Cable stations, both premium and basic, are now home to some of the finest television shows. Think of programs such as Homeland, Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Damages, all of which feature high production values, outstanding writing, and a substantial dose of star power. Another series which deserves to be mentioned in the same breath is Justified, which is poised to begin its fourth season on the FX channel in January. The brilliant and exciting complete third season of Justified is now available on Blu-ray.
Justified: The Complete Third Season
Studio: Sony
Year: 2012
Rated: Not Rated
Program Length: 541 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 1080p
Languages: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French
The Program
Cable stations, both premium and basic, are now home to some of the finest television shows. Think of programs such as Homeland, Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Damages, all of which feature high production values, outstanding writing, and a substantial dose of star power. Another series which deserves to be mentioned in the same breath is Justified, which is poised to begin its fourth season on the FX channel in January. The brilliant and exciting complete third season of Justified is now available on Blu-ray.
For the uninitiated, Justified follows the adventures of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant), a character created by novelist Elmore Leonard. Givens is something of a throwback who had been assigned to Miami, Florida but found himself shipped off to his home territory of Harlan County, Kentucky after engaging in some overly zealous practices. During the first season he dealt with white supremacists, escaped prisoners, kidnappers, the mob, and local career criminal Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins). Season Two introduced another formidable arch-enemy, Dickie Bennett (Jeremy Davies in an Emmy-winning role), as Marshal Givens negotiated his way through a world populated by drug cartels and corrupt politicians. Season Two also featured an Emmy-winning performance by Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett, the matriarch of a family of hillbilly pot growers.
As Season Three opens, Harlan County is no longer under the control of the Bennett family, but Boyd Crowder resurfaces and Marshal Givens struggles against the criminal elements which threaten to overrun the county. Season Three also introduces Ellstin Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson), a mob enforcer from Detroit who was born in Noble's Holler, Kentucky. The Marshal also finds himself in serious conflict with his own father, Arlo Givens (Raymond J. Barry).
Justified is an original, exciting and highly addictive series, and fans will be thrilled to own this excellent Blu-ray set from Sony.
The Video
The 1.78:1 1080p is another typically excellent Blu-ray transfer from Sony. The series benefits from on location filming in various parts of Pennsylvania which does a fine job of evoking Harlan County. Most of the cinematography is credited to Francis Kenny, who has filmed many films and television shows during the course of his career. The images are consistently sharp and detailed, with accurate colors, excellent black levels and good shadow detailed. The framing appears to be accurate and there are no annoying digital artifacts to interfere with your viewing please.
The Audio
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio is excellent. Dialogue is clear and understandable and the surround channels are effectively used and really come to life during the more vigorous action scenes. The musical soundtrack by composer Steve Porcaro (he has scored all three seasons) is given a pleasing soundstage. English subtitles can be activated for those who need them.
The Supplements
Nine of the thirteen episodes include cast and crew commentaries.
There also are three featurettes:
"Crossing the Line" is a Season Three "making of" featurette.
"Ellstin's Joint" is a tour of the set for Noble's Holler.
"Anatomy of a Stunt" is an interesting look at how stunts are performed.
Also included are a number of deleted scenes and outtakes.
A Blu-ray exclusive is a conversation about Justified with stars Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins.
The Packaging
The three discs are packaged in a flipper Blu-ray case. The case comes in a cardboard slipcase (mine had a very tight fit until I removed the shrink wrap).
The Final Analysis
Justified is a terrific modern western which has been given first-rate Blu-ray treatment by Sony. Fans of the series will definitely want to add Season Three to their collections. Interested readers who have not seen the show would do well to go back and begin your viewing with Season One.
Equipment used for this review:
Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player
Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specification by Gregg Loewen
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: December 31, 2012
