Justified is a criminally underrated show and one of the most well-written crime shows ever to hit television. Based on the character created by Elmore Leonard, the show follows U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) as he returns to his hometown of Harlan, Kentucky. There he crosses paths with plenty of unsavory criminals, including Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), a man Rayland used to dig coal with.
The show is a must-watch thanks to its sharp dialogue, fun characters, and stellar performances, especially from Olyphant and Goggins. While the show tied things up in a neat and satisfying way after six seasons, there are still some unanswered questions. Here are a few unresolved storylines from Justified.
Raylan & Winona
Raylan was shown to something of a ladies' man throughout the show, but he could never seem to get past his feelings for Winona, his ex-wife. At the beginning of the series, they are divorced and Winona has remarried, but things are rekindled before long and they continue an on-again-off-again relationship for years.
After having a daughter together, they decide to leave Kentucky and make a new life together. However, the finale jumps ahead to show them living in Miami but no longer together. Given their history, it's not too surprising, but we never did find out what caused that final split.
Tim Missing His Target
Tim Gutterson is introduced early in the show as a fellow Marshall in Raylan's office and he remains an entertaining partner for him throughout the series. Tim is a former Army sniper and shows off his considerable skills on several occasions.
Tim once mentions when monitoring a target for days on end that some soldiers find it hard to take the shot after becoming so involved with the target's life. Raylan asks if that ever happened to Tim, but he changes the subject. The topic is never brought up again, so we're left wondering about this untold story from Tim's past.
Hut McKean
Boyd Crowder is an outlaw and proud of it. In this show that is very much a modern-day western, Boyd styles himself as the Butch Cassidy of Kentucky and has made quite a reputation for himself. But while some see him as a local man sticking it to those in power, others can't forget his bloodier work.
As Boyd holds him at gunpoint, a man acknowledges Boyd's status as an outlaw but reminds him that it is not the family of the dead that down those legends. He then mentions the name of Hut McKean as someone Boyd supposedly killed. But we never get to hear who the man was or what happened to him.
Constable Bob
Constable Bob Sweeney (Patton Oswalt) might not seem like the toughest character on the show, but he has proven himself to be underestimated on several occasions. Bob is always eager to lend a hand to Raylan in his crime-fighting endeavors, even when it can get him hurt.
As Boyd is on the run from the law, he comes across Constable Bob and shoots him. While it seems bad, Raylan manages to get Bob to a hospital, but that is the last we hear from him. For such a likable character, it would be nice to know that he is all right in the end.
Limehouse & Raylan's Mother
Ellstin Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson) is one of the most interesting and complex characters on the show. He is the leader and protector of Noble's Hollow, a Black community in Harlan County. Limehouse's main concern is keeping his community safe, although Noble's was also known for a place where women could seek refuge from their abusive men.
Raylan knows his mother spent some time in Noble's when he was a boy, trying to get away from Raylan's father, Arlo. During one of their tense meetings, Limehouse tells Raylan he could share stories about his mother, which enrages Raylan. Sadly, we never do hear those promised stories.
Drew Thompson
While each season of Justified usually found Raylan facing off with a new "big bad," Season 4 switched things up with a compelling mystery. Raylan and the other Marshalls are on the hunt for a man named Drew Thompson, who is a former bank robber and potential witness against some top-level mobsters.
Thompson disappeared into Harlan County years ago and has been hiding out under a different name. It is eventually revealed that Drew is actually Sheriff Shelby and he is taken in by the Marshalls. Last we see of him, he is being brought into witness protection, but we never see what becomes of him beyond that.
Loretta
While Raylan doesn't seem like the kind of guy that gets along with kids, he does take a liking to young Loretta (Kaitlyn Dever). The two cross paths frequently, and though Raylan is often getting her out of trouble, she has shown to be quite capable on her own.
In the final season, Loretta is looking to become a legitimate marijuana farmer, which puts her at odds with crime boss Avery Markum. She is kidnapped by Markum's man Boone, but after Raylan kills Boone, we don't see what becomes of her. She's likely doing fine by herself, but it would have been nice to see her thriving.
Quarles
Robert Quarles (Neal McDonough) is one of the most memorable villains on the show. He is the unhinged, drug-addicted psychopathic gangster from Detroit who looks to start a new venture in Kentucky. Armed with a Taxi Driver-style gun, he is a very dangerous man.
After all his schemes fall apart, Quarles becomes a very desperate man and forces Raylan to bring him to Noble's Hollow to steal Limehouse's money, and after a struggle, Limehouse cuts his arm off. We never see Quarles die and he is never heard from again. Given how memorable the character was, we expected him to return.
Boyd's Faith
The very first episode of the show found Raylan and Boyd facing off across a dinner table and Raylan ended up shooting Boyd in the chest. After that encounter, Boyd insists he became a changed man and found God. After getting released from prison, he even starts his own unorthodox church.
While he is convincing in his preaching, no one seems to buy Boyd's born-again journey, especially since this is exactly his kind of scheme. In the end, we never get a straight answer if Boyd did become a man of God or if it was all just the means to an end.
Raylan's Hat
Raylan is an instantly recognizable lawman thanks to his ever-present cowboy hat. That hat became an iconic part of the character and even became a central plot point on occasion. When asked about why he wears it, he simply replies that he "tried it on and it fit."
That kind of casual answer seems like Raylan, but after he kills Boone, he is seen wearing the dead man's hat as a replacement. When asked about it, he gives the same answer, hinting that his previous hat was taken off a man he killed as well. Sadly, we never get an answer to that famous first hat.