I have never watched NCIS or Criminal Minds. I have always said that crime dramas are the exact same week in and week out. That was before I started to watch Justified.

Justified is set in Harlan, Kentucky and revolves around the trails and tribulations of sharpshooter U.S. Marshall  Raylan Givens. After being excommunicated back to Kentucky, Raylan, using his own form of justice, has to go up against childhood friends and people who he grew up with. During the first season, Raylan is fighting through a city completely controlled by the Crowder family. As Raylan is trying to protect Ava Crowder from the rest of the family (because of her killing her husband), he shoots Boyd Crowder and sends him to jail. When Boyd Crowder gets out of jail he joins his father, Bo, and tries to rebuild their crime empire that Raylan Givens has destroyed piece by piece.

This series is a new take on the otherwise stereo typical dramatic crime genre. It’s set in a small town, and delves into the dark underbelly of a Kentucky town. Unlike the NCIS’ or Criminal Minds’ of the world who have a criminal one episode and move on to the the next, Justified has the same antagonist the whole season. This allows for deeper characterization, more build up for the season finale, audience involvement, and a deeper understanding of the show in general.

It may not compete with the other crime dramas of today, but it is one of the best crime dramas on television. That’s why I now believe that if you take the time it look for and connect to shows, they will pay off in the long run.