With Yellowstone, 1883, and 1923 all having reached their explosive finales, Taylor Sheridan fans will find the Emmy Award-winning Justified the perfect follow-up to fill that neo-western, nagging void. Spanning 78 episodes over 6 seasons, aired between 2010 and 2015, Justified revolves around the trials and tribulations of the inhabitants of the Appalachian Mountains area of eastern Kentucky.

Starring Timothy Olyphant as the no-nonsense Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, known for enforcing his own brand of justice, it was met with widespread critical acclaim, laying the groundwork for the gritty, character-driven frontier storytelling that would later define the neo-western boom, spearheaded by Yellowstone. Based on the Raylan Givens stories written by Elmore Leonard, whose other adapted work includes Jackie Brown, 3:10 to Yuma, and Get Shorty,​​​ Justified is currently available to stream on Hulu.

‘Justified’ Is an Underappreciated Masterpiece

FX

Sharing similar stunning landscapes, intense drama, and intricate storytelling as Yellowstone, Justified is a criminally underrated gem that is arguably the superior of the two, thanks to its unrivaled authenticity and its deep, focused narrative. The story follows Deputy Givens after he is relocated back to his rural hometown of Harlan County, Kentucky, following an incident in Miami. A place he’d hoped he’d long left behind, he is forced to confront his past – his criminally inclined father, his wayward outlaw brother, and the web of greed, corruption, and family feuds that grip the region like a vice.

Blending violent crime drama with gritty, Southern Gothic noir sensibilities and an undercurrent of gallows humor, the show racked up a total of 8 Primetime Emmy Awards over its run, with particular praise directed at its deft pacing, powerful performances, and razor-sharp character development. While Timothy Olyphant brings his trademark, effortlessly laid-back swagger to Deputy Givens — combining charm, danger, and a nuanced sense of vulnerability — it’s Walton Goggins’ character Boyd Crowder that proves to be the show’s most memorable. Perhaps one of television’s greatest antagonists, he is wildly unpredictable in the best kind of way: a fully realized, charismatic character who is not just a villain teetering on the verge of chaos; he is also a man of hope, insecurity, love, and aspiration who undergoes a thrilling evolution as the series progresses.

While certainly cut from the same cloth, Yellowstone excels in cinematic flair and operatic storytelling, whereas Justified feels intimately connected to its small-town setting — its culture, music, slang, and social dynamics. Its world feels lived in — alive and breathing — immersing viewers in its rustic, impoverished frontier. You can almost feel the heavy, humid air settle on your skin and smell the damp, dark red clay and earthy scent of pine drifting from the nearby hills. Fans of Tyler Sheridan’s binge-worthy western dramas are sure to find more than enough grit, gunfire, and glory in Justified to make them forget all about Yellowstone, at least until the Y: Marshals spin-off hits CBS next year.