| Season Number: | 1 |
| Bgcolour: |
|
| Image Upright: | 1.15 |
| Num Episodes: | 13 |
| Network: | FX |
| Next Season: | Season 2 |
| Episode List: | List of Justified episodes |
The first season of the American neo-Western television series Justified premiered on March 16, 2010, on FX, and concluded on June 8, 2010, consisting of 13 episodes.[1] The series was developed by Graham Yost based on Elmore Leonard's novels Pronto and Riding the Rap and his short story "Fire in the Hole".[2] Its main character is Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal. Timothy Olyphant portrays Givens, a tough federal lawman, enforcing his own brand of justice in his Kentucky hometown. The series is set in the city of Lexington, Kentucky, and the hill country of eastern Kentucky, specifically in and around Harlan.[3]
While the pilot was shot in Pittsburgh and suburban Kittanning, Pennsylvania and Washington, Pennsylvania, the subsequent episodes were shot in California. The small town of Green Valley, California often doubles for Harlan, Kentucky. In the pilot, Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence Convention Center appears on film as the small town "airport" and the construction of the new Consol Energy Center serves as the "new courthouse".[4]
See also: List of Justified episodes.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 93% with an average score of 8.3 out of 10 based on 43 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "A coolly violent drama, Justified benefits from a seductive look and a note-perfect Timothy Olyphant performance."[5] On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "universal acclaim.[6]
TV Guide critic Matt Roush praised the show, particularly the acting of Olyphant, stating: "The show is grounded in Olyphant's low-key but high-impact star-making performance, the work of a confident and cunning leading man who's always good company." Chicago Tribune critic Maureen Ryan also praised the series, writing: "The shaggily delightful dialogue, the deft pacing, the authentic sense of place, the rock-solid supporting cast and the feeling that you are in the hands of writers, actors and directors who really know what they're doing—all of these are worthy reasons to watch Justified."[7] Mike Hale of The New York Times praised the shows "modest virtues", but was critical of the first season's pace and characterisation, writing: "Justified can feel so low-key that even the crisis points drift past without making much of an impression... It feels as if the attention that should have gone to the storytelling all went to the atmosphere and the repartee."[8]
Justified received a 2010 Peabody Award.[9] For the first season, the series received a single Primetime Emmy Award nomination, for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music.[10]
The first season averaged 2.417 million viewers and a 0.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic.[11]
The first season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on January 18, 2011,[12] in region 2 on November 29, 2010,[13] and in region 4 on June 7, 2012.[14] Special features on the season one set include four audio commentaries by cast and crew, five behind-the-scenes featurettes, a music video, and a season two trailer.[15]