Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Justified: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie Review

A justifiable purchase?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 17, 2012

Not much call for cowboys these days.

Justified's third season doesn't quite match the excellence of its predecessor, but it's an entertaining, well-built thirteen-episode effort that's packed with action, offers a few interesting twists and turns, introduces a couple of great new characters, and takes a slight turn towards darker and more personal drama. In other words, it's Justified as audiences have come to know and love. The series doesn't show a whole lot of added maturity -- it exhibited a few growing pains in season one and quickly settled into excellence in season two -- but it keeps things moving at a pace that's both country casual and action fast. The acting remains stellar, the scripts polished, and the narrative flow intense. This is quality television that may not be the best thing going today but that does entertain its audience with great stories, strongly-developed characters, and, particular to season three, a dark and devious enemies roster that makes Harlan more dangerous -- and more alluring -- than ever before.

Your move.

Note: season two spoilers appear below.

Raylan Givens (Timothy Olypahnt) is slowly recovering from his gunshot wound. His performance has been hindered both in the field and behind the trigger, and his actions may be causing his relationship with Winona (Natalie Zea) to slip. Chief Deputy Mullen (Nick Searcy) is holding him back from the action for the time being, but it won't be long until Harlan once again finds itself in need of the good Marshall's handiwork. Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) has himself incarcerated to get close to the imprisoned Dickie Bennet (Jeremy Davies) in hopes of coercing the convict into divulging the whereabouts of the fortune left behind by his late mother Mags, a sum well into the millions of dollars. On the inside, Boyd learns that the money may been passed to a Harlan launderer/underground criminal banker named Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson) who operates an old-style smokehouse as cover. Meanwhile, Boyd tries to run his weed distribution through Ava (Joelle Carter) with poor results. Making matters worse is the arrival of Quarles (Neal McDonough), a Detroit mafia enforcer who comes to collect on a debt but finds himself knee-deep in Harlan's criminal scene. The smooth-talking, well-dressed, liquor-sipping Quarles may pose the biggest challenge yet to a rusty but determined Marshall Givens.

The Harlan County crime picture gets mighty crowded, far more complicated, and even reaches well beyond Kentucky borders in season three of FX's popular Justified. Whereas season one began in Miami and funneled Marshall Givens' problems from South Beach back to the hills of Kentucky, the dangers this time head south from Detroit and bring to the series a seriously twisted villain in Robert Quarles, portrayed by a deliciously deviant Neal McDonough who comes awfully close to matching the sort of hardcore, heavy-hitting villainy of season two's down-home Mags Bennett. He's more sharply dressed, never without a drink in his hand, and he's even got a nasty little trick up his sleeve and a few dark secrets that paint him in a far more horrific light than Harlan County could likely ever imagine of one of its own. Throw in the "carpetbagger" angle and he might just be the worst thing to hit Harlan in a long time. He's the perfect modern-day villain, slick and smooth and very much out of place in Harlan, particularly up against the country folk who remain top dogs around the county, namely Boyd Crowder and season three's newest favorite character, the frightening but at the same time friendly Ellstin Limehouse. Harlan's getting crowded to be sure, but it's a beautiful mess of lawlessness and justice that's all brought into focus by an absorbing performance of one of TV's best characters in Raylan Givens.

Timothy Olyphant is nothing short of fantastic in the lead part. He was before, he still is, and he undoubtedly will continue to further hone his mastery of Raylan Givens in coming seasons. The absolute absorption into character is nearly uncanny; Olyphant's command of every character aspect never fails to impress. Not only does the man just look good under the hat and with the Glock on his side, he finds just the right emotional cadence in how he carries himself and deals with the wide spectrum of people in his life, whether the criminal element of Harlan County, his co-workers, Winona, or the cute local bartender. Few actors so easily melt into character, even over prolonged television seasons. Olyphant simply is Raylan Givens, and by extension, he defines the show. Raylan finds himself with quite the full plate in season three as various forces, some more frightening than others but all wanting not just a piece of the Harlan crime scene pie but also a cut of a fairly large fortune just waiting to be unearthed, face off in battles of wits and bullets for control over the county on the streets, in the underground, and even through the corruption of elected offices. Their only failing, again, is the belief that they can outmatch, outlast, out-blast, or outthink Marshall Givens. In many ways, then, season three is much more of the same, but the changing dynamics, plot evolutions, newcomer roster, and further development of old favorites and ongoing story lines help shape this collection of episodes into an integral, must-see extension of one of television's best currently-running brands.

Justified: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Justified: The Complete Third Season features a very sturdy, accurate, colorful, and nicely detailed 1080p high definition transfer. Viewers will notice right off the bat -- and throughout the season -- the faultlessly complex facial textures. Whether rugged mugs or smooth skin, the transfer reveals every natural line as well as the digital photography allows. Likewise, clothing details are just as striking. Whether subtle textures on Ralyan's hat or a revealing close-up of Limehouse's well-worn vest as seen in an early scene in which he speaks with Quarles in episode nine, there's nary an article of clothing that doesn't appear realistically textured and naturally authentic. Likewise, various surfaces from gun finishes to concrete look great. Colors are true and accurate throughout, no matter the place or time. There are some fine shots of bright green grasses, loud orange prison jumpsuits, and more reserved earth tones that all play very well together with positive balance and no bleeding. Black levels can go a bit pale in a few places and flesh tones occasionally warm, but generally both look quite nice. A little bit of noise and banding creeps in from time to time as well, but for the vast majority of the runtime this transfer looks fantastic.

Justified: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Justified: The Complete Third Season features a high-end DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Sony's audio presentation enjoys the sort of smoothness and natural presence that listeners have come to expect of Sony new release titles. Music plays with good energy -- notably during the opening title sequence that blares but does so with no lapse in clarity -- and a true, accurate sense of envelopment and definition. The world of Harlan springs to life with beautifully natural and immersive atmospherics; whether passing traffic, nighttime insects, the background din of a busy bar, general office elements, or any other number of light but mood-critical sounds, Sony's lossless track is always placing the audience squarely in the middle of the action and drama. Gunfire and other heavy sound effects enjoy rock-solid stage presence and clarity. Dialogue plays evenly and fluidly through the center channel. Every episode of Justified's third season sounds great on Blu-ray; fans will enjoy Sony's precision sound effort from start to finish.

Justified: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Justified: The Complete Third Season lists all episodes and supplements on all three discs. Below is an exact breakdown of what each disc contains:

Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: "The Gunfighter" with Executive Producer Graham Yost, Actors Timothy Olyphant and Jere Burns, and Writer Fred Golan; "Cut Ties" with Writer Ben Cavell and Actor Nick Searcy; "Harlan Roulette" with Writer Dave Andron and Director Jon Avnet; and "Thick as Mud" with Writers Jon Worley and Ben Cavell and Actors Damon Herriman and Joelle Carter.
• Deleted Scene (HD): Catch (1:09) for the episode "Cut Ties".
• Crossing the Line: Making Season 3 (HD, 18:37): Cast and crew discuss transitioning from the powerful second season, creating a new antagonist, Neal McDonough's performance, the season's darker tone, developing the Limehouse character, Ava's arc, Raylan's journey throughout the season, and cast and crew insight into honing the series.

Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: "When the Guns Come Out" with Producers Dave Andron and Don Kurt and "Loose Ends" with Actress Joelle Carter and Writers Ingrid Escajeda and Benjamin Cavell.
• Deleted Scenes (HD): Game of Pool (3:35) for the episode "The Man Behind the Curtain" and Go Back in There (1:02) for the episode "Loose Ends".
• Ellstin's Joint: Noble's Holler Set Tour (HD, 12:51): Production Designer Dave Blass shows off one of the season's most interesting sets.

Disc Three:

• Audio Commentaries: "Guy Walks Into a Bar" with Writers Dave Andron and VJ Boyd; "Coalition" with Writer Taylor Elmore, Editor Bill Johnson, and Actor Jere Burns; and "Slaughterhouse" with Executive Producer Graham Yost, Actors Mykelti Williamson and Jere Burns, and Producer Fred Golan.
• Outtakes (HD, 3:18): A short gag reel.
• Anatomy of a Stunt (HD, 9:23): Stunt Coordinator Ben Scott, Special Effects Supervisor Ryan Senecal, Stunt Double Andy Dylan, Director Bill Johnson, Stunt Double Brad Bovee, Stunt Double Ted Barba, Actor David Meunier, Actor Walter Goggins, and VFX Supervisor David Fogg walk viewers through the process of making one of the more explosive scenes from season three.
• In Conversation with Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins (HD, 26:28): The actors who play Raylan and Boyd sit down to dig through their experiences in Justified.
• Previews (HD): Additional Sony titles.

Justified: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Justified's third season doesn't quite live up to the excellence established by its predecessor, but the show continues to impress in every critical area. It's dramatically absorbing, takes full advantage of the quirks and charm of its setting, blends humor and violence with great character arcs, and introduces some players who make the show all the more appealing. Best of all, it's perhaps the best-acted show on television; new arrivals Neal McDonough and Mykelti Williamson are superb, while Timothy Olyphant continues to dazzle with his faultless execution of TV's most interesting lawman. Season three is just about everything fans could have wanted coming off an exceptional second season, and there's much to look forward to when season four premieres in less than a month. Sony's Blu-ray release of Justified: The Complete Third Season features top-tier video and audio. A very nice array of extra material is also included. Highly recommended.