Ep 1. Fire in the Hole

In the first episode of the critically acclaimed crime drama Justified, titled "Fire in the Hole," we are introduced to Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (played by Timothy Olyphant), a old-school lawman with a fierce sense of justice and a quick trigger finger. The episode opens with Raylan serving a warrant on a dangerous fugitive in Miami, but when the fugitive pulls a gun on Raylan, he is forced to kill him in self-defense. This incident leads Raylan's superiors to transfer him back to his hometown in eastern Kentucky, a move that does not sit well with Raylan.

Once he's back in Kentucky, Raylan quickly finds himself in the middle of a tense standoff with one of his old friends, Boyd Crowder (played by Walton Goggins), a former coal miner turned white supremacist who has just blown up a church in Harlan County. Raylan knows Boyd from their days together in the mines, and he tries to talk him out of his extremist views before things escalate even further. However, Boyd is convinced that he's doing God's work by targeting the church's black congregation, and he refuses to back down.

As Raylan investigates the church bombing, he uncovers a web of corruption and greed that stretches far beyond Harlan County. He crosses paths with a ruthless drug lord named "Bo" Crowder, who turns out to be Boyd's father and the man behind many of the criminal activities in the area. Raylan also reconnects with his ex-wife Winona (played by Natalie Zea), who still harbors feelings for him despite their messy divorce.

Throughout the episode, Raylan clashes with his boss Art (played by Nick Searcy), who thinks he's too quick to use his gun and too cavalier about the rules. Raylan's rogue attitude and unwavering sense of justice make him a formidable ally and a terrifying adversary, depending on which side of the law you're on.

"Fire in the Hole" sets the stage for the rest of Justified's first season, which follows Raylan as he navigates the dangerous waters of Harlan County and tries to keep his past from catching up with him. The show is known for its sharp writing, complex characters, and dry humor, as well as its stunning cinematography of the rolling hills and coal mines of Kentucky. Justified was created by Graham Yost and based on the short story "Fire in the Hole" by Elmore Leonard, and it ran for six seasons from 2010 to 2015.