‘Justified’ season 5 lands Tuesday, January 7 premiere date

Have you been eagerly awaiting the return of Raylan Givens to TV? Then you will be pleased to know that “Justified” season 5 now has an official premiere date of Tuesday, January 7 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. Basically, it will be filling the void left on the schedule following the end of “Sons of Anarchy” in the fall, even if it is not in any way the same sort of ratings monster.

On the surface, the plan for “Justified” on this coming season appears to be bringing the show back a little bit back to some of what it was known for during season 2: A story with more of a “Big Bad” character, and Raylan’s attempts to try and take them down. The villain this time around appears to be the owner of a gator ranch that is really using it as a cover for a dark, awful illegal operation. This character will be played by Michael Rapaport, and will be around for the better part of the season. If you remember just what sort of recognition Margo Martindale had back in the show’s second season, there is no reason for Rapaport to be anything other than happy.

As for some other interesting stories to keep track of, remember that there is Boyd Crowder dealing with the fact that Ava has been carted off to jail. As Walton Goggins said recently, there is something that happens with Boyd early on in the season that makes the actor re-adjust some of the feelings that he has for the character. Boyd is going to be very much a desperate man courtesy of some of what he has been through, including the aftermath of Ava’s arrest.

All in all, this has the makings of being a great season. “Justified” is one of those shows that you want to see at its best, since when it is going 180 miles an hour, there is almost nothing better on TV. It’s completely creative, and has a sort of energy and tone that nothing else out there right now can really hope to match.

Excited for the new season? Share below, and stay tuned for some more scoop from the “Justified” universe.

Photo: FX