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Do you need to watch Justified to see City Primeval?

By Michael Weyer

HOLLYWOOD, CA - APRIL 13: (L-R) Actors Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter and Timothy Olyphant, show creator, Graham Yost and actors Walton Goggins, Kaitlyn Dever, and Jacob Pitts arrive at FX's "Justified" series finale premiere at the Montalban Theater on April 13, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/WireImage)
HOLLYWOOD, CA - APRIL 13: (L-R) Actors Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter and Timothy Olyphant, show creator, Graham Yost and actors Walton Goggins, Kaitlyn Dever, and Jacob Pitts arrive at FX's "Justified" series finale premiere at the Montalban Theater on April 13, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/WireImage) /
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Justified is returning this July with Justified: City Primeval, a new limited series. But do you need to watch the original show in order to enjoy the new series and storyline?

Based on the books by Elmore Leonard, Justified focused on Raylon Givens (Timothy Olyphant), a man out of time. A U.S. Marshal, Raylan goes around in cowboy boots and hat and has an attitude straight out of the Old West. The series’ opening scene has him giving a Miami mobster 24 hours to leave town, or Raylan will shoot him. To the mobster’s shock, Raylan shows up the next day to do just that.

Obviously, his bosses don’t like that, so Raylan is reassigned to the last place he wants to go: Harlan County, Kentucky, his old hometown. There, Raylan clashes with former childhood friend turned crook Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) amid other criminal cases.

The series had some great guest stars, such as Margo Martindale, who won an Emmy for her turn as a criminal matriarch in season 2. Each of the six seasons had one overall story arc mixed with smaller cases and often some wicked black comedy.

The show wrapped up after six seasons and 78 episodes, with Boyd finally imprisoned and Raylan ready to move on with his life. So is it truly necessary to watch this show to understand the new version?

Should you watch Justified first?

Justified is a show more than worth watching. From the crackling dialogue to gripping plotlines to the sensational cast, this series deserved all of its critical acclaim and still holds up well. That alone makes it worthwhile to enjoy.

The new spin-off, City Primeval, appears to be a stand-alone tale as Raylan heads to Detroit on a case and clashes with a criminal mastermind while protecting his daughter Willa (played by Olyphant’s real daughter, Vivian). So it may not be necessary to watch the original Justified, but it can help see how Raylan has grown and tempered his attitude, not to mention him in a fatherly role.

For newcomers, City Primeval can probably still be enjoyed if you never saw the original Justified. However, it can help to enjoy how Raylan Givens keeps getting into trouble wherever he goes and make watching his return even better.

Justified seasons 1-6 streaming on Hulu. Justified: City Primeval premieres Thursday, July 18 at 10/9c on FX and streaming on Hulu.

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