Olyphant stars as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a man who really likes to shoot people but always allows them to try to shoot first, so his kill is justified (hence the title). He also doesn't object to letting the criminals he's chasing down make out with him, eat dinner or enjoy reggae concerts before he either arrests or kills them. His penchant for being quick on the draw has gotten him removed from his sweet gig in Miami and relegated to his home state of Kentucky. All things considered, he got lucky since it could have been Alaska. And naturally, going back home comes with a lot of baggage, of the personal kind.

Once he's in his new post, Givens is put on the case of taking down local white supremacist Boyd (Goggins), who likes to blow up churches and other places in order to distract folks while he robs banks. Boyd and his crew are possibly my favorite thing about this show, with some them total dimwits and others skilled at creatively interpreting the Bible to support their demented cause. Despite their evil nature, Boyd's gang was the comic relief of the premiere, and I hope that they stick around a while. Given that Raylan showed a bit of sympathy to Boyd (who he once worked with in the coal mines back in the day), it seems like we might get the opportunity to see more of these guys.

The rest of the folks at the marshal office have potential to become compelling characters as well -- I especially like Art (Nick Searcy) and Rachel (Erica Tazel). But so far I could live without Raylan's ex-wife Winona (Natalie Zea) or merry murderess Ava (Joelle Carter). Aside from revealing why Raylan has so many pent-up emotions and hinting about his daddy issues, they didn't add much to the premiere.

Overall, while Justified lacks the insanity of Sons of Anarchy or the intensity of The Shield, there's still signs that it could develop into an FX hit. It's got the right flavor, but it just needs to push the envelope a bit more. I'm not sure that I particularly care deeply about Raylan's backstory yet, but I definitely enjoy watching him shoot people... and for now, that's enough. I just hope that as the series progresses, we get less or Raylan's personal life and more of his interaction with his colleagues. Beefing up the supporting cast would go a long way to making it an FX staple for seasons to come.