Having left the hollers of Kentucky 15 years ago, Raylan Givens now lives in Miami, a walking anachronism balancing his life as a U.S. Marshal and part-time father of a 15-year-old girl. His hair is greyer, his hat is dirtier, and the road in front of him is suddenly a lot shorter than the road behind.
A chance encounter on a desolate Florida highway sends him to Detroit. There he crosses paths with Clement Mansell, aka The Oklahoma Wildman, a violent, sociopathic desperado who’s already slipped through the fingers of Detroit’s finest once and aims to do so again. Mansell’s lawyer, formidable Motor City native Carolyn Wilder, has every intention of representing her client, even as she finds herself caught in between cop and criminal, with her own game afoot as well. These three characters set out on a collision course in classic Elmore Leonard fashion, to see who makes it out of the City Primeval alive.
For in-depth thoughts on Justified: City Primeval, please see my colleague Andre Couture’s review from its original television debut here.
Video Quality
Justified: City Primeval arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment with a terrific AVC-encoded 1080p transfer. The series provides all eight episodes spread across two discs, which allows a decent amount of room to breathe. This show ups the ante when compared to the original series when it comes to its cinematography which exhibits perfectly in high definition. The highlights of the new setting can be quite intense, but they never fall victim to any blooming in this presentation. Black levels are very deep, allowing for a favorable amount of detail in darker moments.
The series is virtually pristine with a vivid natural color palette revealing complex hues within the various settings. This visually dynamic series is presented with an incredible amount of depth, clarity, and vibrancy that makes this a knockout in high definition. This transfer reveals a lot of subtle detail within the clothing and production design. There are so many facets that are easier to spot in high definition. Skin tones appear very natural throughout the presentation, and compression artifacts and noise are never a mark against this presentation. The Blu-Ray release from Sony treats this series with the respect it deserves.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a great DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that brings this world to life with careful attention to detail. The environmental noises of the world are a standout as they effectively utilize the surround speakers. Depending on the environment, you can hear some very distinct ambiance or the din of a working precinct. These tertiary sounds are precisely placed in the rear channels. The dialogue comes through clearly without being clipped by any competing sounds.
Music is an unsung force within this show, and this track does a fantastic job of making an impression while maintaining fidelity. The score stands out with its deft handling of both the more thrilling moments as well as the subtle flourishes. There are some intense kinetic moments within the shows that the track handles with ease. These moments add some texture to the world thanks to some welcome low-end support. The audio track delivers exactly as it needs to. There are optional English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided for this release.
Final Thoughts
Justified: City Primeval is one of the rare continuations for a series that delivers everything it needs to. The mere act of spending more time with the character is already more than enough to justify its existence, but how it deepens what we know about him and this story at large allows it to feel like an essential element that was always meant to be. Timothy Olyphant slips back into this iconic role with ease, and he brings along some new and familiar faces to complement him admirably. We didn’t know we needed this after the perfection of the original run, but we are so glad it exists now. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has provided this limited series with a Blu-Ray sporting a 5-star A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. If you are a fan of the original show, this is a no-brainer. Highly Recommended
Justified: City Primeval will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on November 14, 2023.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.