My sister in-law got really into it so it doesn’t strictly appeal to men.
For me, I found the show really got good when it moved away from episodic episodes and embraced the serial format. (Part way into season one if I remember correctly.)
Yeah, makes sense. I’m gonna try again at some point, to be sure. My next goal is to get her into Alien Nation. ;)
I binged all six seasons and I gotta say, this was solid.
Good writing (Elmore Leonard?), outstanding casting (even the smaller parts were played by amazing character actors, and I can almost forgive Patton Oswalt’s terribad Deputy Dawg impression which grew on me over time), and a great story progression that had season level payoffs as well as a larger narrative multi-season arc with a satisfying conclusion.
It’s also legitimately funny, and I love the way the show takes its time with jokes, letting them hang there in midair for episodes or even a whole season before bringing it home with a slam dunk… Wynn Duffie and Mike come to mind, as well as the travails of Dewey Crowe. You grow to know these characters, and when some of them meet violent ends, it’s even more shocking.
I can recommend, particularly if you watch the first few episodes and it hooks you, worth continuing.
I’m still waiting for a Wynn Duffie spinoff.
I’d pay good money for that.
Burn Notice kind of is that.
But without Patton Oswalt, we wouldn’t have had, “People underestimate Constable Bob at their own peril.”
Well, I guess we could have had the same line from Raylon with another actor as Constable Bob, but I’ll live with it.
You are so right - it has been a long time since I watched it, and I had not thought about Wynn Duffie and Mikey for a while. That is the perfect example of having an outcome that was not formulaic or contrived, but also somehow felt like a good, natural resolution for the characters.
The only thing that slightly bums me out about the show is that I love Raylon so much, I make the mistake of wanting the actor to be super awesome in real life, but I understand that Timothy Olyphant is actually a raging asshole. (And not the “asshole with a heart of gold” kind like Raylon.)
Where’s this from? I can’t say I’ve ever heard anything like that about him so I’m curious what I missed.
I know it is unfair, but it’s not a single source or article, just my memory from several blogs, forums, people’s personal interactions they’ve recounted, etc. that I’ve read over time.
In fairness and full disclosure, it is the literally definition of “anecdotal evidence.” It might be completely bullshit, but I’ve read enough to have a guess there’s probably some truth to it.
If I recall correctly, he’s also a Vanderbilt fortune heir, so maybe it’s just me assuming he’s a haughty asshole. :)
He could very well be an a-hole, just haven’t heard the same things about him like you do about a guy like Adam Baldwin, etc! Also, down with heirs!
Huh. I find Raylon to be something of a raging asshole, personally. Still love the show.
But he’s a raging asshole who kills bad people and (more or less) tries to protect others. Not a narcissistic raging asshole actor who’s full of himself. There’s a difference. :)
I mean, I see Olyphant on lots of shows he has been on because his friends asked him to be, and he gets a lot of interview gigs near as I can tell which wouldn’t probably be the case if he was considered kind of a dick. I have also never heard anything like it, not that I would know or anything, but with people like Bruce Willis and Adam Baldwin you actually read and hear stories, not the case here at all as far as I’ve ever seen/read.
Raylan is kind of an asshole, because he’s just. So. Angry. And it’s great because that anger permeates EVERYTHING HE DOES.
Or, as Tim puts it, “He goes all Raylan on 'em.” (I love that so much.)
But every interview I’ve seen with Olyphant has been quite pleasant.
Man do I miss this show and Hell on Wheels. :(
Yeah, Raylan being an asshole is kind of one of the central themes of the narrative. He’s an engaging asshole, and he’s extremely entertaining to watch, but there are good reasons not to do things the Raylan way.
SO MANY GOOD REASONS.
But that wouldn’t make for an entertaining show.
Though that whole drama with his ex-wife, I could’ve totally done without. Weakest part of the entire show.
And basically invented for the show. Raylan does have an ex-wife in the novels (and kids) but they never once appear in the actual action and he doesn’t seem to have any desire to get back with her or describe her flatteringly.
I’ve not read the books (should I?), but I can imagine much was invented for the show.
Elmore Leonard was one of the greats, so yes. But yeah, not a ton of overlap. I think the show really managed to keep the feel of his work though, presumably at least in part because they were consulting with him up until his death.