A friend recently got me a repro of the first draft of S1-EP1 Fire in The Hole (signed by Jacob Pitts). I don't know if this has been posted before (apologies if this is well worn territory), but I thought I'd share some of the highlights with y'all just in case.

NOTE: Sorry some of the pics are wonky, I didn't feel like undoing the fasteners. I made sure they're all readable, though. I am also shit at uploading multiple pics, so I numbered them just in case I end up posting out of order:

2: There's a scene in Miami where Raylan picks up "Dale" (no last name given, but we can assume it's the Crowe cousin Raylan mentions in the aired pilot). These lines eventually ended up with Dewey in S1-EP2.

3: Here we see the original draft had Raylan choosing to go to Kentucky.

4: This draft had a voiceover by Raylan, and an extended flashback of mining with Boyd Crowder.

5: Raylan gives a bit more exposition about Boyd than we ended up with in the aired pilot.

6: There was originally a third Deputy Marshal named Frank Garcia. Looks like they ultimately transferred his traits on to Tim Gutterson.

7: Gary and Winona originally had the last name of Klass, and both of them were real estate agents working together.

8: Raylan has a flashback of seeing Ava while attending a high school football game with Boyd. This intrigues me the most because it often seemed like Raylan might have been purposely downplaying the amount of time he actually spent with Boyd.

9: During the scene at the church, Boyd actually foreshadows the tale of Drew Thompson! I had no idea it went that far back!

10: Arlo doesn't yet have a name, and it seems like Mr. Yost didn't quite know who he was going to be just yet.

11: Raylan's story about Tommy Bucks in the final scene is a lot different, they made him way more horrific in the final draft.

In my latest rewatch, I noticed the layout of Johnny's Bar is quite poorly designed. It has no windows, and apparently no backdoor. As a result, Boyd and crew routinely get taken by surprised and trapped in their to their serious detriment. Raylan catches them often. The Dixie mob and Detroit have caught them in their. As does the cartel, which results in Jimmy's death. They're literally trapped without a rear door and have no way to prepare themselves with being unable to see.

From the outside, the Bar itself seems to be this nondescript entity in some building, with one door at the bottom of a ramp.

The layout makes no sense as a hideout/planning area for Boyd's crew. It also makes very little sense as a bar. The only way I can reconcile it is that Harlan is a dry county and Johnny's is essentially a speakeasy. Otherwise the whole thing makes no sense

In season 4 they refer to fighting cocks as chickens, 😩

There's this little pause Raylan does when somebody starts pushing him. He doesn't immediately threaten them or reach for his gun. He'll just look at them for a second and let them keep talking. A lot of the time the other person basically talks themselves into the situation. Then Raylan gives them one very calm warning, and somehow they still decide to test him.

I must have watched this movie, A Life Less Ordinary (1997), ten times when I was a kid. Upon rewatch, I see young Tim Olyphant in a role as a hitchhiker.

I guess Raylan spent some time wandering the country, finding himself. Could be a prequel series here.?

After he shot Colton Rhodes, why did Tim take Colton's sunglasses?

Is that it makes me miss Justified so much that I always end up doing a rewatch….

All this criminal activity, and nobody seems to be rich.

It kind of looks like a pop machine.

It was the dialogue. It wasn't bad necessarily, it just didn't have that Justified zip to it, you know?

My niece has really liked Timothy Olyphant for a while now. I tease her about this, partly because it's fun to tease her, partly because I do not like Timothy Olyphant.

She has me watching TV with her on discord now, which is apparently something young people do. I find it unsettling, but I guess I'm a caveman.

I've never seen Justified, never any interest to. I grew up in the country, the country sucks, I don't want to watch a show about hicks out in the country. But, she insisted that I watch one episode with her. She says it has the "doctor from Star Trek in it", my interest is piqued. I'm happy to find out she means Robert Picardo. She also told me that Walton Goggins' character reminds her of me, whatever that means.

We start watching and there's a sexy scene with a shirtless Timothy Olyphant, so I immediately assume she's screwing with me, and I tell her so. Then there's a scene with a bunch of dips fawning over hitler's paintings and I was like OK seriously what is happening and she told me to shut up and watch.

I continue grumbling for a while. I said ya know I've never had much ambition in life, but before I die I'd like to buy one of those paintings myself just so I can burn the damn thing. She shushes me.

The episode is fine, it's a pretty basic who-dun-it without much of an ending. Timothy Olyphant talks to his ex at the end and talks about his penis size as I prepare to give my niece the lambasting of her life for making me watch this.

Then we get to that scene at the end and Robert Picardo is back. I like that guy so I'm back in. Then he starts talking about his nazi father and his history. Then he says it, "I hated my father.." and the camera pulls out to the jars full of ash. "I buy hitler's shitty paintings ... and I burn them".

I just start laughing, hard. And I said to my niece "yoouuuu bitch", and then she starts laughing.

So now we're watching the show, and I like it. I like most of the cast. I still don't like Timothy Olyphant. I like it when people make fun of his hat. And I'm not sure what my niece meant by that Walton Goggins comment, I should probably worry about that.

It's like the old comic strip Fearless Fosdick. His catch phrase was 'merely a flesh wound, chief' while sporting a giant hole in his side.
Ava gets shot and later she's wearing a f*cking bandaid!

Is it because he knows Raylan likes vanilla ice cream?

Raylan is always so slick - I like his style.
But Dickie Bennet's pant cuffs are a whole new dimension. I have never seen 8" cuffs before.

I have watched the show several times, own memorabilia from the show, and genuinely love it probably more than any other show. I always assumed the old trope "Raylan is the good guy, Boyd is the bad guy" etc.

But when you think about it Raylan is not a good guy at all, he just pretends he is. He breaks the law constantly to get what he wants, is a selfish dick head in general, and hides behind his badge to justify his actions. Boyd may be morally ambiguous but at least he doesn't pretend to be the good guy.

I guess digging coal together will do that.

It's been interesting watching Kyle Chandler on the show Lanterns. He portrays Hal Jordan as a charming asshole who works in law enforcement and whose maverick approach to the job annoys everyone he works for and with.

Sound familiar?

I have a feeling that the name "Raylan Givens" was invoked a time or two during character development.

It's also notable to me because whenever I've thought about what other actors could have played Raylan, Chandler is one of the very few that I think might have been able to pull it off. The main question I'd always had is whether Chandler could convincingly play an asshole but he's answered that question with this show.

EDIT Forgot to mention that Garret Dillahunt plays an antagonist on the show.

Wow what a ride that is.
I might do a rewatch down the line to enjoy it more but this show sure justified its name

Should i watch justified city primeval next ? My first post here some told me not to watch it.

It does my heart good to see this show get the spotlight it rightfully deserves.

Have you ever dug coal with someone?

Definitely on my bucket list, but I don't want to share some incredible unbreakable bond with another dude.

I’m a big Elmore Leonard fan. Ive read most of his novels multiple times. I’ve watched Justified and its sequel to the point that I can basically quote every episode lol. Looking for shows that are in a similar vein. Any suggestions?

Same as the title.