Steve Speidel

No superheroes. No villains. No stunts. No sex scenes. No crimes. No disasters. I loved it.

The story’s a little slack, the dialog flat, and generally relies on melodrama. Why’d I give it 4 stars? The cinematography is good in an understated way. The actors, who are mostly young and beautiful, or old and interesting, express more with their expressions than dialog, and it’s a rousing story: America beats the Nazis!

Compelling. The best thing on television. Intelligent writing and acting that brings the multi-dimensional characters to life. The complete absence of religion may be excused by the writers’ modernity, even though moral choice drives the story arc, and verisimilitude demands at least some of the characters go to church to consult their God. Nature takes the place of God here, and drives the Nietzschean kill or be killed ethos. Though both male and female characters are strong and well-drawn, ultimately this is a show about fatherhood, good and bad, and our need for it. No team of writers and directors have tackled fatherhood nor treated fathers with respect since the 50s. But don’t get me wrong: these ethically ambiguous men are a far cry from those two dimensional beings. Anyway, my favorite scenes are of real life cowboy riding stunts. That and the far more dangerous, feral, ever-fascinating Beth Dutton.

If, as many say, we’re living in the golden age of television, then “Justified” is one of the era’s crown jewels. A great story needs great writing, and every line, every character’s actions further the story in a credible way. And the acting and directing are superb. My wife and I binge-watched all six seasons and we’re sad the party’s over. Really, one of the best shows ever on television.