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Raylan Givens
Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens is a 19th century style lawman in 21st century Kentucky. He is portrayed by starring cast member Timothy Olyphant. He is a quirky but dedicated Deputy US Marshal who, having committed a justified killing in Florida (he shot a mob hit man who had just drawn a gun on him with intent to kill), has been re-assigned to Kentucky.
Having grown-up in Harlan County and having spent much of his life trying to escape from it, Raylan is not pleased to be there. Ghosts from his past including former lovers, a former friend now involved in criminal militia activity, a criminal father, and his own persistent anger management issues all come back to haunt him.
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Biography
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BackgroundEdit
Raylan Givens was born and raised in the rural backwaters of Harlan County, Kentucky. Raised by his estranged father, Arlo Givens and his step-mother Helen Givens. His mother Frances Givens, sister of Helen, died sometime in his youth. Raylan had a turbulent childhood due to his out of control father, a career criminal. Raylan became familiar with Kentucky's criminal underworld through Arlo.
In his late teen years Raylan worked in the coal mines with his childhood friend Boyd Crowder. Crowder's family was also heavily involved in Kentucky's criminal underworld. Raylan is portrayed in flashbacks to this period by co-star Danny Wildman.
Driven by his distaste of life in Kentucky and his hatred of crime, Raylan would leave his home and become a Deputy US Marshal. Many of Raylan's childhood friends and family acquaintances would later be the very people he would pursue. He was assigned to many field offices across the US (one of which was in Texas) and spent time abroad. Raylan met and married an attractive court stenographer by the name of Winona Hawkins. He was eventually be assigned as a firearms instructor at the US Marshal's Academy in Glynco, Georgia alongside Art Mullen. When Winona divorced him due to his anger management issues he left Glynco and transfered to the Miami Florida Field Office. He spent six years there hunting fugitives, and remains in this post when the pilot episode opens.
Season 1Edit
US Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens gets run out of Miami for very publicly killing a cartel drug runner by the name of Tommy Bucks. Out of desire to avoid scandal and fear for Raylan's safety, Chief Deputy Dan Grant has him transfered to the Lexington Field Office in Kentucky where his former friend and new boss Chief Deputy Art Mullen assigns him to investigate his old childhood friend Boyd Crowder, now a white supremacist who's robbing banks and wreaking havoc on the black community.
Not one to follow by the rules, Raylan gets involved with Boyd's former sister in law Ava Crowder and risks compromising the mounting case against Boyd.
Season 2Edit
Season 2 for Raylan starts off just a few minutes after the events from the season finale of season 1. In The Moonshine Wars, after Boyd goes after the drug lord's niece, he eventually tracks the wounded girl to the airport where he attempts to kill her. Raylan comes in the last minute and tries to talk Boyd out of killing the girl. Instinctly both Raylan and Boyd take out the girl's two remaining henchmen, with Boyd wounded in the process. Entrusting Boyd's safety to an innocent trucker, Raylan takes the drug lord's wounded niece into her private jet and flies to Miami. Once in Miami, Raylan takes the girl to the drug lord's mansion, where he attempts to negotiate with the crime boss to either stop chasing after him or he kills him right on the spot.
Before anything else happens Raylan's old boss, Dan Grant, swoops in and gives the Miami drug lord a message, if he continues to pursue and kill Raylan he will personally come an kill the drug lord himself. With that settled, Grant offers Raylan his job back, in which Raylan turns it down and says that he'll go home and sleep. Being forced to take on paper work back at the office, Raylan agrees to accompany Rachel Brooks to Harlan County to apprehend a convicted sex offender by the name of, James Earl Dean.
After snooping around Raylan discovers that Dean is employed by the Bennett family, which forces him to talk to the Bennett's matriarch Mags Bennett. With the help of a Kentucky State Trooper, Raylan and Rachel track Dean to a gas station arresting him and saving the young Loretta McCready, who Dean kidnapped.
In The Life Inside, Raylan and Tim Gutterson get hoodwinked after two armed men help a pregnant prisoner,Jamie Berglund, that they were escorting, escape.
In The I of the Storm, Raylan is trying to deal with the possibility that his secret affair with Winona might be exposed after accidently running into Tim Gutterson at a concert. While at the same time Raylan is investigating the robbery of a church tour bus, a front for illegal transportation for Oxycotine, only a few miles away from Bennett territory. It is during the course of the investigation that leads Raylan to Dewey Crowe, who previously robbed the high-jackers of the Oxy bus impersonating as Raylan.
In For Blood or Money, Raylan helps Rachel catch her recently paroled brother-in-law, and during the course of their hunt Raylan tries to make sure Rachel's emotional involvement doesn't affect the case.
When Raylan gets a tip from Dewey that the Bennetts are into something big, and further agitates the clan by looking into fraudulent check cashing of the young Loretta's missing father during the episode "Cottonmouth".
Season 3Edit
Following his shooting in the second season finale "Bloody Harlan", Raylan has been admitted to hospital at the beginning of the third season premiere "The Gunfighter". Three weeks later Raylan is back on his feet. While testing his shooting at the range in the Marshal's office, it appears the injury has impaired his accuracy, as well as his ability to quick-draw. Later that day he questions Boyd Crowder about Mags Bennett's missing money and marijuana. Boyd demands an apology because Raylan did not bring Dickie back to him once he was done with him. They get into a fight and Boyd tackles Raylan through Art Mullen's office window. Boyd is dragged out of the Marshal's office. Art places Raylan on light duty due to his injury. Tim Gutterson asks for Raylan's help when one of Wynn Duffy's men, Fletcher "The Icepick" Nix is suspected of a double homicide.
They visit Duffy in his trailer. Duffy remembers that the last time they talked, Raylan threatened him saying there wasn't gonna be a conversation the next time. Duffy doesn't give them any information. Raylan learns that Nix and Emmitt Arnett will be meeting later that evening at a cab stand through Arnett's secretary Yvette. However, unbeknownst to Raylan, Robert Quarles was behind the information being planted. The marshal's capture Arnett's bodyguard but Nix uses a go-between to make the drop and escapes. When Raylan and Winona get back to his motel room they find Nix waiting for them with a gun. Nix orders Raylan to put his gun along with the holster on the ground. Nix likes to toy with his victims, forcing them to play a game. This involves Nix's gun being sat in the middle of the table and having a witness count down from 10, once the count reach 1 they both go for the gun. Nix usually stabs the other player in the hand with an ice pick before taking the gun and killing them. Raylan sees through Nix's ploy and pulls the table cloth towards him once they reach 1, causing Nix to lunge and stab the table with the ice pick. Raylan then grabs the gun and shoots Nix in the shoulder.
In "Cut Ties" Raylan realizes that Boyd provoked the fight to get to Dickie in prison. He has the charges against Boyd dropped and moves Dickie into solitary confinement until Boyd is released. Art tells Raylan that Arnett and Yvette are missing and that the carpets in Arnett's office have been removed. Raylan investigates the murder of Deputy US Marshal Bill Nichols, working with his old colleague Karen Goodall, now an Assistant Director of the US Marshals. They discover that one of Nichols' clients in the WitSec program, Walter Vondas, was trying to return to his criminal life by selling information about other witnesses. They realize that he was behind the murder and act swiftly to protect the other witnesses in the program. Raylan moves into Winona's house, which she is trying to sell in order for them to get a new place together.
In "Harlan Roulette" Raylan is called to Harlan by Trooper Tom Bergen when federal fugitive Wade Messer is sighted. Raylan ties Messer to a scheme to exchange oxycontin for stollen goods and links this to Duffy and the Dixie Mafia. Duffy tries to have Raylan killed but his men end up killing one another. Raylan goes to warn Duffy that he will not survive if he makes another move against him. He finds Duffy meeting with Quarles and photographs Quarles using his phone. The case prevents Raylan from attending a property viewing with Winona.
In "The Devil You Know", Raylan and Rachel go to Trumbull where Lance lies to him, saying that Dickie and Dewey assaulted him before escaping in a coroner's van. Raylan believes that Dickie escape to retrieve Mags's cash, so he pays Loretta a visit and she tips them off that Ellstin Limehouse holds it. Raylan and Rachel attempt to talk to Limehouse, but he refuses to give up any information about the money, and invites the Marshals to eat at the barbecue if they would like. Raylan soon visits Boyd, and tells him a story about how Frances went up to Limehouse's holler to escape from a drunken Arlo, and that Arlo went up after her and attempted to fight Limehouse, who ended up beating up Arlo. Raylan tells him that Limehouse had no recollection of it, and Boyd says that maybe Limehouse has beat up so many white men he doesn't remember Arlo. Raylan soon gets down to business telling him that Dickie and Dewey escaped from Trumbull and that he believes Dickie is after the money. Boyd tells him that he may want to check out Lance, the prison medic. While waiting outside of the motel, he spots Ash Murphy carrying coffee and take out food. The two stare each other down, and Ash attempts to shoot at Raylan, who runs Ash over and sends him rashing to the ground behind the car. Raylan spots Ash back up on his feet, disoriented and attempting to shoot again, and Raylan puts it in reverse and runs over him. Ash's men peel out in a van headed for Mags's store. Ash refuses to give up any information, but after Raylan creates a ruse saying he is unable to get a paramedic cause of no phone service, Ash tells him they are headed to Mags's old store to receive the money. Givens pulls up to Mags's store to find Dickie there shooting off random shots from a shotgun as well as the dead bodies of Combs and Junior, Dickie says that he is clearly the victim and Raylan agrees.
In "Thick as Mud", Raylan arrives home late to find Winona waiting up for him. She reminisces on the night she was reunited with Raylan when he scared Gary in her kitchen. Raylan says that she is seven weeks pregnant and asks if she is ready to move, and he hasn't lined up a place. Winona tells him she is angry, but she is done trying to change who Raylan is and pretending that she will ever feel the same about any other man that she does about Raylan. Raylan says that might be the sweetest thing she ever told him and they kiss. Raylan is soon called by Rachel, who reports that Dewey was seen fleeing from a motel, and stealing a car at gunpoint. Upon entering the hotel, they find that Lance is missing too. At a stripclub, a stripper tells him that Dewey had two incisions on his lower stomach that looked as if he had a kidney transplant because her aunt had the same exact incisions in the same places when she had a kidney transplant. Raylan visits Ash in the hospital, believing him to be in on the plan. After taking Ash's morphine drip control and leaning back against his broken legs, Ash reveals that it was all Lance's idea to harvest Dewey's organs, saying that they would make $50 grand alone for livers and kidneys. Raylan has a conversation with Ash's nurse Layla who tells him that Dr. Boisneau, an arrogant transplant surgeon may have the answers about kidney failure that Raylan is looking for. Raylan successfully negotiates with Dewey, who has taken refuge in a storage room in a mini mart. Raylan tells him that if he is able to urinate, he still has his kidneys. Dewey is able to urinate, and paramedics are called in to look at him. Raylan learns from Rachel that Ash has died, and re-visits Tyree. A receptionist tells him that Ash suffered from a post-surgery stroke, and she has no idea who Layla is when Raylan asks about her. Raylan visits Layla's house, and tells her he didn't know she was from a transplant center nearby and got her first shift as a nurse soon as Ash was admitted. Layla indirectly confesses to killing Ash by inserting an air bubble into his brain. During the conversation, Raylan is stabbed by Lance in the shoulder with a needle, leaving him unconscious. Lance persuades Layla into letting him harvest Raylan's kidneys. Layla shoots Lance in the chest, and he falls on top of Raylan, who is slowly regaining consciousness in the bathtub. Raylan shoots Layla in the chest through Lance's stomach when she attempts to shoot him. Layla says "I can't believe you shot me" before collapsing to the ground. Raylan expresses shock to Art over shooting a woman, something he has never done before. Raylan arrives home to find it empty with a letter presumably from Winona, and it appears to be bad due to Raylan's reaction.
In "When the Guns Come Out", Raylan is distraught after learning Winona has left him. While searching through Winona's computer in her office, he sees that she has been looking up flights to Costa Rica. The new court sternographer, Mabel, comes in and the two exchange barbs until Mike Reardon comes in. Raylan asks Mike if he has heard from Winona, but he tells him that he hasn't and advises Raylan to leave her alone until she sorts everything out because if he pokes into her personal life, he might find something that he will regret learning. Raylan then goes into the evidence locker where he finds that the money Winona stole in "Blaze of Glory" is missing. Raylan soons goes to his office where Art talks to him about a shoout that happened in Harlan, and he wants Raylan to stop it before it blows over. Raylan interrupts asking for time off due to his mind being scrambled by Winona leaving him. Art tells him that the shootout happened at Helen's old property on the Indian Line. Raylan reluctantly agrees to check it out. Tom Bergen tells him that they could not get any information from Arlo, who only said to direct any questions they may have to Raylan. Raylan visits his father, angrily wanting to know why their family name has been involved in the "clinic" massacre. Arlo tells him that he was only helping out Boyd. Raylan visits Boyd, and threatens him by saying that he doesn't care about Boyd's Oxy business, but the next time his family name is involved, he is going to lose his Marshal's star and come calling. Raylan visits Ava for information after Boyd instructs him to do so, and the two head to Delroy's trailer behind Audrey's to speak to Ellen May. Delroy soon comes in with a knife, and Raylan flashes his badge and gun and orders the reluctant man to wait outside. Raylan soon goes out, and punches Delroy in the face with his gun after he still threatens the Marshal. Raylan orders the man to not let anything happen to Ellen May, and he intially refuses until Raylan kicks the man again. Following Ellen May's lead, he heads over to the clinic that is run by Tanner Dodd. Tanner instructs his henchman, Gus to floor it once the Marshal is inside. Raylan tells him he fits the description of an eyewitness report that killed 3 people in a shootout. Dodd attempts to shoot Raylan, but Raylan grabs his arm, causing him to fire shots at the roof. A fight ensues between the two men with Raylan getting the upper hand until Dodd kicks him off into a table. Dodd attempts to retrieve his gun but Raylan climbs onto him and grabs his arm again, causing him to fire a shot that hits the driver, Gus, in the back of the throat, killing him. Raylan soon throws Dodd, as well as his gun, out of the clinic as it is speeding down the road. Raylan asks Bergen if he found anything about Winona from the BOLO, but he reveals he didn't, but Bergen tells him the last time they located Winona was outside of Louisville, so he uses that lead to find Winona at her older sister Gayle's house. Gayle intially refuses to let Raylan see her until Winona tells her it's okay. Raylan suspects she stole the evidence money to go to Costa Rica, but she swears that she didn't. Winona reveals to him she left because she didn't want her baby to be raised in an environment where Raylan is killing criminals, and that if Raylan wanted to change his life around. Raylan realizes that Winona loves him and their child, but she's skeptic on the chance of their relationship lasting.
PersonalityEdit
Raylan has a strong preference for Western attire -- Stetson hat, tailored jeans and cowboy boots. He has a creative approach to law-enforcement. He is a skilled marksman with an excellent quick-draw. Raylan's approach to crime fighting is similar in style to an old western sheriff, such as accepting a friendly drink from a suspect or witness while on duty. Despite being well known for shooting the most people as a Deputy US Marshal, Raylan is also good at deescalating conflicts by pointing out the weaknesses of a suspect's situation. While he doesn't always follow the rules, Raylan Givens applies himself diligently to putting bad people behind bars and protecting good people.
RelationshipsEdit
- Winona Hawkins: Lover and mother of his child, ex-wife
- Boyd Crowder: Childhood friend, nemesis
- Arlo Givens: Father
- Frances Givens: Mother, deceased
- Helen Givens: Step-mother, Aunt, deceased
- Art Mullen: Longtime friend and boss
- Ava Crowder: Former high school crush
- Tim Gutterson: Coworker, Deputy US Marshal
- Rachel Brooks: Coworker, Deputy US Marshal
Memorable QuotesEdit
- (Regarding the shooting of Tommy Bucks)"It was justified"
- "I've shot people I liked more for less"
- (To Ava)"You do seem to have a penchant for getting abducted"
- (To Duffy's henchman) "What's wrong with you? You don't piss on someone's lawn."
- "I didn't order assholes with my whiskey."
- "That's a 10-gallon hat on a 20-gallon head."
AppearancesEdit
| Season one appearances | ||||
| Fire in the Hole | Riverbrook | Fixer | Long in the Tooth | The Lord of War and Thunder |
| The Collection | Blind Spot | Blowback | Hatless | The Hammer |
| Veterans | Fathers and Sons | Bulletville | ||
| Season three appearances | ||||
| The Gunfighter | Cut Ties | Harlan Roulette | The Devil You Know | Thick as Mud |
| When the Guns Come Out | The Man Behind The Curtain | Watching the Detectives | Loose Ends | Guy Walks Into a Bar |
| Episode 11 | Episode 12 | Episode 13 | ||
