MovieChat Forums > Justified (2010) Discussion > If you think about it

If you think about it


By the 2nd or 3rd season, Raylon Given had single-handedly destroyed so many intricate criminal endeavors and cost so many lives that, realistically, the criminal element would have just had him killed. Sure killing Givens would be easier said than done, but blowing up his PoS hotel room, bombing his car, or shooting him with a sniper rifle would have happened at some point. He basically hid behind his badge and personal fighting skills for the entire show. In short, if killing him up close and personal is too difficult, and time and again that was shown to be the case, then do it from afar and accept the risk of collateral damage.

And let's face it, as a deputy US Marshal, he was dirty as hell. Of course, I tuck through the show from start to finish so I found it very entertaining...

reply

It's been a while since I watched it but was he really dirty? I mean, for sure he played fast and loose with the law/rules but I don't recall him going full on Vic Mackey.

reply

In Season 6 Raylan and chief deputy Mullins barge into Wynn Duffy's hotel room. When he politely, if snarkily, asks them why they are there and with what authority Raylan immediately punches him in the gut and throws his head into his tanning booth, slams it down and turns it on until he answers their questions. I recall thinking: yep, Raylan officially has no respect for his job and the law.

reply

I mean, Duffy was not exactly legit...It's not like Raylan is shaking down innocents.

reply

I thought his character, while utterly implausible, was one of the most entertaining by far.

I see your point, but he assaulted him instantly and put his face in a tanning booth with no goggles, and turned on. That was doubtlessly horrible for his eyes. It was basically a shakedown with violence for information. Again, for the questionable and highly questionable things Raylan did, that was when (near the end of the series) I was like: whatever.

reply

Agreed, he was an excellent character. I forget what exactly went down between him and Raylan but I can picture Raylan losing his patience with him and just going full on zero tolerance hence the violence right of the bat.

As for the tanning bed, you'd probably be able to scrunch up your eyes to prevent too much UV from going through your eyelids. Plus, you'd probably be OK being exposed to such a quick duration.

reply

The exchange between these two, while Duffy is re-painting a room, is fantastic.

reply

I think I'm going to re-watch the entire series. It's been so long I've forgotten a lot so it will be kind of fresh I think.

reply

Yeah, "dirty" implies that he was taking bribes and participating in criminal enterprises. I haven't seen the whole show, but I don't recall Raylan ever being that guy. He coloured outside the lines, but he wasn't taking bribes or running drugs.

reply