could not be more excited to see the return of Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens. The Emmy-nominated Olyphant was nothing short of electric as this gun-slinging U.S. marshal, who always had a knack for knowing just what to say and just when to say it. However, as Dave Andron told Entertainment Weekly, this limited series raises the stakes, and while Raylan made it out of the original series alive, he might not be so lucky on “City Primeval.” Either way, seeing Timothy Olyphant return as Raylan Givens further adds to the anticipation, hype and excitement surrounding this new series.