Justified: City Primeval ended its 8-episode run on Aug. 29, but we have reason to believe the show isn't over just yet. The finale tied a neat bow on the Detroit storyline, then returned to Miami and Kentucky — bringing back some of the original Justified crew in spectacular fashion. These are not your run-of-the-mill cameos that fizzle out once the credits roll. Instead, Justified: City Primeval teed up a whole new showdown between Raylan Givens and a very familiar face. Whatever your feelings about the reboot, Justified: City Primeval provided proof-of-concept: Nearly a decade after the 2015 Justified series finale, the colorful characters of Raylan's hometown of Harlan are just as vibrant as ever. And that's no mistake. Here's what Timothy Olyphant and the showrunners have said about a Justified: City Primeval Season 2.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the Justified: City Primeval finale.
Originally billed as a limited series, we're pretty sure Justified: City Primeval is angling for another season. FX's official YouTube channel labeled the Aug. 29 finale as the "Season 1 Finale," not the Series Finale. What's more, showrunner Michael Dinner has said that the original Justified is only the "first act" of Raylan's life, with Justified: City Primeval marking the second. "I do think there's a third chapter, in success, if the audience comes to this," Dinner told The Hollywood Reporter in July. That's TV speak for we want another season, but don't want to put our feet in our mouths in case it doesn't happen.
"Tim is Raylan and Raylan is Tim, and there's an opportunity if someone wants us to do it again. I think that we can do it again. I think that Tim would want to do it. Dave [Andron, co-showrunner] and I would want to do it," Dinner said, adding: "The rest of the writers would also want to do it, so it'd be great to do another chapter."
For his part, Timothy Olyphant never put Raylan Givens to rest — not even after Justified's six-season run came to a satisfying conclusion in 2015. "I believe I'm on record as saying, before we wrapped the original show, that while I felt we should wrap the show, I reserve the right to come back later," Olyphant told Rolling Stone in June.
Also in June, Olyphant confirmed that he'd happily return for Justified: City Primeval Season 2 because, well, it's fun. "I'd show up. I had a good time. Every time we've done this I've had a good time," he told the audience at the ATX TV Festival, per Variety. There's precedent for Olyphant revisiting his characters. Before Justified: City Primeval, he reprised his role as Seth Bullock in Deadwood: The Movie, the film follow-up that premiered a full 15 years after Deadwood ended its 3-season run.
Fans of the Justified universe should also take heart in the prospect of another installment after watching that thrilling, nostalgic Justified: City Primeval finale. Walton Goggins reprised his Emmy-nominated role as Boyd Crowder (the Joker to Raylan's Batman) with characteristic zeal. Boyd's surprisingly meaty appearance (he escapes from the Tramble Penitentiary in Kentucky where Raylan left him in the Justified series finale) didn't feel like a fan service-ey epilogue. And the call Raylan got from the Lexington Marshals Office felt like a call-to-adventure. The episode, entitled "The Question," ends with the biggest question of all: Will Raylan return to the Marshals Service to ferry his nemesis back to Kentucky?
The finale also reintroduced Winona (Natalie Zea), Miami Chief Dan Grant (Matt Craven) and Deputy Sutter (David Koechner). Fans will also happily note that we witnessed Dan Grant's retirement party, not Art Mullen's (Nick Searcy). Is the Lexington Chief still kicking? Is that who called Raylan as soon as Boyd's escape was found out? What about Gutterson (Jacob Pitts) and Rachel (Erica Tazel)?
Someone thought to ring Raylan Givens. For now, that's hope enough that early retirement just isn't it for the man in the hat.
All episodes of Justified: City Primeval are available to stream Aug. 30 on Hulu.
