The Pinnacle of Modern TV Westerns

Amid the small-screen revival of the Western genre over the past decade, Justified and Longmire stand out as superlative TV Westerns with modern-day settings. The likes of Yellowstone and Fargo might have received more attention from audiences in recent years, but it’s their forerunners fronted by Timothy Olyphant and Robert Taylor, respectively, that have really raised the bar for neo-Westerns.

Both Justified and Longmire rank among the best Western shows ever made, thanks to their masterful blending of classic genre tropes with contemporary storylines, gritty aesthetics, and pithy dialogue. As far as the Western genre has come in the age of streaming, nothing tops these two series, which both debuted in the early 2010s.

While Longmire’s six seasons concern the work of its titular county sheriff in Wyoming, Justified follows Raylan Givens’ attempts to enforce the law in eastern Kentucky, which includes his hometown within Harlan County. Both protagonists live in the 21st century, but their approaches belong more to the Western tradition of no-nonsense lawmen from the 19th century.

As formidable a central character as Kevin Costner’s John Dutton is, he doesn’t hold a candle to other of these two figures. Ultimately, no shows have done more to ground neo-Western television in the origins of the genre than Justified and Longmire.

Justified & Longmire Are 2 Western Shows Every Fan Of The Genre Needs To See

These two TV series aren’t optional extras for fans of the Western genre, but integral to what makes a great small-screen Western today. Justified saw Timothy Olyphant cement his legend as a Western actor playing Elmore Leonard’s greatest literary invention, Raylan Givens. Similarly, Longmire features a masterclass from Robert Taylor, as County Sheriff Walt Longmire.

Each show couches its contemporary setting in classic elements of the genre, from Stetson-wearing gunslingers out for justice and vengeance by any means necessary, to suspenseful showdowns, and dark, brooding visuals. They mix grit and swagger the way all great Westerns should, while combining their stylized genre elements with authentically modern plotlines.

Justified and Longmire are the pinnacle of neo-Western TV production, demonstrating definitively that there’s more to the genre than parochial homesteads and family soap operas. These series work as crime dramas on their own terms, while paying homage to some of the greatest traditions of screen Westerns.

Yet, both shows seem to have been somewhat overlooked by audiences over the past few years, given all the attention on Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone franchise and compelling period Western series such as Dark Winds. They deserve at least one viewing from everyone who enjoys the genre, and those who give them a chance won’t regret it.

Raylan Givens & Walt Longmire Are The Best Modern-Day Western Characters

Justified’s Raylan Givens is surely the best Western character of modern television. Anyone who disagrees may well have Walt Longmire in mind for the title instead. In their own different ways, the characters are the two most iconic law-enforcers in any neo-Western show. They share a maverick attitude to punishing crimes, and a profound but unsentimental sense of justice.

Raylan Givens is perseverant to a fault in his relentless pursuit of what he feels to be just, although his personal feelings often bring him into confrontation with his superiors in the U.S. Marshal Service. However, Givens understands the people he’s policing far better than other federal agents, and his unorthodox style tends to win out in the end.

Meanwhile, Walt Longmire is an old-fashioned county sheriff, who views the protection of Absaroka County in Wyoming much as a John Wayne character might in a classic Western movie. His low, gravely voice and penchant for a historical or literary analogy make him an even more intimidating screen presence, as well as inspiring fear in his adversaries.

Why All Western Fans Will Love Justified

Besides Walt Longmire, it’s hard to imagine many other Western characters holding their own against Raylan Givens. At the same time, Givens is a deeply complex character, with personal flaws which often undermine his duties as a U.S. marshal.

Justified’s best episodes feature Raylan getting wrapped up in conflicts he really shouldn’t, whether it’s feuds between Harlan County’s Bennett and Crowder clans, or the love triangle he shares with Boyd Crowder and their mutual romantic interest, Ava. What’s more, many of these episodes feature some of the all-time great TV Western shootouts, made specifically for fans of the genre.

Why All Western Fans Need To See Longmire

Longmire doesn’t just beat Yellowstone by number of seasons, or critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s incomparably superior as a TV Western set in the environs of Yellowstone National Park. Exquisitely crafted and shot in the style of a neo-noir thriller, the show is made for fans who particularly enjoy the darker side of the Western genre.

In addition to Robert Taylor’s inimitable performance as Walt Longmire, and several of the great Western TV villains, Longmire features characterizations of Native Americans that we don’t often see in neo-Westerns. Alongside Justified, it encompasses the high-water mark of the genre’s modern-day iterations on the small screen.

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  Justified

  
  

  8/10

  Release Date

  2010 – 2015

  Directors

  Adam Arkin, Jon Avnet, Peter Werner, Bill Johnson, John Dahl, Michael W. Watkins, Dean Parisot, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Tony Goldwyn, Don Kurt, Michael Katleman, Billy Gierhart, Frederick King Keller, John David Coles, Lesli Linka Glatter

  
  

  
  

  
  

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  Longmire

  Release Date

  2017 – 2017-00-00

  Network

  Netflix

  Showrunner

  Hunt Baldwin

  
  

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    Katee Sackhoff

    Victoria ‘Vic’ Moretti

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    Bailey Chase

    Walt Longmire