Country of origin United States Original network FX | No. of episodes 13 | |
Original release February 9 (2011-02-09) – May 4, 2011 (2011-05-04) | ||
The second season of the American television drama series Justified premiered on February 9, 2011, on FX, and concluded on May 4, 2011, consisting of 13 episodes. The series was developed by Graham Yost based on Elmore Leonard's novels Pronto and Riding the Rap and his short story "Fire in the Hole". Its main character is Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal. Timothy Olyphant portrays Givens, a tough federal lawman, enforcing his own brand of justice in his Kentucky hometown. The series is set in the city of Lexington, Kentucky, and the hill country of eastern Kentucky, specifically in and around Harlan.
Contents
Plot
Season two deals primarily with the criminal dealings of the Bennett clan. Family matriarch Mags Bennett (Margo Martindale) and her three sons Dickie (Jeremy Davies), Coover (Brad William Henke), and Bennett Police Chief Doyle (Joseph Lyle Taylor) plan to expand their marijuana business into Crowder territory following Bo's death, as Boyd has proven somewhat reluctant to follow in his father's footsteps. Raylan gets involved in the struggle between the two criminal organizations, and because of a long-standing feud between the Givens and Bennett families centering on an incident between Raylan and Dickie in their youth (an incident which left the latter with a lame leg), things begin to become very complicated, with their pasts catching up with them. Meanwhile, an effort by a mining conglomerate to secure access rights to the mountain results in Raylan and Boyd becoming involved on opposite sides of the operation, and provokes a local backlash against the Bennetts after Boyd reveals Mags' secret involvement in negotiations with the conglomerate, to the detriment of her neighbors.
Main cast
Production
FX ordered a second season of 13 episodes on May 3, 2010.
Casting
Walton Goggins, who had a recurring role in the first season as Boyd Crowder, was promoted to series regular beginning with the second season.
Filming
Episodes were shot in California. The small town of Green Valley, California often doubles for Harlan, Kentucky.
Reception
The second season saw critical acclaim. Robert Bianco of USA Today praised Margo Martindale's performance, stating: "Like the show itself, Margo Martindale's performance is smart, chilling, amusing, convincing and unfailingly entertaining. And like the show, you really don't want to miss it." Slant Magazine critic Scott Von Doviak praised Olyphant's performance and the writing for this season, observing: "Justified's rich vein of gallows humor, convincing sense of place, and twisty hillbilly-noir narratives are all selling points, but it's Olyphant's devilish grin that seals the deal."
Awards
For the second season, it received four acting nominations for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards—Timothy Olyphant for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Walton Goggins for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Margo Martindale for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, and Jeremy Davies for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, with Martindale winning.
Ratings
The second season averaged 2.649 million viewers and a 0.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic, improving 9.6% in viewership from the first season.
Home media release
The second season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on January 3, 2012, in region 2 on July 18, 2011, and in region 4 on September 5, 2012. Special features on the season two set include deleted scenes, three behind-the-scenes featurettes, and outtakes.