Justified: City Primeval — next episode, recaps, cast, plot and everything we know about the drama

Timothy Olyphant in Justified: City Primeval
Timothy Olyphant in Justified: City Primeval (Image credit: Chuck Hodes/FX)

One of TV's most popular characters from the last 13 years is back on TV, as Raylan Givens dons his hat and goes after bad guys yet again in Justified: City Primeval. And of course, no one else but Timothy Olyphant could portray the US Marshal.

After Justified aired on FX for six seasons, Justified: City Primeval is a limited series spinoff of the acclaimed crime drama. Dave Andron and Michael Dinner are the driving creative forces behind the adaptation, based on another Elmore Leonard novel, while original series creator Graham Yost and Olyphant are executive producers on the new show.

One of the more anticipated summer TV shows this year, here is everything that you need to know about Justified: City Primeval.

When is the next Justified: City Primeval episode?

Tuesday, August 29, at 10 pm ET/PT on FX is the finale for Justified: City Primeval. The final episode of the limited series is titled "The Question," here is the official synopsis:

"Raylan and Carolyn cross the line, as Raylan attempts to make it out of Detroit alive."

Watch the preview for the episode right here:

Justified: City Primeval plot

Based on Leonard's book, City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit, Justified: City Primeval picks up with Raylan Givens 15 years after we last saw him, a little older but still carrying out his duties as a US Marshal. Here is the official synopsis for the limited series from FX:

"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 grayer, 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."

Justified: City Primeval recaps

Here are the synopses for the released episodes of Justified: City Primeval, as well as our recaps for each of them.

Justified: City Primeval episode 1, "City Primeval"
"Fifteen years after Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky, a chance encounter in the Florida swamps sends him to Detroit and places him on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney." Read WTW's Justified: City Primeval episode 1 recap.

Justified: City Primeval episode 2, "The Oklahoma Wildman"
""Raylan hunts a killer; Carolyn takes on a former client; Willa makes a new friend." Read WTW's Justified: City Primeval episode 2 recap.

Justified: City Primeval episode 3, "Backstabbers"
"Raylan and the Detroit Police round up some promising suspects, provoking Carolyn's ire; Mansell and Sandy move on the Albanian mark; things with Willa reach a breaking point." Read WTW's Justified: City Primeval episode 3 recap.

Justified: City Primeval episode 4, "Kokomo"
"Raylan tangles with the Albanian mob; Mansell forms a new alliance; Carolyn lets her guard down." Read WTW's Justified: City Primeval episode 4 recap.

Justified: City Primeval episode 5, "You Good?"
"Carolyn's past becomes Raylan's present; Mansell puts a plan into action." Read WTW's Justified: City Primeval episode 5 recap.

Justified: City Primeval episode 6, "Adios"
"A botched kerfuffle sends Raylan's pursuit of Mansell into chaos." Read WTW's Justified: City Primeval episode 6 recap.

Justified: City Primeval episode 7, "The Smoking Gun"
"Raylan and Mansell show down." Read WTW's Justified: City Primeval episode 7 recap.

Justified: City Primeval cast

First and foremost, Timothy Olyphant is back as Raylan Givens for the limited series. Olyphant earned an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Givens during the show's original run, and it definitely remains one of his most iconic roles. But viewers have also seen Olyphant in movies and TV shows like The Girl Next Door, Deadwood, The Crazies, This Is Where I Leave You, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Fargo, The Book of Boba Fett and, most recently, Daisy Jones & the Six.

The other two main cast members for Justified: City Primeval are Boyd Holbrook and Aunjanue Ellis. Holbrook, who is best known for Narcos, Logan and The Sandman is set to play the main antagonist, the Oklahoma Wildman. Ellis is an Oscar-nominated actress for King Richard who has also starred in Lovecraft Country and 61st Street and is playing Carolyn Wilder, the attorney representing the Wildman.

Additional cast members include Adelaide Clemens (The Great Gatsby) as Sandy, Vondie Curtis Hall (Harriet) as Sweetie, Marin Ireland (Y: The Last Man) as Maureen, Norbet Leo Butz (Bloodline) as Norbet, Victor Williams (The Good Lord Bird) as Wendell and Vivian Olyphant (Timothy Olyphant's real-life daughter) as Givens' daughter Willa.

Justified: City Primeval trailer

Raylan Givens is back and still kicking butt in the official trailer for Justified: City Primeval, which also gives us an enticing look at Boyd Holbrook's killer. Watch the full trailer and the previously released teaser trailer directly below:

Here's some more teasers for the anticipated limited series:

How to watch Justified: City Primeval

Airing on FX, viewers will need either a pay-TV cable setup that carries FX as part of its channel package or a live TV streaming service that does. Examples of the latter include FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.

If you want to catch up with the original show before the follow-up limited series, you can stream it on Hulu. That is also where you’ll be able to watch the latest Justified episodes on-demand after they air on FX.

UK fans can watch all six seasons of Justified on Disney Plus, which is where City Primeval is likely to end up when it debuts for UK audiences. 

Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.