Justified: City Primeval season 2 has yet to be greenlit but the show has a chance to connect itself to an underrated Quentin Tarantino crime classic.

Summary

• Justified: City Primeval season 2 has the opportunity to connect to Quentin Tarantino's films and a wider universe of Elmore Leonard adaptations.
• The introduction of Paul Calderón's character in Justified links the show to Tarantino's Jackie Brown, making it possible for Michael Keaton's Ray Nicolette to appear in season 2.
• Both Timothy Olyphant and the showrunners have expressed interest in returning for more seasons, and with Boyd's escape from prison, it would be fitting for the series to have a final showdown between Raylan and Boyd.

Justified: City Primeval season 2 can connect to both Quentin Tarantino's most underrated movie and a wider universe of Elmore Leonard adaptations. The works of the late, great Leonard were adapted into many different movies and shows, with some being great (Get Shorty, 3:10 to Yuma) and others being near unwatchable (Owen Wilson's aptly titled The Big Bounce). It could be argued Justified has become one of the most popular Leonard adaptations, with the original series following Timothy Olyphant's laconic, stetson-wearing U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens.

The show captured the author's gift for great characters and witty dialogue and ran for six seasons. Olyphant donned the stetson again for 2023 revival Justified: City Primeval, which adapted Leonard's acclaimed crime novel, but switched out the original protagonist Detective Cruz with Raylan; on the show, Paul Calderón reprised Cruz from Out of Sight. While City Primeval season 2 has yet to be greenlit, it has a unique opportunity to link itself to one of Tarantino's best.

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Justified: City Primeval Cast & Character Guide - Who's Who In The Justified Spinoff

Timothy Olyphant returns as Raylan Givens in Justified: City Primeval with a cast of new and familiar faces joining him in the Justified spinoff.

Justified: City Primeval Season 2 Should Include Michael Keaton's Ray Nicolette

Justified: City Primeval's season 1 finale saw the surprise return of Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), who escapes from prison after a decade behind bars. The final scene left Raylan with the option of staying retired or joining the hunt for Boyd, but viewers can be fairly certain he'll select option two. The introduction of Calderón's Cruz had the side effect of also linking Justified to Tarantino's third film Jackie Brown, with Michael Keaton playing Ray Nicolette in both.

Ray is essentially the third lead of Jackie Brown and makes a quick, uncredited cameo in Out of Sight as the new boyfriend of Jennifer Lopez's Karen Sisco. The latter also revealed Ray had transferred from the ATF to the FBI, presumably thanks to the events of Jackie Brown. Assuming he hasn't retired, Justified: City Primeval season 2 could write Keaton's Ray Nicolette into the story, especially if the FBI gets involved in the hunt for Boyd. Considering Tarantino nearly helmed some episodes of City Primeval's first season, he could be a big help in securing Keaton's potential involvement too.

Justified Connects To A Wider Elmore Leonard Universe

Bringing Keaton's Nicolette into the show would also be a way of playing into Justified's established connection to other Leonard adaptations. There's no need for an Endgame-style crossover featuring the likes of Raylan, George Clooney's Jack Foley or Pam Grier's Jackie Brown, but the next series can still have some fun with its shared universe in a way that still feels organic.

Outside of the aforementioned adaptations, the show has previously crossed over with another Leonard series. The short-lived Karen Sisco cast Carla Gugino in the role previously played by Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight, but the spinoff only ran for ten episodes. Gugino later reprised her role for the "Cut Ties" episode of Justified season 3, though since FX didn't own the rights to the character, she was renamed "Karen Goodall" instead.

Jackie Brown alum Robert Forster played the father of Carla Gugino's Karen Sisco on the show.

This was explained in the episode by Karen revealing to Raylan she had gotten married and divorced in the time since they last met. It was suggested Gugino's Karen could become a recurring part of the cast, but despite good reviews, the character never reappeared. Maybe the next season of City Primeval - or whatever the subtitle will be - could reveal what Karen's been up to in the years since.

How Likely Is Justified: City Primeval Season 2?

Of course, the question remains of whether a second miniseries will happen. City Primeval disappointed some viewers for its lack of connection to the original show, with Olyphant's Raylan being the only real returnee, but it still received mostly great reviews. More importantly for its odds of renewal, it was also a ratings hit. Now that Boyd has escaped, it would be cruel for the series not to provide closure on that story.

Both Olyphant and Justified: City Primeval's showrunners have stated they'd be happy to return for more too. The show is unlikely to continue indefinitely, and the next season may focus on the final showdown between Raylan and Boyd, of which the latter probably won't survive. Since the series evolved to focus on the complex, sort-of friendship between the two men, it would feel only fitting if it ended with one - or both - of their deaths.

• Justified: City Primeval

  Release Date:

  2023-07-18

  Cast:

  Timothy Olyphant, Boyd Holbrook, Alexander Pobutsky, Marin Ireland, Adelaide Clemens, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Yosef Kasnetzkov, Estavion White

  Genres:

  Crime, Drama

  Seasons:

  1

  Story By:

  Dave Andron, Michael Dinner

  Writers:

  Dave Andron, Michael Dinner

  Network:

  FX

  Streaming Service(s):

  Hulu

  Franchise(s):

  Justified

  Directors:

  Michael Dinner, Jon Avnet

  Showrunner:

  Dave Andron, Michael Dinner

  Rating:

  TV-MA

  Season List:

  Justified: City Primeval - Season 1