Short Attention Span Review - Lonesome Dove (1989)

Short Attention Span Review - Lonesome Dove (1989)

There's a reason so many people make such a fuss about Lonesome Dove, a sprawling epic from 1989 that still holds a lot of appeal for those who enjoy a good western.  It is a quality adaptation of a powerful story, and it features two stars enjoying robust parts perfectly tailored to their strengths.  I'm not sure that either Robert Duvall or Tommy Lee Jones were ever given as much to do with a role, and even though this is a mini-series, that's still a bold statement given their legendary careers.  This is a different animal, though, a work of considerable depth that is ripe with triumph and tragedy, laughter and heartache, excitement and drama--Lonesome Dove offers up all these things and so much more.  It is an ensemble piece, and other players like Danny Glover, Diane Lane, and Robert Urich, among others, have quite an impact on the proceedings.  But it is Duvall and Jones who are front and center throughout, and each man does a splendid job of bringing his character to life, aided by a Grade A script and equally compelling direction.  Gritty, warm, cold as ice, riveting, unbelievably sad, and truly inspiring, this tale leaves no stone unturned and hits the mark at every turn.  It is a grand western with a great many things to say, and it is sure to move anyone and everyone who joins a pair of rugged former Texas Rangers on an unforgettable cattle drive.  Lonesome Dove is a must-watch for those who enjoy the genre, and I have no qualms endorsing it for those who don't typically appreciate such fare.  Like I noted earlier, Lonesome Dove is a different animal, certain to reward viewers for years to come, and I heartily recommend it to those who enjoy my blog.

Final Grade: A+

Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones are simply magnificent in this epic miniseries from 1989.  Nope, they don't make them like they used to.

Short Attention Span Review - Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

Short Attention Span Review - Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

It is hard to look back at this one without acknowledging the tragedy that occurred during the making of the film, with Vic Morrow and two child actors perishing in a helicopter accident that also injured at least half a dozen others.  In addition to the heartbreaking toll, there were allegations of negligence, lengthy legal battles, and settlements, all of which only underscores how much this sad occurrence impacted the industry as a whole, much less the movie in question.  Still, I want to rate this one based on its merits, and while it is decidedly a mixed bag, it is a nice homage to the classic television show that has such an incredible legacy in the realm of science fiction.  There are four tales and a wraparound to consider, with the wraparound and the first story coming from John Landis.  The wraparound is one of my favorite things about the picture, and the first story is maybe the most powerful given the potent subject matter--and, unfortunately, it also carries a bit more weight because it is the segment wherein tragedy struck during the making of Twilight Zone: The Movie.  The second entry comes from none other than the mighty Spielberg, but I feel that it is the least striking.  The director goes heavy on whimsy and melancholy and he surely engineers a touching piece.  Hey, I love a nice feel-good moment as much as anyone, but it just doesn't fit with the vibe of the series as a whole (it is more in the Amazing Stories vein, which makes sense, I guess), and it is definitely at odds with the tone of this movie.  The third tale is a serious powerhouse from Joe Dante, and it is absolutely incredible, though George Miller somehow raised the bar with the final segment.  It is his "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" that the picture is best known for, and that piece hasn't lost any of its considerable momentum and tension.  It is a true masterpiece within the anthology format, and it should forever ensure this film of a legacy of its own in spite of its troubled history.  As a whole, Twilight Zone: The Movie is a gripping odyssey that is worthy of its title, and it offers viewers four unique journeys into a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind.

Final Grade: B-

None of the stories are bad, and three of the four are certainly worthwhile.  There can be little doubt, however, that the fourth and final entry in this anthology soars above the others.

Short Attention Span Review - Salem's Lot (1979)

While the decision to go with a Nosferatu type vampire is a wild departure from Stephen King's novel, the 1979 television adaptation of Salem's Lot still succeeds in bringing that terrifying book to life.  There are other differences and this miniseries is surely vastly inferior to the vampire-filled pageturner that I rank as King's best, but it still has a lot going for it.  David Soul doesn't look anything like the main character that King described, a haunted writer named Ben Mears, but he excels in the role.  I think his presence is perhaps the most impressive thing about this adaptation, though the ghastly Marsten House is also beautifully realized.  The effects are solid throughout and the score is sheer perfection.  Soul is surrounded by worthy performers like James Mason, Bonnie Bedelia, Elisha Cook Jr., George Dzundza, and Geoffrey Lewis, among others.  In addition to putting together a nifty cast, this production also nailed the quaint setting of Jerusalem's Lot, a neat little town that is drained of all life by the horrors that lurk in this imaginative shocker.  When King wrote the book, he set out to bring Dracula to Maine, and that premise works as well on the screen as it did on the page.  The 2004 remake starring Rob Lowe was downright dreadful, but I'm a big fan of this 1979 spookshow from the mind of the most demented author of our time.  As with any of King's adaptations (and adaptations in general), the book is better, but Tobe Hooper's take on Salem's Lot is cool, creepy, and lots of fun.

Final Grade: B

Though he looks nothing like the character that Stephen King described, David
Soul's work as Ben Mears is the biggest strength of this TV mini-series from 1979.

Don't Blame Vince for True Detective's Woes

Full Disclosure: I'm a big Vince Vaughn fan.  I believe he has serious chops in addition to his obvious gift for comedy.  I thought he was really good in both The Cell and Return to Paradise and I definitely have a lot of love for Clay Pigeons.  When it comes to the comedy, I probably dig this dude more than anyone else in the laugh business these days, but that's another story.  All of this brings me to the second season of True Detective on HBO, which has been a moderately entertaining disappointment thus far--and we're skating downhill at this point.  Now, I saw this coming, so I'm not as distraught as some of the show's biggest critics.  Did anyone really think there was anything they could do to top last year's kooky Bayou blitz?  I sure as hell didn't.  That plot was golden and we got Woody Harrelson at his steady best getting absolutely blown away by Matthew McConaughey as he hit new levels of creepy cool.  There was no way that Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, and Taylor Kitsch were going to match that shit.  Now, Farrell has been awesome as a slimy cop on the take, McAdams has excelled with her sex-obsessed hothead detective, and Kitsch isn't necessarily mucking things up as a gay homophobe with a death wish (if you don't like my description of the character, please give me a better one).  Yet at their very best, none of these cats stood a chance of going toe to toe with Mad McConaughey. 

Anyway, the show hasn't lived up to expectations and I've read a lot of bad press regarding Vince Vaughn as the heavy.  Some seem to think that he is largely to blame for the fact that this season is a far cry from the glory of that marvelous first season, one of the best seasons of television ever produced.  Look, whatever shortcomings the show has, it isn't on Vince.  Some of his dialogue has been a bit overwrought (his basement monologue was certainly uneven in spots), but I think he's killing it.  There's definitely a The Long Good Friday vibe to his mobster who wanted to go legit only to get forced back into the game in a big way, but the role remains fresh and I think his arc is the best thing about this season of True Detective.  I like the cops, but I would watch this show if it was strictly centered on Vaughn's character.  Frank Semyon is a manipulative bastard who is fully capable of getting his hands dirty, but he's mostly successful at masking his destructive prowess, and at his best he is actually a warm and charismatic human being.  As his best laid plans continue to unravel, I find myself rooting for the guy even though he deserves exactly what's coming to him. 

In closing, the second season of True Detective isn't as good as the first one.  It isn't really all that close, but shame on those who thought that wouldn't be the case.  Regardless, it's a solid show and the talent is delivering the goods, particularly Vince Vaughn, who is stealing the show in a rare non-comedic role.  Dude is money.  That's my take, anyway.  Let me know if you disagree.

Short Attention Span Review: The Equalizer (2014)

Disclaimer: I'm a sucker for a good slow boil.  I point that out because while I really enjoyed this one, I think anyone looking for something like Taken or John Wick will be put off by the way that The Equalizer simmers a bit before the bullets (and nails) start flying.  Heck, once we are treated to our first major action scene, the film slows down again, and that pattern repeats itself throughout the picture.  This is no mindless action flick.  The plot is important and the quiet moments are just as crucial to the picture as all of the bloodletting.  Denzel excels in the lead role, but that didn't need to be stated--he is Denzel, after all.  Honestly, I would love to see this become a franchise, but we'll have to wait and see.  I think most viewers are going to be hoping for something a little less thoughtful and lot more frenzied.  The Equalizer is a deliberate action film with a wealth of character development and an attention to detail that many modern films lack.  I thought it was very entertaining and I'm going to recommend it to anyone who likes a few good thrills spread throughout an involving piece where the characters and the story are just as important as the body count.

Final Grade: B+

Whatever Happened to David Banner?

In this day and age, seeing comic book characters come to life in movies or television shows has become rather old hat.  It’s probably difficult for the youth of today to understand that for those of us who were children of the 80s it was rare to see one of our heroes from the funny books taking part in a film or a television broadcast aside from the cartoons we so treasured.  Yes, there were reruns of Adam West’s Batman, an absurd chapter in that character’s legacy that I still treasure, and sometimes Spider-Man made a guest appearance on The Electric Company, but what else was there?  I would like to forget Reb Brown’s Captain America, but that lame take on the character seemed like a masterpiece in comparison to Nicholas Hammond’s Spider-Man.  Both of those efforts aired sporadically, so sporadically in fact that many of my peers thought I was lying about the existence of both ill-advised ventures.  For the purpose of this argument I’m giving Wonder Woman a pass because Lynda Carter was nice to look at no matter how bad that show was, and I don’t know if you could make a good program with invisible planes and lassos of truth with modern effects.  For the most part, in the late 70s and early 80s the industry simply wasn’t prepared to utilize comic book characters in entertaining and competent presentations.

  That changed with Kenneth Johnson’s development of The Incredible Hulk for CBS in 1977.  Like many, I would race to the television set when I heard that show’s opening theme throughout its five season run, and I would watch every episode from start to finish even if I had already seen it ten times.  Like many, I was continually surprised that the makers of this smash hit were able to interest me in David Banner (Johnson didn’t like the fact that Stan Lee liked characters whose first and last names begin with the same letter) and his unique exploits to such an extent that it didn’t matter if the Hulk only showed up for a few minutes at a time to toss stuntman around and roar and flex in slow-motion.  It also didn’t matter that the show utilized Lou Ferrigno sprinkled with green dust and sporting a lousy wig as the Hulk, because as primitive as that approach may have been, the end result was rather admirable.

I tuned in week in and week out to watch David’s woeful journey through a television landscape that could best be described as TV America, a land populated by engaging characters in quaint little communities where it was never hard for David to find work or conflict.  Each new town presented our hero with another nice job and several honest people to call friends, and each time he grew comfortable just in time for all hell to break loose, forcing him to become the Hulk and save the day. 

This endless cycle always led to the arrival of David’s nemesis, tabloid journalist Jack McGee, expertly played by Jack Colvin, who would show up, snoop around, and force our lonesome hero to move on after sacrificing his brief stint of peace for the good of those who showed him kindness.  It was heartbreaking even without that sad music, and if you liked the show even half as much as I did, you can probably hear it playing right now.  It’s the sound of leaving, the sound of turning your back on what you want because you know it’s the right thing to do.  It’s the sound of nobility giving way to tragedy.

Yes, I own the box set with every episode of this landmark series.  Yes, I still watch it and enjoy it, and my children like it almost as much as I do, so it still has some resonance even in this day and age.  Since I love the show so much, it’s no wonder I found myself thinking about David Banner earlier today.  In fact, I found myself wondering what exactly happened to that hero from my youth, the one legitimate success that emerged from the efforts to televise the exploits of a superhero for comic fans of a bygone era.  David was a good guy, a hell of a man really, and the fact that he was played by a thespian like Bill Bixby never hurt matters.  It was easy to like Bill, and he made it even easier to know and love David Banner.  With that in mind, here are a few things I hope he found along the way:

A good woman.  The guy definitely deserved it.  I know he encountered several good women along the way, but I’m hoping he met one he was able to stay with at some point, and if not, I’m hoping he met one who was able to come along for the journey.  I know this would be dangerous in some ways, but if I was traveling with David I would have been more worried about the shit he gets into than that green-skinned goliath that he transforms into when he’s angry.  Though that behemoth will roar and toss bad guys around with the very best of them, he never hurt anyone who doesn’t deserve it.  I’ve seen this version of the Hulk handle baby birds without incident, for Christ’s sake.

A good job that wasn’t at the center of some sinsister scheme.  Let’s face it, David was the kind of employee every boss dreams about.  He was willing to take on entry level work or dive head-first into mammoth projects, and he had to have the best resume of all time.  Imagine all the prestigious institutes and projects listed among his job credits, and then think about all the menial labor and customer service gigs you would have found there as well.  This guy was a genius with humility who came cheap, and he showed time and time again that if something bad happened at his workplace he would not hesitate to save the day.  Who wouldn’t hire a guy like that?  However, I should point out that if he was required to save the day at some point, well, then it would probably be time to rebuild once the dust settled.  And the company would have to replace David, who probably wasn’t all that big on two-week notices.  Regardless, the guy deserved a nice job. 

A cure.  He worked hard enough for it, and every time his results ended in failure if they weren’t destroyed while he was in the process of saving the day.  Plus, he was kind of obsessed about it.  Edward Norton was content to do crazy breathing exercises so that he could control his anger, but Bixby needed closure.  The television version of the character needed a cure to put the chaos and strife behind him so that he could settle down and lead a normal life.  I hope he figured it out at some point. 

Though this is the third item on my list, it would probably be helpful if David got his cure before he met the good woman and found the good job that wasn’t at the center of some sinister scheme.  Maybe the guy got on a roll at some point and the hits never stopped coming.  Again, he deserved it.

A story in the news about Jack McGee suffering a terrible fate.  David probably wouldn’t have wished for this, but fans of the show understand my feelings here.  This guy made us hate the paparazzi before the paparazzi even existed.  Seriously, how the hell did the bad guy on a television show become a poster child for the media as it exists today?  Jack McGee introduced us to sensationalism and invasive reporting without conscience, and I have a hard time sleeping thinking that he might still be dogging David on his trek across TV America.  Oh, and I don’t like to think David reading about Jack McGee dying in his sleep because of smoke inhalation either, I’m hoping that the bastard got it worse than that.  Like maybe he was doing a story on bees and he got stung to death by thousands of angry hornets, or maybe he was doing an expose on the wrong pawn shop and someone decided it was time to get the gimp.  I’m sorry if this seems harsh, but trust me: he deserved it. 

A ride.  Walking is good for you, and I understand this, but that dude’s feet were definitely in need of a break.  He was walking along the side of the road for far too long.  I get the feeling he wouldn’t have cared if it was a showpiece or not so long as it got him from point A to point B, but I hope he had a nice stereo.  God knows he should have had something better to listen to whenever he was leaving town.

That haunting melody is almost enough to make a grown man cry.

Salem/Under the Dome

I love Salem.  If you're a fan of horror and you aren't watching it, you're missing out.  It's kinky, it's dark, it's gruesome, it boasts a fantastic cast, and the soundtrack is equally impressive.  I really don't want to say much about the plot.  It's about witches, of course, but it's really fresh and exciting.  I think this is definitely one of those cases where the less you know going in, the more you're going to enjoy yourself.  The show's creators may have felt the same way; the previews were intriguing but didn't really give a lot away, and I've been surprised and delighted by the program from the very beginning. 

Bonus points: In addition to stealing the show as Cotton Mather, Seth Gabel has a killer beard.  I've never seen this dude in anything before, and while the show is brimming with quality performances, he's been a bit of a revelation.  He's good, really, really good.

Under the Dome is a different story.  I really enjoyed the way the first season started.  This is when the series was being a bit more faithful to the book, but King intrigued me with all his talk about taking the show in a different direction and presenting a different conclusion.  Early in the second season, I think it's become obvious that this approach was a dreadful mistake.  Hey, if you like it, you're free to watch it, but I think a very promising series has devolved into garbage.  I don't think I'm going to keep watching it; Season 2 has been downright painful.  Whereas the book (a top-notch affair with a somewhat lackluster ending) focused on the people and the human conflict playing out under the dome to great effect, the show has become more of a mediocre CGI and bizarre plot twist showcase.

It's depressing, particularly when you look at the cast and think about what could have been.  The talent is still working hard to make it work, but plot holes, massive gaps in logic, and poor effects have ruined a program I was really enjoying early on. 

Anyway, if you're not watching Salem, join the party--it's a wicked good time.  And if you're still sailing with Under the Dome, well, may God have mercy on your soul.

Justified Keeps Getting Better and Better

Man, I love Justified.  For those of you who know me well, this is old news.  For those of you who don't, it's probably hard to grasp.  I'm not really a big TV guy unless it's football season, and then I'm mostly there for the NFL.  On average, I follow maybe 2 or 3 shows, and there have been numerous points in my life when I didn't follow any.  I love movies and I read like it's something I'm paid to do, but television has always been the red-headed stepchild of my entertainment family.

And then there's Justified.  I'm a big Elmore Leonard fan, I love Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins, and this show has thrilled me from the very start.  Picking my favorite season would be like trying to pick a favorite child.  In some way, shape, or form, each one is my favorite, and thus far the fifth season has been no different.

As we head toward next week's finale, I've never been more excited to see what comes next.  Justified has mastered the art of wrapping each season around one big story and telling a multitude of little stories along the way.  The way the characters and their relationships have evolved and the way the show has managed to add great talent to the mix each and every year is nothing short of remarkable.  I think the series is positively golden, and I can't recommend it enough.

Much of this is old news, I've praised the show frequently before on a number of platforms, and this isn't the first time I worked to spread the Harlan Gospel with my blog.  I just want to make sure everyone understands that this love story is really no different from my marriage to the most wonderful woman on the planet; I'm still head over heels in love, I'm still being surprised and thrilled every step of the way, and I'm always eager to tell someone about my joy. 

Justified, where the good guys aren't all good, the bad guys aren't all bad, the outcome is never predictable, and the dialogue is impeccable.  I firmly believe this is the best show ever, and I can't wait for next week's season finale.  Forgive me, however, if I'm trying really hard not to dwell on the fact that the next season will be the last season.

The Walking Dead: Season 4, Episode 2 (Infected)

WARNING: This is as much of a RECAP as it is a REVIEW, so here there be SPOILERS!  You have been warned.

I've been very hard on The Walking Dead at times, but only because I thought the show was truly top-notch during the first two seasons and I positively treasure the source material.  Season 3 was lackluster, and the Season 4 premiere was good but not great.  With that in mind, I'm glad I get to rave about it again, because I thought this week's episode was a fantastic outing that really boosted my expectations for Season 4.  There was suspense, terror, action, and drama, and most importantly, Rick started acting like Rick again.  Praise Jesus!  I know the dude has been through a lot, but he is the centerpiece of the program, and the show faltered when he lost his way.

Early on, we learn that someone is feeding the zombies surrounding the prison rats, and that's definitely not cool.  We get a tender moment with Tyreese and his girl.  Tyreese serenades her with Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" but that isn't good enough to get her to spend the night with him.  She departs, unknowingly leading zombie Patrick (the kid who died in the shower at the end of the premiere last week) back to her cell block.  We think he's going to make a meal out of her, but he hears a sound and eats this dude in a nearby cell instead.  This was gory, and gory is good. 

Early the next morning, Michonne is getting ready to go out again and Rick and Carl are getting ready to do some farming.  Carl wants his gun back, Rick changes the subject.  Then we hear gunshots and the shit really hits the fan.  Michonne turns back and has some difficulty getting back in the prison.  She winds up twisting her ankle, but Carl snags a rifle and he and Maggie come to the rescue. 

Meanwhile, it's an ugly scene in the prison.  Rick and Daryl lead the charge, taking down walkers and trying to herd survivors to safety.  There's a tough scene with Carol and this dude with two young daughters who was bitten during the attack.  He asks Carol to take care of his daughters and she agrees.  The oldest of the two girls says they should be the ones to finish their father off after he passes, but she can't do it so Carol scrambles dude's brains with a knife.  That's motherhood in the land of The Walking Dead.  There's another tough scene where Rick and Daryl go around finishing off anyone who is set to turn.  It's not an easy job, but someone has to do it.

Rick, Daryl, Hershel, Bob, and some new doc discuss what's going on and decide that everyone who was in the cell block needs to be quarantined.  After examining Patrick's corpse, they believe they're dealing with a deadly flu strain and they don't want it to spread.  Tyrees'es girl is coughing, which worries the team.  They advise her to go with the others who are being quarantined (on death row, no less) and she mentions that David has been coughing too.  So they both get to be quarantined.  Tough times at the prison.  Carol and the girls have a little chat by the fence, with Carol basically telling the older daughter she has to toughen up or she's not going to make it.  The older girl doesn't seem too receptive, mostly because she's upset that a walker named "Nick" has been killed.  She says he was "special" and we have to wonder if she was the one who was feeding the walkers.  Maybe she's just batshit crazy.  Time will tell.

Shortly thereafter, Rick is digging a grave when Daryl thanks him for helping out.  Rick says he wasn't that helpful without his gun.  Daryl disagrees.  "When the shit hits, you're standing there with the shovel," he says.  That's when Maggie hits the scene, screaming that the walkers are taking down the fence.  Sure enough, a growing cluster of walkers is threatening to bring the fence down.  Sasha spies a pile of rats on the ground and realizes that someone has been feeding the walkers at this spot, but there's little time to dwell on that.  The fence is coming down.  Rick tells Daryl to go get the truck.

Back in the prison, there's a tender scene with Beth and Michonne.  Beth asks Michonne to hold baby Judith, and Michonne says "No!" in a sharp tone, yet she relents and takes the crying baby.  She begins to cry too, and though it's never stated, we sense that Michonne was once a mother.

Back at the fence, Rick and Daryl come up behind the cluster of walkers in the truck.  Rick has all the piglets from his little farm.  He takes one, slices it open, and tosses it to the ground.  Walkers converge on the fallen pig.  They repeat this a couple of times, and here's another tough job for Rick and Daryl.  Andrew Lincoln was off the charts in this scene.  While Rick and Daryl draw the walkers away, Glenn and Sasha use beams to reinforce the fence.

We get a scene with Carol and Carl, where she asks him again not to tell his dad about the knife-fighting lessons she's giving the kids during story time.  We get a scene with Carol and the girls she has taken under her wing, Lizzie and Mika.  Carol tells Lizzie, the older of the two, that she's not upset about this walker named Nick, she's really upset about her father.  Carol puts a flower in Lizzie's hair and gives the girl a knife for protection.  This was kind of creepy.  That girl doesn't need a knife, she needs help.  Maybe she'll get it now that Carol is going to be taking care of her, but I've got a bad feeling about that girl.

Carl tells his dad about Carol's knife-fighting class, but encourages his dad not to tell the parents or prevent Carol from continuing with the lessons.  Rick agrees and gives Carl his gun back.  He also puts his gun back on, and that's when we really start to believe that Rick's back.  I guess he needed his little break--it was well-deserved, but it lasted too long and the show really lost some serious momentum as Rick grappled with his situation.  The group needs a leader and the show needs a stronger Rick at the forefront, so this is good news all around.

Tyreese is going to visit his girl in quarantine, but all he finds is a trail of blood.  He follows it outside and finds the remains of both his girl and David.  They have been burnt to death.  Zombies don't kill people like that, so we've got more trouble at the prison.  That's how the episode ends, and as you can tell, a lot transpired in Infected.

It was a strong episode, and it differently raises a number of interesting questions.  It also seems to place Rick back in the driver's seat where he belongs, and that prison is starting to feel more and more like a deathtrap.  For the first time in a while, I'm really excited to see where all of this going.  Maybe I'm overselling, but when you consider the horror and action that we saw in this episode, as well as the drama and character development, I think the end result was a really good episode that generated a lot of intrigue.  The season premiere was pretty good, the second episode was really good, and I'm eager to see what next week's show will bring. 

Under the Dome (Quick Take)

I haven't blogged about this yet, but I'm really digging the Under the Dome series airing this summer on CBS.  I was a big fan of the book, so I was excited to hear that the project was being adapted for television.  Additionally, I'm enjoying the way that the show is using the source material as a guide and not a bible--much like AMC's The Walking Dead .  Much of what I read about in the book is represented, yet there are enough critical differences to give it a different trajectory.  Essentially, this means that even though I've read the book, I'm not really sure what's going to happen next at any point on the show.  I know that many King fans are greatly displeased about this, but I think it allows everyone to be surprised anew as the tale unfolds.

I wonder what the next book or comic to take a similar approach will be?

Anyway, if you're a fan of drama or suspense, or if you enjoy stories where people dealing with dire circumstances realize that their peers pose the greatest threat to them, you should be watching Under the Dome too.

Could this be the best season of Justified yet?

Last night, FX gave us another thrilling episode of Justified, and I think this fourth season has been a joy to watch thus far.  Is it possible that we're watching the best season yet of perhaps the finest show on television?

There are a number of things that make Justified special.  The show's ability to tap into Elmore Leonard's world and deliver the riveting characters, the thrilling plots, and all the action and humor that make Leonard the foremost crime writer on the planet are a major asset to the program.  Star Timothy Olyphant was made for the role of Raylan Givens, and Walton Goggins is also a perfect match for his part, that of Raylan's old pal/nemesis Boyd Crowder.  Crowder was originally slated to perish in the series premiere (the character did meet his end in Leonard's short story "Fire in the Hole", which served as both the inspiration and the pilot for the series) and the decision to keep him around has paid dividends for FX.  The way these characters relate to one another and the situations the show puts them in have cemented Justified as top-tier entertainment, but there's more to it than that.

The setting is critical, the supporting cast is outstanding, and the various guest stars (many of whom starred alongside Olyphant in HBO's supreme western series, Deadwood) always bring a lot to the equation.  The show has the look of a feature film, the soundtrack is on point, and each season has done a splendid job of focusing on one big story while telling a multitude of smaller ones.  In truth, each season has been a terrific success, and I don't know how I would rank them.  Yet, at present, I'm tempted to say that this fourth season has been the finest.  Where will it take us, and how it will measure up to its predecessors when all is said and done?  Well, that remains to be seen, but I'll be sure to weigh in when we get there. 

What I do know is this: Justified may just be the best show on TV, and this fourth season may be the best.  If you're not watching it, you should be.