Will the neo-Western crime drama miniseries return for a second season? Here is everything we know so far about
Justified: City Primeval Season 2.
There are some shows that capture the hearts of the audience in such a way that they leave them wanting more! One such recent television series that has been classified as a miniseries developed by showrunners Dave Andron and Michael Dinner is none other than “Justified: City Primeval,” which has been able to leave a mark on FX’s catalog! That has met with raving reviewers. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a score of 92% based on 39 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews.”
The reception of this series in just one season has been surprising and overwhelming for the show creators and the viewers. After all, the plot deserves all the credit, which recently concluded the story from Justified, taking inspiration from the Elmore Leonard novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit and the short story “Fire in the Hole”. Timothy Olyphant returns to star as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, with Paul Calderón also reprising his role as Detective Raymond Cruz from the 1998 crime comedy film Out of Sight, a film adaptation of Leonard’s 1996 novel of the same name.
The premiere episode only attracted about 0.848 million US viewers, which gradually changed over the course of the season, making it one of the most watched-about shows during the week of July 17–23, 2023! Hence, when a series has the ability to attract new subscribers and gather such a great response, it leaves no doubt in our minds why the fans have started to wonder if the series will be renewed for a second season or not. So, if you are wondering the same thing, then you have reached the right place! We have compiled all the latest updates about the potential renewal status of Justified: City Primeval Season 2.
Justified: City Primeval Season 2 Renewal Status: Will there be another season?
We know that the anticipation for the second season’s renewal is at an all-time high, but we have to inform the readers that, as of writing this, no new updates relating to the series’ early renewal have been announced by the FX network or the show creators. One of the reasons is that the show just ended a few hours ago, and most of the viewers haven’t even streamed all 8 episodes from the first season, which makes it way too early to evaluate the accurate reception with respect to ratings and viewership for the season to justify another season.
Hence, it is understandable why the network hasn’t jumped at the opportunity to greenlight the show this soon. On the other hand, we have noticed that even though a show might have been able to gather an amazing response, the network tends to scrap a series after just one season due to some conflicts rising behind the scenes or because the show creators don’t see the vision of the series anymore, leading to less investment in the production of new episodes. Due to this, the network tends to cancel the show without investing larger budgets if it isn’t going forward as a collaborative effort.
Of course, these are just some theories that we have in mind that may lead to delayed renewal or cancelation of a show. But there is nothing for the fans to be worried about just yet, as the current status of Justified: City Primeval Season 2 is neither here nor there, and at this moment, anything can happen! On the bright side, if the renewal isn’t announced in a few days, then there are chances that the network is still in the evaluation stage of the show’s performance in order to get another season greenlit, which might take about two or three months.
On the other hand, we would also like to mention that the renewal might be just around the corner, as the cliffhanger ending leaves all kinds of narrative doors open for the creators to continue the story for another season. Moreover, there are plenty of Elmore Leonard novels left that can be used as inspiration for storylines that can be adapted for the screen for a second season, as per the consistency of the overall plot, including the Edgar Award-winning LaBrava.
Executive producer and co-showrunner Michael Dinner also opened up about the future of the series in an interview with TVLine. Dinner also stated his satisfaction with the series’ finale even though he understood that FX had the last say quote, “It’s up to FX — what they want to do, if they want to tell another chapter,” Dinner said. “If they don’t, then, you know, it was good to do this and we feel really good about where we ended.”
Dinner also emphasized that the limited series’ goal was not to revive Justified but rather to recreate the spirit of cooperation that characterized the creation of the first episode, quoting, “We did this not to reboot Justified. We did it because we want to reboot the feeling that we had working with each other — whether it was me working with Tim, or [co-showrunner] David [Andron] and myself and the other writers, and what we felt in the writers room.”
In conclusion, these statements kind of paint a picture that the chances of a second season happening in the near future are still on the table, as it might start production around 2024 only if the renewal is approved later in the year for it to eventually premiere around late 2024 or early 2025 considering the delays caused by the ongoing duals. Hence, the fans should stay patient and hope for the best that the network agrees to renew the series for additional seasons because, just like the fans, we aren’t ready for the story of Raylan Givens to end so abruptly!
That's a wrap for #JustifiedFX #City Primeval. What was your favorite moment of the season? pic.twitter.com/l1wW1zyraf
— Justified (@JustifiedFX) August 30, 2023
Justified: City Primeval Season 2: If renewed, what can the fans expect from the show?
If renewed, the series will continue the plot by following the official synopsis which follows: 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 attorney, formidable Motor City native Carolyn Wilder, has every intention of representing her client, even as she finds herself caught 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.
No way! #JustifiedFX #CityPrimevalFX pic.twitter.com/xsPvpuZwGY
— Justified (@JustifiedFX) August 30, 2023
Moreover, the plot will expand from the final episode of the first season, “The Question,” which was directed by Michael Dinner and written by Dave Andron & Michael Dinner. In the episode, the viewers get to see Raylan and Carolyn cross the line while Raylan attempts to make it out of Detroit alive. The series can continue to take inspiration from the Elmore Leonard novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit, among other novels.
On a positive note, while speculating about the cast’s official return for the potential second season, Timothy Olyphant, who plays Raylan Givens, a Deputy U.S. Marshal, while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, recently shared his hopes for a second season, quote: “I can only tell you from my point of view, that if we are so lucky to get to do more, I feel like we could bring any cast member back from either incarnation of the show,” he said. “The world expanded. The writers deserve a tremendous amount of credit for taking this big swing.”
The other main cast members from the first season who can return are as follows: Aunjanue Ellis as Carolyn Wilder, a defense attorney, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Marcus “Sweety” Sweeton, owner of a neighborhood bar. Adelaide Clemens as Sandy Stanton. Clement’s partner, Marin Ireland as Maureen Downey, a Detroit Police Department (DPD) detective, Victor Williams as Wendell Robinson, a DPD detective, Norbert Leo Butz as Norbert Bryl, a DPD detective, and Boyd Holbrook as Clement Mansell, a violent and ruthless criminal known as “The Oklahoma Wildman.”
Prepare yourself! All episodes of FX's Justified: City Primeval are now streaming on Hulu. #JustifiedFX #CityPrimevalFX pic.twitter.com/tPOURvMwpe
— Justified (@JustifiedFX) August 30, 2023
Justified: City Primeval Season 2: What will be the official episode count, and where to stream?
If renewed, the exact episode count of the second season can differ, as the network might go ahead and agree to make the next season supersized in case it becomes the final season. So, at this point, anything can happen until the renewal is confirmed. On the bright side, we are certain that the new season will try to keep at least 8 episodes with an average runtime of 44–52 minutes, just like the first season, which will premiere on a weekly basis in order to be consistent in their storylines and keep the fans interested.
So, we advise fans to be patient while they await this information, which will be released in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, stream the first season of Justified: City Primeval, which had its world premiere on the opening night of the 12th ATX Television Festival on June 1, 2023. It debuted on FX on July 18, 2023, with the first two episodes, and later available to stream on Hulu. The series also began streaming on Star on Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand beginning July 19, 2023. Additionally, you can stream FX live by subscribing to FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or Sling TV. Free trials for new subscribers are also available on YouTube TV and FuboTV.
Let us know in the comments if you’ll be streaming Justified: City Primeval Season 2 if it is renewed.