The Gunfighter

"The Gunfighter" is the first episode of the third season of the American Neo-Western television series Justified. It is the 27th overall episode of the series and was written by series developer Graham Yost and executive producer Fred Golan and directed by executive producer Michael Dinner. It originally aired on FX on January 17, 2012. The series is based on Elmore Leonard's stories about the character Raylan Givens, particularly "Fire in the Hole", which serves as the basis for the episode. The series follows Raylan Givens, a tough deputy U.S. Marshal enforcing his own brand of justice. The series revolves around the inhabitants and culture in the Appalachian Mountains area of eastern Kentucky, specifically Harlan County where many of the main characters grew up. In the episode, Raylan is still recovering from his gunshot wound but new enemies arrive at the area, threatening peace at Harlan. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 3.07 million household viewers and gained a 1.0 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received very positive reviews from critics, who deemed the episode a promising start and praised the new villains on the show, highlighting Neal McDonough in particular. Plot While driving, Winona (Natalie Zea) is pulled over by a police officer, who says that Mullen (Nick Searcy) wants to see her. She arrives at the hospital where Mullen informs her about Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) and his injuries. 3 weeks later, Raylan is still recovering and his shooting skills have been diminishing.