History Awesome / Justified

* Raylan managing to talk down a thug who has an officer hostage in the Marshall’s office by bribing him with chicken and bourbon, showing Raylan isn’t just good with a gun

* Judith kicking Ava's ass. Yes, the plot requires that Ava win out in the end, but seeing TheScrappy take a beating that severe from somebody that much older than her, is truly satisfying.

** From the same episode, Boyd approaching a clique of black inmates in prison, and asking to use the weight bench. And fearlessly displaying his swastika tattoo, and asking for a spot. They actually give it to him too.
* The way Raylan beats "Icepick" Fletcher at his own game. It has to be seen to be truly appreciated.

* Quarles's double killing of Arnett and his assistant not only gets rid of two under-performing individuals, but also scares Wynn Duffy. That moment has already cemented Quarles as one cold hearted man.

* Loretta gets her final revenge on the Bennetts by [[spoiler:manipulating Dickie's none too bright hatred of Raylan to get him to sell her the Bennett family land to start her own weed empire.]]
* Walker making it as far as he did after getting shot by Raylan and left for dead by Markham. Despite his lack of resources, he almost appears to make his way back to recovery by negotiating with Boyd and Ava. [[spoiler: Unfortunately for Walker, they sell him out to Raylan]].

* Boyd [[spoiler:busting into the Bennett farm and managing to kill Crosley and Markham.]]
* The showdown between Raylan and Boon. [[spoiler:Both of them go down, but as Boon lies dying, he tries to get a final shot off to finish Raylan. But Loretta steps on his hand to prevent him, giving him just the coldest look as he expires.]]
* The culmination of Wynn Duffy's time in Kentucky: [[spoiler:driving out in a [[RefugeInAudacity dog grooming van covered in dirty jokes]], alive, unharmed, not connected to any crimes, and millions of dollars richer. All his partners, competitors, and bosses are dead or imprisoned, and he's [[KarmaHoudini surfing in Fiji.]]]]

** The first episode is just an awesome crap shoot. We meet Raylan of course, then Boyd who is immediately so dynamic and exciting that he changed the course of the shows entire run. Later on we meet the seemingly straight laced, button down Tim and Rachel (particularly Tim in his button shirts and tie) who seem like they'll be the nerdy foils to Raylan's badass gunslinger. This is not so. Rachel sneaking up on the gunmen is one thing, but the dude from Eurotrip wielding a rifle the length of his leg and calmly asking should he wing or kill the gunmen pinning them down? That's when it became clear this wasn't just another crime procedural.
* Raylan assists a man who buys Hitler paintings and it is clear he is disgusted by the man. The art collector continues to ask Raylan to see his private collection but Raylan refuses, clearly believing it will be Nazi propoganda, but finally accepts. The collector reveals his private collection is glass jars filled with the ashes of Hitler's paintings. The collector's father was an abusive secret Nazi so the collector buys Hitler's crappy paintings and burns then so no one will ever be able to collect them again. Raylan is clearly impressed.
* Boyd's fiery sermon about his [[HazyFeelTurn redemption]] at church in "Fathers and Sons." While the congregation interprets it as Boyd describing his turn to religion, it's also a truly scathing CallingTheOldManOut speech against his father, who is present in the congregation.

* Mags' outgambitting of the mining company, securing millions of dollars for his grandchildren in the process.

* Tim shooting [[TheDragon Doyle]] in the head in the Season 2 finale right before Doyle could kill Raylan, followed by Art's voice on the bullhorn. [[BigDamnHeroes Big Damn Heroes]] indeed.

* Art going "Old book" on the scumbag who killed his friend in "Cut Ties"

* The gun fight in "Bulletville"
* Raylan assists a man who buys Hitler paintings and it is clear he is disgusted by the man. The art collector continues to ask Raylan to see his private collection but Raylan refuses, clearly believing it will be Nazi propoganda, but finally accepts. The collector reveals his private collection [[spoiler: is glass jars filled with the ashes of Hitler's paintings. The collector's father was an abusive secret Nazi so the collector buys Hitler's crappy paintings and burns then so no one will ever be able to collect them again. Raylan is clearly impressed.]]

* Tim shooting [[TheDragon Doyle]] in the head]] in the Season 2 finale right before Doyle could kill Raylan, followed by Art's voice on the bullhorn. [[BigDamnHeroes Big Damn Heroes]] indeed.

* Limehouse's introductory speech to a young henchman who fell asleep while on guard duty, quickly established why he is so feared and respected in Harlam County.

* Raylan assists a man who buys Hitler paintings and it is clear he is disgusted by the man. The art collector continues to ask Raylan to see his private collection but Raylan refuses, clearly believing it will be Nazi propoganda, but finally accepts. The collector reveals his private collection [[spoiler: is glass jars filled with the ashes of Hitler's paintings. The collector's father was an abused secret Nazi to the collector buys Hitler's crappy paintings and burns then so no one will ever be able to collect them again. Raylan is clearly impressed.]]

* One of the big reasons this show was so well received right out of the gate was the fact that the ''first scene'' is a CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Not to mention a perfect EstablishingCharacterMoment for Raylan.

** Also counts as a dark CrowningMomentOfFunny, due to Duffy loudly reminding Raylan that he is a cop, there are other cops outside and he can't just go around shooting people on a whim.

* The culmination of Wynn Duffy's time in Kentucky: [[spoiler:driving out in a dog grooming van covered in dirty jokes, alive, unharmed, not connected to any crimes, and millions of dollars richer. All his partners, competitors, and bosses are dead or imprisoned, and he's [[KarmaHoudini surfing in Fiji.]]]]

*
-->'''Boyd''': "You wanna make a living in this business, you gotta know your [=ABCs=]. Always Be Cool."

* Raylan punchhing his old man in the face in "Reckoning" for his facilitation of [[spoiler: Aunt Helen's death.]] It was ''well'' overdue.
* Boyd's [[spoiler: beautiful out-gambitting of Mags, orchestrating the deaths of many of her goons.]]
* Tim [[spoiler: shooting [[TheDragon Doyle]] in the head]] in the Season 2 finale right before [[spoiler: Doyle could kill Raylan]], followed by Art's voice on the bullhorn. [[BigDamnHeroes Big Damn Heroes]] indeed.

* Quarles's [[spoiler: double killing of Arnett and his assistant not only gets rid of two under-performing individuals, but also scares Wynn Duffy. That moment has already cemented Quarles as one cold hearted man.]]

-->'''Raylan''': ''(tosses a bullet onto Wynn's chest)'' The next one's coming faster.
* Raylan, doped up on as Art says "Enough tranq to stop a rhino" [[spoiler:shooting through the dead guy on top of him, to take out the woman about to kill ''him'']] during "Thick As Mud."

* Ava killing [[spoiler: Delroy. After seeing him brutalize Ellen May and manipulating the women in his brothel into doing his dangerous dirty work, it was satisfying to see his karma catch up with him.]]
* Shelby facing down two deputies who were trying to plant drugs in his car. He makes them back down by telling them that [[spoiler: he has cancer and thus does not care if he lives or dies]]. He then suggest that he might keep them as deputies if he gets elected sheriff. [[BlatantLies He is lying through his teeth.]]

* Raylan's amazing TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Dickie Bennett shortly before [[spoiler: shooting the little weaselly coward and hauling his ass back to jail.]]

* Limehouse [[spoiler: liberating Quarles of his arm]] with his big ass meat cleaver.

** Arlo, jacked up on a double dose of knockout drugs, springing up and whooping the asses of his assailants. [[spoiler:Even if it does end with him getting fatally stabbed]].

** Raylan [[spoiler:plugging the fake cop full of holes.]]

* Constable Bob [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown getting the ever loving hell knocked out of him]] during "Decoy". Through all of it, he refuses to tell the douchy guy(Named [[TemptingFate YOLO]]) where Drew Thompson is. [[spoiler:He winds up killing YOLO to boot.]]

* A standard DamselInDistress situation turns itself around right quickly when [[spoiler:Raylan AND Winona manage to kill three Detroit mobsmen together]].
* Raylan turning a blind eye while [[spoiler:[[NotSoHarmlessVillain Sammy Tonin]] and his crew gun down Nicky Augustine.]]

* The prison guard who [[spoiler:tried raping Ava]] getting a beating from his superior officer.
* Boyd [[spoiler: killing Lee Paxton [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident and making it look like a suicide]]]] during "Shot All To Hell.
** Followed by [[spoiler:Nick Mooney getting gunned down by a terminally ill miner.]]

* Johny proving to be ProperlyParanoid when he anticipates that [[spoiler: Hot-Rod]] will betray him to Boyd so ahead of time [[spoiler: he bought off Hot-Rod's goons with all the money he had]]. When [[spoiler: Hot-Rod]] realizes what happened, the expression on his face is priceless.
* Boyd [[spoiler:[[VillainTeamUp teaming up]] with the Crowe clan to beat the shit out of Gunner Swift.]]
* Hot-Rod [[spoiler:going out like a badass, by shanking his killer in the throat with a pencil.]]
** Dewey [[spoiler:ditching [[AxCrazy Danny]]. Running him over and leaving him stranded with a run over DEA agent.]]

* Boyd [[spoiler:blowing Picker to bloody chunks]] with an improvised explosive device.

** Raylan finally reaching the end of his patience with Wendy and Daryl's bullshit about [[spoiler:Art's shooting.]] He goes for the jugular by [[spoiler:getting Judge Reardon to charge Kendall as an adult. Which means ''40 years to life'' for something Daryl did.]]

* Loretta's great-aunt Lillian refusing to be intimidated or manipulated by Markham in "Trust". The old battleaxe is dripping with anger and disgust when she calls Markham out.

* Loretta hijacking Markham's big speech at his engagement party to offer to buy everyone's land herself, and ''not'' make them move out, with Boyd's help. Both Markham and Raylan are left slack-jawed at her audacity.

** Let's also note that it took a team-up between Raylan and Avery to bring him down.

* Walker making it as far as he did after getting shot by Raylan and left for dead by Markham. Despite his lack of resources, he almost appears to make his way back to recovery by negotiating with Boyd and Ava. [[spoiler: Unfortunately for Walker, they sell him out to Raylan]].

* Loretta gets her final revenge on the Bennetts by [[spoiler:manipulating Dickie's none too bright hatred of Raylan to get him to sell her the Bennett family land to start her own weed empire.]]

* Avery Markham introducing himself to Boyd and Ava. Boyd's subtle OhCrap reaction to just hearing his name tells you everything you need to know about what a big deal this guy is.

* Avery Markham introducing himself to Boyd and Ava. Boyd's subtle OhCrap reaction to hearing his name tells you everything you need to know about what a big deal this guy is.

* Ava managing to talk her way out of Boyd catching her red-handed coming back from delivering evidence of his recent bank robbery to Raylan. Followed by figuring out Ty Walker's plan, which gets Boyd to bring her in as a full partner in the scheme so she can give the cops some real information.

* Ava managing to talk her way out of Boyd catching her red-handed coming back from delivering evidence of his recent bank robbery to Raylan. Followed by figuring out Cy Walker's plan, which gets Boyd to bring her in as a full partner in the scheme so she can give the cops some real information.

* Ava managing to talk her way out of Boyd catching her red-handed coming back from delivering evidence of his recent bank robbery to Raylan.