Justified: City Primeval will continue the story of Harlan County lawman Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant), answering some lingering questions from the original series finale. Although City Primeval relocates Raylan to the industrial city of Detroit, it’s been promised that the revival will update the story of some fan-favorite Justified characters. So far, only Raylan Givens and his daughter Willa (Vivian Olyphant) are confirmed to return, but it’s hoped that more familiar faces will reappear during the miniseries.
As the Detroit mob had interests in Harlan County during Justified, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if some associates of imprisoned mobster Theo Tonin (Adam Arkin) make their presence felt. The teaser, and Elmore Leonard’s original novel, both suggest that Raylan could be operating outside the law in his pursuit of hardened criminal Clement Mansell (Boyd Holbrook). In doing so, the US Marshall could call on a few favors from both sides of the law, answering these lingering questions from Justified‘s acclaimed 2015 finale.
10 Is Justified Season 3’s Robert Quarles Still Alive?
Speaking to Uproxx about the Justified finale in 2015, showrunner Graham Yost stated a desire to bring back Neal McDonough’s memorable villain, Robert Quarles. Quarles was last seen bleeding out after having his arm removed by Ellstin Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson), but his fate was never confirmed. A lieutenant for the Detroit-based Tonin crime family, Robert Quarles’ return in Justified: City Primeval would be the easiest one to realize. He has unfinished business with Raylan, so the Detroit gangster could find himself drawn into the battle of wills between Givens and Mansell.
9 Is Ellstin Limehouse Running Harlan County Now?
Of all the criminals in Justified, Ellstin Limehouse is one of the few who ended the show alive, and free from jail. Limehouse oversaw and protected the Noble’s Holler community, sheltering domestic abuse survivors, and receiving investments from various Harlan County criminals. In exchange for their investment, Limehouse would ask for information on everything that was happening in Harlan County. It’s easy to see how the information he received over the years would allow Limehouse to run Harlan County’s underworld without ever leaving Noble’s Holler. As Raylan swaps Harlan for Detroit, it’s likely that any updates on Ellstin Limehouse in Justified: City Primeval will purely be anecdotal.
8 Is Ava Crowder Still “Dead” After The Justified Finale?
In the Justified finale, Ava Crowder (Joelle Carter) fled Harlan County with $9 million, a fake ID, and Raylan Givens’ car. Four years later, Raylan tracked her down and agreed to protect Ava and her son Zachariah from being discovered by her vengeful fiancé. Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) was led to believe by Raylan that Ava was killed in a car crash while fleeing arrest. Over a decade later, it will be interesting to find out if Ava and Zachariah were able to continue living under their new identities, or if someone with a grudge or connection to Boyd realized exactly who they were.
7 Is Jere Burns’ Wynn Duffy Still Living In Fiji?
Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns) is one of the most beloved of Justified‘s colorful characters and top of the wish list for a City Primeval return. It was Duffy who helped Ava escape Harlan County for her new life, and in the finale, Raylan suggested that the criminal had fled to Fiji. 15 years after he fled the country, the heat may have died down for Wynn Duffy. If it has, he may be lured back to the US, and Detroit by his former associate Robert Quarles and the Detroit mob.
6 What Happened To Kaitlyn Dever’s Loretta After The Justified Finale?
After a failed attempt to flee Kentucky with $9 million left her boyfriend dead, it’s unclear exactly what happened to teenage tearaway Loretta McCready (Kaitlyn Dever) after Justified ended. Loretta was last seen saving Raylan’s life in the Justified finale, returning the favor for all the times he came to the teenager’s aid. Justified: City Primeval will focus on the relationship between Raylan and his teenage daughter, so it makes sense for his paternal relationship with Loretta, and her current whereabouts to at least be referenced in the miniseries.
5 Will Natalie Zea’s Winona Appear In Justified: City Primeval?
As Willa Givens is one of the lead characters, her mother Winona Hawkins (Natalie Zea) is guaranteed to factor into Justified: City Primeval in some form or other. Raylan’s relationship with his ex-wife was rocky, and despite several romantic reunions, the final scene of the Justified finale made it clear that things didn’t work out. As the mother of Raylan’s child, Winona is bound to have something to say about how Raylan’s quest to bring Clement Mansell to justice impacts Willa. Hopefully, this will allow for the fiery back-and-forth banter that defined Raylan and Winona’s relationship across Justified‘s six seasons.
4 Did Art Mullen Finally Enjoy His Retirement?
Raylan Givens’ long-suffering boss, Chief Deputy Art Mullen (Nick Searcy) was eagerly eyeing his retirement in Justified season 6. 15 years later, Raylan Givens will be facing mandatory retirement himself, which could inspire him to reach out to Art. Hopefully, Art will have enjoyed the relative peace of his retirement, without having to get Raylan out of whichever scrape he’d found himself in. Or perhaps Art missed the thrill of catching bad guys, inspiring Raylan to bring Clement Mansell to justice as one last hurrah before retiring.
3 Did Boyd Crowder’s Son Avoid A Life Of Crime?
In telling Boyd that Ava was dead, and preventing him from meeting his son, Raylan broke the cycle of Crowder men becoming violent criminals. However, the fact that young Zachariah Crowder buttoned his shirt up like his father felt like some troubling foreshadowing. As Justified: City Primeval is the story of Raylan’s relationship with his daughter, an update on Boyd’s son could provide a fascinating contrast between both parental relationships.
2 Will Justified: City Primeval Reveal Boyd Crowder’s Whereabouts (Or Will He Appear)?
Boyd Crowder was last seen locked up in jail, where he reverted to his past life as a prison preacher. It’s likely that, with his extensive list of crimes, Boyd Crowder is still in prison by the time of Justified: City Primeval. However, Boyd was always a slippery character, so extensive jail time isn’t an ironclad guarantee. It’s likely that City Primeval will at least provide some updates on Boyd’s whereabouts over the course of the series. As Raylan faces up to an unpredictable and violent criminal, he may find himself pining for a more distinguished and discerning nemesis like Boyd Crowder.
Realistically, Walton Goggins’ commitments to The Righteous Gemstones and Fallout suggest that he may not have been available to make a substantial return as Boyd. However, if City Primeval is successful, there’s always the possibility of more seasons of Justified. The miniseries’ showrunners may be mindful of this and could seed the eventual return of Boyd Crowder throughout City Primeval, preparing one final showdown between Walton Goggins and Timothy Olyphant.
1 Did Raylan Givens’ Biggest Finale Change Last?
The trailer for Justified: City Primeval reveals that Raylan is back in the 10-gallon hat, after flirting with a fedora in the finale. It’s a subtle suggestion that the big change Raylan underwent in Justified‘s finale has been abandoned by the old-fashioned lawman. Although viewers expected the show to end in a bloody final showdown between Raylan and Boyd, the US Marshal refused to draw his gun, ensuring that Crowder would go to jail instead. It showed that Raylan had finally Art’s guidance about putting the badge before the gun to heart, becoming a better lawman as a result.
15 years later, City Primeval‘s promotion suggests that Raylan’s gone back to his old ways. It’s likely that Raylan has been observing a more by-the-book approach to the law in the years leading up to Justified: City Primeval. However, the failure of the legal system to punish Clement Mansell may force Raylan to don the Stetson once again and dole out some old-fashioned justice. Whatever happens, it will be exciting to see how Raylan Givens’ old-school approach to justice plays out in the 2020s.
