Justified: City Primeval Repeated 24's Dumbest Mistake, and Fans Are Not Happy

The Justified spinoff, which premiered on FX on 18 July and has aired three episodes to date, has been a major letdown for many fans of the Justiverse. For some inexplicable reason, the creators of City Primeval decided to shift the focus from protagonist Raylan Givens, still portrayed by Timothy Olyphant, and his unique brand of justice to his relationship with his daughter Willa, played by Olyphant's own daughter Vivian. And this move doesn't sit well with fans.

The idea of showing the hard-nosed, Old-West-style deputy U.S. Marshal in a parental role is not inherently bad, but the execution has been lacking, according to fans. First, City Primeval portrays Willa as a 15-year-old teenager, which disrupts the canon. Devoted fans will recall that Willa was born around 2013/2014, making her approximately ten today.

The decision to age Willa was clearly made to add conflict to the miniseries. Raylan would have fewer concerns with a younger child. Also, the main antagonist would not be able to surprise a 10-year-old. But the worst thing the writers brought into the show with this new teen character is everyone's least favourite trope: teen angst.

‘Willa's stupidity (and the situations they put her in) is ruining the show for me so far,’ a disheartened fan wrote on Reddit.

Teen drama and teen foolishness have long made shows challenging to watch. Consider the storyline with Kaitlyn Dever's Loretta McCready on Justified. Many fans were relieved to move past that storyline, only to have a teenage Willa in City Primeval.

It almost appears as if the Justiverse is intent on repeating 24's biggest blunder: transforming the protagonist into an overprotective father who is constantly worrying about his teenage daughter because she keeps making stupid decisions. At one point, Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer seemed to have only one motivation - rescuing his daughter Kim from the trouble she was constantly getting herself into. It was as if the question was, what predicament will Kim find herself in that Jack must save her from this week?

The same pattern seems to be emerging in City Primeval. From wandering alone in an unfamiliar city to venturing into an abandoned eerie warehouse to being easily deceived by an obvious criminal, Willa has made one poor decision after another, which is likely typical teen behaviour.

But does it truly make for an engaging show?

Justified: City Primeval Episode 4 lands on FX on 1 August 2023.

Source: Reddit.