Margo Martindale as good as apple pie in 'Justified', new season Feb. 9 on FX

By April MacIntyre Jan 15, 2011, 1:27 GMT

Mags runs a dry goods store, whips up "apple pie" (moonshine flavored with all the right spices) and oversees a large pot growing collective that is constantly under siege. She has some real doozies for sons, and a real eye fixed on Raylan, back on the scene as a marshal in Kentucky after his Miami exile in season one.

FX series "Justified" is a Southern Gothic lawmen's tale that is just getting wound up, thanks to author Elmore Leonard and actor Timothy Olyphant's wonderful chemistry, with Olyphant's low key but intense energy as Raylan Givens, a character created from the mind of Leonard.

Leonard featured Raylan in two novels, Pronto (1993) and Riding the Rap (1995) and one novella, Fire in the Hole (Justified's inspiration) and in the story collection, When the Women Come Out to Dance (2002).

The series saw a breakout character in the first season with Boyd Crowder (Walt Goggins), Raylan's boyhood friend and now a thorn of sorts, yet the two still have regard for each other.

Season two promises more of Boyd, and a new fascinating character with Margo Martindale, a brilliant Tony-nominee actress who is cast as the head matriarch of a tough-as-nails clan, "Mags Bennett." 

Mags runs a dry goods store, whips up "apple pie" (moonshine flavored with all the right spices) and oversees a large pot growing collective that is constantly under siege. She has some real doozies for sons, and a real eye fixed on Raylan, back on the scene as a marshal in Kentucky after his Miami exile in season one.

Speaking at the Television Critics' Association today, Ms. Martindale mused that it was good to have such a juicy role: “It’s great to be able to be a villain at my age,” says Martindale.  Monsters and Critics sees her role as Tony Soprano meets Paula Deen, with a touch of Lucretia Borgia tossed in.

Ms. Martindale is astoundingly good, and one of the many reasons you need to tune in Wednesday February 9 at 10 PM.  Prior to production, showrunner Graham Yost took his writers on a Kentucky sojourn and immersed themselves in feud culture and Scots-Irish histories in the region, including the story of the real-life woman Mags is based on.

Leonard wrote about this real boss, Maggie Bailey, who ran Harlan County and lived to be 101. Listen to NPR's account of the real Mags who Martindale portrays in "Justified."

Mr. Leonard is writing a new Raylan novel, and sent his regrets to the critics yet penned a grateful letter for the support of the community and fans who have embraced this American show.

An excerpt from Mr. Leonard's remarks:

"He [Boyd Crowder] came back from the dead at the end of my novella thanks to Walton Goggins, whose portrayal of Boyd is irresistible to watch and totally unpredictable.  He is an essential ingredient in the show's success.  But let's not forget the ladies, Joelle Carter and Natalie Zea.  I love them, especially together.  The scene in the courthouse between the two of them is played so beautifully.  They are rivals for Raylan, but there is not a bit of expected sarcasm. 

"When I visited the set of 'Justified' a little over a year ago, I met all of the writers, Tim, the whole team.  I was so inspired by their passion, I decided to write a Raylan story for the show.  I told Graham that he was free to use it or not or whatever parts of my story he wanted.  I discovered that I was having so much fun writing Raylan again that I wrote two more Raylan stories.  It was on my way to another novel called 'No Surprised Raylan.'  My publisher is aiming for a release date in January of 2012.  You will see bits and pieces of that novel spread out in Season 2 starting with the first episode. 

Monsters and Critics asked Ms. Martindale, "How vile is she [Mags] going to get this season?  Are you going to be giving Walt a run for the bad guy money? 

"Well, let me just say that I think I'm a traditional woman.  So I don't know how bad I get.  I think I'm doing the right thing," says Ms. Martindale.

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