Justified has captivated audiences with its A-List cast and genuinely good plot writing. The dialogue in the show was consistently praised, and the characters we saw had an actual depth to them that only got deeper over time with each season. Timothy Olyphant did a stellar job acting as the morally ambiguous law officer who played by the books with a sharp eye.
Though, as good as the show is, it has some confusing questions that still need answers. Below, we’ll go over 10 of the most head-scratching moments that Justified has given us throughout its amazing six-season run.
What’s up with Raylan's Hat?
Raylan’s always done a good job playing by the books. He knows, too, that a law enforcement career comes with a hefty fine for corruption, and he seems to walk the line between both fairly well. His white hat was a symbol for his morales, the justice that he stood for in his daily career. After it's shot off my Boyd, saving his life, we see him put on a new black hat. Could this signify a change in morality for the character? Could he have accepted that a darker line would be necessary to cross for his own well-being?
Plot Armor?
Characters on this show get out of hairy situations a lot, and we mean a lot. Raylan gets shot in the head, but his hat saves him? What was in that piece of fabric that was so magical? Boyd keeps having some of his kills get away when he runs out of bullets in the worst moments for him. It makes us wonder if it’s just convenient for his would-be victims, or if his time spent on monologues could have been used for something other than giving them time to escape. Is this a classic example of a Deus Ex-Machina?
What Happened To The Love Interests?
Raylan and Winona were more than made for each other. The chemistry on screen seemed extremely natural for the actors, which made their performance all the more realistic. There was a clear love between them, but both parties knew their work-life would have been detrimental to their love life, and, because of that, they may not make it. They didn’t, but that still didn’t leave us with questions for why. We’re confused about why they weren’t able to make it work. Did it for a short time before it fizzled out? Is there still a chance they could get together in the future?
Did Boyd Change?
When we last see Boyd, he is trying to persuade the supporting cast that he is no longer a mad-man. Could this be true? Mind you this is a character that was a raging psychopath for the shows entire run, and, before we last saw him he was spitting out threats to everyone that shared the screen with him.
How could he have changed that quick? Or is he just putting up a guise to help him gain leverage on wrecking more chaotic havoc for the towns people's lives? We can’t see him really doing anything that would support either very possible arguments.
Where’s Patty Oswalt?
Patton Oswalt is one of the funniest dudes on the planet, and his role in Justified brought some well deserved comedic breaks in between some very serious and dark moments throughout the show. We last see him getting injured when season three ends, and there isn’t a single mention of him at all for the rest of the series.
He never shows up in a single scene, not even the epilogues. This was a bummer. His role was appreciated by fans, and it left us very confused if he survived his wounds or just left town and no one cared.
What Even Happens With Ava?
Ava seems to get herself into trouble again and again, if not in some sort of accident, it isn’t as intense as it should be from plot armor. She ended on a cliffhanger on the series finale.
We last see a bloody Ava make away with Raylan’s car, another “Wait? What?” moment that left fans worried about Raylan being stranded. Raylan finds her and her son Zackariah only four years later. Given he has surprisingly decided to leave her be, but we wonder if she was ever truly okay after that. Were duty-bound bounty hunters called in to take her away?
Markhams Money
We all know Markham was the most loaded guy around town. Everyone in town wanted to get their hands of some of it, and someone actually did get away with his money.
But who? We still don’t know. Honestly, we think it would be great if Constable Ben made away with the money himself in good ole Penguin style. Could Ava have taken it to start her new life that we see her living four years later? Or did the one guy who always keeps his hands “clean,” Wiffy Dunn, make off with it like the worm he is? Inquiring minds want to know.
Where Art Thou, Loretta?
We all sighed with relief when Loretta McCready made it out alive on the series finale. Mag Bennetts legacy rested solely on her shoulders, and that’s a lot of weight for someone that isn’t even your blood.
There are still pestering questions remaining that would be nice for closure and to get away from confusing possibilities. Did she get out of town alive? Could she have left her home-town, and ran into a still psychotic Boyd? We didn’t even see or hear her name mentioned in the series finale. This leaves her character arc an open book for the series.
An Eye For An Eye
Quarles was one bad dude. His character was one that commanded your attention from the time he appeared on screen until he left. Every word was perfectly chosen and just as deadly and deceptive as the man himself. Bobby loses his arm during a failed surprise attempt on Mags, which eventually lead to Avery getting shot right in his eye.
One of the first times we see Avery, he talks about killing a traitor by gouging out both eyes as starters. With him losing his eye, could this be another symbolic reference like Raylan’s cold white hat turning into a warmer, black hat?
Is This Really It?
Justified left us with so many questions that it feels like it would be a sin to leave us hanging for this long. It ended with a gut-punch similar, but not as brutal to The Sopranos. What is Raylan doing now that he’s left Kentucky, and given up on his former career? Is Ava still okay? Did Boyd keep his promise about killing Loretta before finding Raylan again?
There are so many confusing questions that could be answered with another season or its own small film. Could Boyd potentially be found right smack in the middle of another murdering spree, with Raylan there to finally stop him for good?