"The Hammer" is the tenth episode of the first season of the American Neo-Western[1] television series Justified. It is the 10th overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Fred Golan and executive story editor Chris Provenzano and directed by John Dahl. It originally aired on FX on May 18, 2010.
The series is based on Elmore Leonard's stories about the character Raylan Givens, particularly "Fire in the Hole", which serves as the basis for the episode. The series follows Raylan Givens, a tough deputy U.S. Marshal enforcing his own brand of justice. Following the shooting of a mob hitman, Raylan is sent to Lexington, Kentucky to investigate an old childhood friend Boyd Crowder, who is now part of a white supremacist gang. In the episode, Raylan is assigned to guard an eccentric judge, but Raylan takes time off from the assignment to track down an old lead connected with the Crowders. Despite being credited, Erica Tazel and Natalie Zea do not appear in the episode.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.08 million household viewers and gained a 0.8/2 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received positive reviews from critics, with critics praising the performances (particularly Olyphant, Goggins and Root) as well as character development.
Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) finds Boyd (Walton Goggins) in the woods, having formed a church to help drug addicts and other spiritually reformed criminals, threatening them to quit their habits. Raylan uses the moment to expose Boyd's crimes as well as offering a reward to anyone who can help putting him back in jail and then leaves.
An ambulance arrives at a house, where Judge Mike "The Hammer" Reardon (Stephen Root) was bitten by a snake. Raylan is assigned to protect him despite being embarrassed by Reardon's eccentric behavior. While escorting him, Reardon is poisoned with carbon monoxide through the car's exhaust system. Raylan is also trying to locate Pastor Israel Fandi (Doug E. Doug), who now changed his name and occupation. Ambulances arrive in time to save Reardon. Meanwhile, Johnny (David Meunier) visits Boyd in the woods after Boyd threatened a nearby meth lab. He tells Boyd that Bo is angry at the threat but Boyd does not give it importance. That night, Boyd and his followers take the meth dealers out of their RV and burn it. However, the dealers reveal that a person was inside the RV.
Raylan visits Fandi, who refuses to testify against Boyd. While at a bar with Reardon, Raylan notices a man (Sean Bridgers) watching them and confronts the man. He later finds that he is Virgil Corum, a convict charged with illegal possessions and whose background fits all of Reardon's recent events. Virgil eventually catches Reardon in the parking lot of a club, intending to kill him. Raylan arrives in time and tries to calm him down. However, Reardon pulls out a gun and shoots Virgil, wounding him. Virgil reveals having been planned to use the murder as a way to give his ex-wife and kid money.
Not wanting to let the relationship cause destruction, Raylan breaks up with Ava (Joelle Carter) and Reardon made a deal with a judge to reduce her probation. He later talks with Mullen (Nick Searcy), who reveals the meth lab explosion and that the killed man was an informant. Despite both suspecting Boyd, they can't prove his actions. Raylan visits Fandi again and threatens him to testify or he will expose his illegal marijuana operation. Fandi agrees to testify but reveals he does not know how Boyd looks like, shocking Raylan. Unwilling to force him to do this, Raylan leaves.
ReceptionEdit
ViewersEdit
In its original American broadcast, "The Hammer" was seen by an estimated 2.08 million household viewers and gained a 0.8/2 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research. This means that 0.8 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode, while 2 percent of all households watching television at that time watched it.[2] This was a slight decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 2.09 million viewers with a 0.8/2 in the 18-49 demographics.[3]
Critical reviewsEdit
"The Hammer" received positive reviews from critics. Seth Amitin of IGN gave the episode a "great" 8 out of 10 rating and wrote, "In the long run, it may be better for the show to ditch the serialized parts and take the Law & Order approach. Stick to developing the characters on the law side and give us some glimpses into the bad guys. Justified is loaded with enough content to do this and well-written enough to still be a very good or even great show without giving so many minutes to each murderer in each episode. I still believe, however, that if a show can make this work, it's this show. I'll probably wait until the season finale before bringing this up again, but it's already got a second season and I think we all want to see Justified reach its full potential."[4]
Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "Either way, we're heading for what should be an epic showdown between these two. The only question is whether either of them will have the heart to pull the trigger when that time comes."[5]
Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A" grade and wrote, "Overall, the show has been settling into a nice balance of episodic A-stories and serialized movement, with the latter occasionally taking over. Casual viewers and fans should both leave pretty satisfied."[6]
Luke Dwyer of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 3 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Redemption was the main theme of 'The Hammer'. Everyone wants it, but how do you get it? For Boyd, he's attempting to remake his image as a criminal into a man who follows the word of the Lord and does well by his God."[7]
Hale, Mike (January 19, 2015). "A Wry Comedy of Manners in Kentucky Coal Country". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 13, 2023. another gun-happy neo-western, 'Justified' has been true to its Elmore Leonard roots
Jensen, Jeff (April 14, 2015). "'Justified' series finale: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 13, 2023. The crackling neo-western pulp of Justified always wore its heft and depth as casually as Raylan Givens wore his Stetson.
Hibberd, James (May 5, 2010). "Walton Goggins upped on FX's 'Justified'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 14, 2023. The producers of FX's neo-Western crime drama "Justified" have elevated Walton Goggins to a series regular on the show.
Ettenhofer, Valerie (October 16, 2022). "Justified Is a Satisfying Neo-Western Anchored by Great Performances". /Film. Retrieved January 14, 2023. A soulful neo-Western at heart, "Justified" uses a near-procedural format.
Matthews, Liam (January 12, 2023). "Everything to Know About Justified: City Primeval". TV Guide. Retrieved January 13, 2023. Timothy Olyphant is getting his cowboy hat out of storage to play Raylan Givens, the witty, perpetually pissed U.S. Marshal he played for six seasons on FX's neo-Western crime drama Justified.
Klein, Brennan (January 7, 2023). "Justified Revival's Murderous Villain Teased By Executive Producers". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 13, 2023. The reboot series, which is coming to FX later this year, is a follow-up to the neo-Western show Justified, which is adapted from the stories of Elmore Leonard
^Seidman, Robert (May 19, 2010). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 14, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
^Gorman, Bill (May 12, 2010). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
^Amitin, Seth (May 19, 2010). "Justified: "The Hammer" Review". IGN. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
^Sepinwall, Alan (May 18, 2010). "Justified, 'The Hammer': Macho justice donkey wrestler". HitFix. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
^Tobias, Scott (May 18, 2010). "Justified: "The Hammer"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
^Dwyer, Luke (May 20, 2010). "Justified Review: "The Hammer"". TV Fanatic. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
hammer, justified, hammer, tenth, episode, first, season, american, western, television, series, justified, 10th, overall, episode, series, written, executive, producer, fred, golan, executive, story, editor, chris, provenzano, directed, john, dahl, originally. The Hammer is the tenth episode of the first season of the American Neo Western 1 television series Justified It is the 10th overall episode of the series and was written by co executive producer Fred Golan and executive story editor Chris Provenzano and directed by John Dahl It originally aired on FX on May 18 2010 The Hammer Justified episodeEpisode no Season 1Episode 10Directed byJohn DahlWritten byFred Golan amp Chris ProvenzanoProduced bySarah Timberman Carl Beverly Michael Dinner Graham Yost Elmore LeonardFeatured musicSteve PorcaroCinematography byEdward J PeiEditing byKeith HendersonOriginal air dateMay 18 2010 2010 05 18 Running time40 minutesGuest appearancesStephen Root as Judge Mike Reardon Doug E Doug as Israel Fandi Jenni Blong as Molly Tucker Sean Bridgers as Virgil Corum Brad Carter as Bobby Joe Packer Darin Heames as Mickey David Meunier as Johnny Crowder Walton Goggins as Boyd CrowderEpisode chronology Previous Hatless Next Veterans Justified season 1 List of episodesThe series is based on Elmore Leonard s stories about the character Raylan Givens particularly Fire in the Hole which serves as the basis for the episode The series follows Raylan Givens a tough deputy U S Marshal enforcing his own brand of justice Following the shooting of a mob hitman Raylan is sent to Lexington Kentucky to investigate an old childhood friend Boyd Crowder who is now part of a white supremacist gang In the episode Raylan is assigned to guard an eccentric judge but Raylan takes time off from the assignment to track down an old lead connected with the Crowders Despite being credited Erica Tazel and Natalie Zea do not appear in the episode According to Nielsen Media Research the episode was seen by an estimated 2 08 million household viewers and gained a 0 8 2 ratings share among adults aged 18 49 The episode received positive reviews from critics with critics praising the performances particularly Olyphant Goggins and Root as well as character development Contents 1 Plot 2 Reception 2 1 Viewers 2 2 Critical reviews 3 References 4 External linksPlot EditRaylan Timothy Olyphant finds Boyd Walton Goggins in the woods having formed a church to help drug addicts and other spiritually reformed criminals threatening them to quit their habits Raylan uses the moment to expose Boyd s crimes as well as offering a reward to anyone who can help putting him back in jail and then leaves An ambulance arrives at a house where Judge Mike The Hammer Reardon Stephen Root was bitten by a snake Raylan is assigned to protect him despite being embarrassed by Reardon s eccentric behavior While escorting him Reardon is poisoned with carbon monoxide through the car s exhaust system Raylan is also trying to locate Pastor Israel Fandi Doug E Doug who now changed his name and occupation Ambulances arrive in time to save Reardon Meanwhile Johnny David Meunier visits Boyd in the woods after Boyd threatened a nearby meth lab He tells Boyd that Bo is angry at the threat but Boyd does not give it importance That night Boyd and his followers take the meth dealers out of their RV and burn it However the dealers reveal that a person was inside the RV Raylan visits Fandi who refuses to testify against Boyd While at a bar with Reardon Raylan notices a man Sean Bridgers watching them and confronts the man He later finds that he is Virgil Corum a convict charged with illegal possessions and whose background fits all of Reardon s recent events Virgil eventually catches Reardon in the parking lot of a club intending to kill him Raylan arrives in time and tries to calm him down However Reardon pulls out a gun and shoots Virgil wounding him Virgil reveals having been planned to use the murder as a way to give his ex wife and kid money Not wanting to let the relationship cause destruction Raylan breaks up with Ava Joelle Carter and Reardon made a deal with a judge to reduce her probation He later talks with Mullen Nick Searcy who reveals the meth lab explosion and that the killed man was an informant Despite both suspecting Boyd they can t prove his actions Raylan visits Fandi again and threatens him to testify or he will expose his illegal marijuana operation Fandi agrees to testify but reveals he does not know how Boyd looks like shocking Raylan Unwilling to force him to do this Raylan leaves Reception EditViewers Edit In its original American broadcast The Hammer was seen by an estimated 2 08 million household viewers and gained a 0 8 2 ratings share among adults aged 18 49 according to Nielsen Media Research This means that 0 8 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode while 2 percent of all households watching television at that time watched it 2 This was a slight decrease in viewership from the previous episode which was watched by 2 09 million viewers with a 0 8 2 in the 18 49 demographics 3 Critical reviews Edit The Hammer received positive reviews from critics Seth Amitin of IGN gave the episode a great 8 out of 10 rating and wrote In the long run it may be better for the show to ditch the serialized parts and take the Law amp Order approach Stick to developing the characters on the law side and give us some glimpses into the bad guys Justified is loaded with enough content to do this and well written enough to still be a very good or even great show without giving so many minutes to each murderer in each episode I still believe however that if a show can make this work it s this show I ll probably wait until the season finale before bringing this up again but it s already got a second season and I think we all want to see Justified reach its full potential 4 Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote Either way we re heading for what should be an epic showdown between these two The only question is whether either of them will have the heart to pull the trigger when that time comes 5 Scott Tobias of The A V Club gave the episode an A grade and wrote Overall the show has been settling into a nice balance of episodic A stories and serialized movement with the latter occasionally taking over Casual viewers and fans should both leave pretty satisfied 6 Luke Dwyer of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 3 star rating out of 5 and wrote Redemption was the main theme of The Hammer Everyone wants it but how do you get it For Boyd he s attempting to remake his image as a criminal into a man who follows the word of the Lord and does well by his God 7 References Edit Hale Mike January 19 2015 A Wry Comedy of Manners in Kentucky Coal Country The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 13 2023 another gun happy neo western Justified has been true to its Elmore Leonard rootsJensen Jeff April 14 2015 Justified series finale EW review Entertainment Weekly Retrieved January 13 2023 The crackling neo western pulp of Justified always wore its heft and depth as casually as Raylan Givens wore his Stetson Hibberd James May 5 2010 Walton Goggins upped on FX s Justified The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved January 14 2023 The producers of FX s neo Western crime drama Justified have elevated Walton Goggins to a series regular on the show Ettenhofer Valerie October 16 2022 Justified Is a Satisfying Neo Western Anchored by Great Performances Film Retrieved January 14 2023 A soulful neo Western at heart Justified uses a near procedural format Matthews Liam January 12 2023 Everything to Know About Justified City Primeval TV Guide Retrieved January 13 2023 Timothy Olyphant is getting his cowboy hat out of storage to play Raylan Givens the witty perpetually pissed U S Marshal he played for six seasons on FX s neo Western crime drama Justified Klein Brennan January 7 2023 Justified Revival s Murderous Villain Teased By Executive Producers Screen Rant Retrieved January 13 2023 The reboot series which is coming to FX later this year is a follow up to the neo Western show Justified which is adapted from the stories of Elmore Leonard Seidman Robert May 19 2010 NBA Playoffs NBA Draft Lottery Lead Tuesday Cable Law amp Order Criminal Intent Falls TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on September 14 2011 Retrieved August 20 2021 Gorman Bill May 12 2010 Tuesday Cable Ratings Cavs Celtics Game Tops Night Deadliest Catch Law amp Order CI Both Up TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on October 24 2012 Retrieved August 19 2021 Amitin Seth May 19 2010 Justified The Hammer Review IGN Retrieved August 20 2021 Sepinwall Alan May 18 2010 Justified The Hammer Macho justice donkey wrestler HitFix Retrieved August 20 2021 Tobias Scott May 18 2010 Justified The Hammer The A V Club Retrieved August 20 2021 Dwyer Luke May 20 2010 Justified Review The Hammer TV Fanatic Retrieved August 20 2021 External links Edit The Hammer at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Hammer Justified amp oldid 1155478918, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
