Buoyed by the effortless charisma of Timothy Olyphant's star turn as the laconic but lethal Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, this series is a twisted triumph.

The ensemble cast is terrific and the direction lean and perfectly pitched at every turn.

The trick for Justified in its second season won't necessarily revolve around balancing standalone and serialized stories: The show seems to have a good handle on how to manage that in the early going of season 2. No, the challenge will be giving all of its characters something worthwhile to do while expanding the worlds of Harlan and Lexington even further.

Darn it if Justified showrunner Graham Yost and company haven't found a way to equal--if not top--that bunch [of opponents], while at the same time building on the lessons they learned in the first season.

Based on the first three episodes, I'm thinking season 2 is going to be even better and certainly more consistent.

Justified's rich vein of gallows humor, convincing sense of place, and twisty hillbilly-noir narratives are all selling points, but it's Olyphant's devilish grin that seals the deal.

The season premiere is a little clunky as it cleans up the mess left after the show's first-season finale--the sooner the show moves beyond that, the better.

Aunt B ain't got nothin on Maggs Bennett...I already left review for **** this one is for Margo Martindale. She led season 2 as the star of the show hands **** deserves a ****'t mess with Momma!

In Season 1, it was Timothy Olyphant that lured me in, and Walter Goggins kept me there. Season 2 brought the gigantic force of Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett. Wow. Wow. She brings a whole new life to the ensemble, and helps make this season even better than the first, which is great for the show since the sophomore season of any break-out show can be risky. In this season, all the stakes get raised, and the last episode is truly harrowing, right down to the post-showdown scene. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

Olyphant and the rest of the characters are simply riviting. The stories are great and the twists are often very unexpected but realistic (believable?).

I was not that impressed by the first season. But this second season really made me change my view on the whole show. It really is great. Makes me wonder if I didn't give the first season enough of a chance.

Great cast, great acting, and some really good lines make this show fun to watch. This has got to be one of my favorite shows on TV right now. I highly recommend getting the first season and watching it before you watch season 2.