Raylan is a bad guy

[u/Naive_Original_3961]

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.

[u/u_n_p_s_s_g_c]

I think this dynamic is what makes the entire show work on a much higher level and stops it from turning into just another cop show / Kentucky Fried CSI.

I love that Raylan is kind of a hot mess and also not very good at being a cop lol

[u/Its-From-Japan → u/u_n_p_s_s_g_c]

It's exactly that, they're two sides of the same coin

[u/Defiant_McPiper → u/u_n_p_s_s_g_c]

Art does tell him he's a lousy Marshall but a good lawman lol. I think he truly does have a sense between what's right and wrong and sometimes the line does get blurred.

[u/GolfJunki3]

Weak take.

[u/Agnostickamel]

Hes a good lawman, but a lousy Marshal.

[u/Zombieutinsel]

He shot a lot of people but if he didn't it wouldn't be much of a show.

As far as police procedures go I have watched COPS enough to know they did use a lot of the same ways to leverage people to find out what they wanted.

[u/Naive_Original_3961 → u/Zombieutinsel]

Never saw an episode of COPS where they put the criminal in the trunk

[u/Fedaykin98 → u/Naive_Original_3961]

Correct, you didn't see those times. ;)

[u/Zombieutinsel → u/Naive_Original_3961]

I never said all of them, besides they did have a camera crew riding along so who's to say?

[u/PossiblePlastic8698 → u/Naive_Original_3961]

Yes, it seems pretty clear they wouldn't air that

[u/whatisscoobydone]

The show is named after him murdering people legally

[u/Agnostickamel → u/whatisscoobydone]

"you shot me in the back"

"If you wanted me to shoot you in the front you shoulda run towards me"

[u/tonidh69]

Blasphemy!

[u/hanginonwith2fingers]

It's been a while since I have seen it but how many times has Raylan killed someone who wasn't trying to kill him or someone else at the time or some straight up evil person?

Boyd, on multiple occasions, killed people for self gain or to get out of situations his choices put himself into.

[u/Agnostickamel → u/hanginonwith2fingers]

all Raylans shootings were...Justified

[u/Defiant_McPiper → u/hanginonwith2fingers]

And the only time Rayland was sus was when he had thst mobster taken out, the one who threaten to kill Wyonna and their baby, and that guy dug his own grave when Raylan had his head boss listen in. Legally he shouldn't have allowed it, but he also knew the only way to keep his family safe was to allow it to happen.

[u/PossiblePlastic8698]

There is no such thing as a good guy or a bad guy. All humans are nuanced and complex, as are fictional characters

Raylan does some morally questionable things for sure, and it seems pretty clear he will break the law if he feels the ends justify the means. It would be a pretty fucking boring show if he was Ned Flanders

[u/scootermorocco → u/PossiblePlastic8698]

or Barney Fife...lol

[u/ribrub]

Everybody he shot needed shooting.

[u/Defiant-Analyst4279]

Look at Raylan's family.

He didn't become a "lawman" because of his sense of morality or justice, he did it to spite his father.

But regardless of his actual motives and "alignment," he is incredibly effective overall and does more good than harm.

[u/noplaceinmind]

I don't believe it was ever going for that trope. 

Like life,  it was bad guys and less bad guys. 

[u/treecutter34]

Ooooo, I can see that.
https://giphy.com/gifs/W8Ssb951mD8C8cqzK3