As most Justified superfans know, Boyd Crowder was originally supposed to die in the first episode of the show. He ended up surviving after the producers realized Walton Goggins is a goddamn indispensable treasure of a human being, and because of that we have been treated to four seasons of one of the most complex, enjoyable villains on television. I bring this up because it turns out that the show’s other other enjoyable — although somewhat less “complex,” and more “detached and psychotic” — villain, Wynn Duffy, also survived an on-screen death at the last minute. Twice.
From an interview actor Jere Burns did with The Daily Beast:
At first, said Burns, Wynn was supposed to be shot and killed at the end of his original two-episode stint in Season 1. “And by the second episode, they figured out a way to not kill him, as they sometimes do on Justified if they like a character,” said Burns. “They shot me in the shoulder instead.”
One season later, Wynn’s number came up again. “It was this showdown between Raylan [Timothy Olyphant] and I, a fantastic scene. The problem was that I died at the end of it,” Burns said. “And I think Tim was not happy with that scene that day, and as often happens on Justified, stuff gets rewritten on the fly. It’s a very collaborative show, in a good way. So that day, he didn’t die again.”
That second paragraph makes me want to drive to California and kiss Timothy Olyphant right on the mouth. (Like, more than usual.) Wynn Duffy and his rolling beige lair have become an essential part of the show, especially after the Drew Thompson-related fallout at the end of last season, so if a perturbed, handsome actor in a cowboy hat was the only thing between him and a demise that had already been written into the script, then we should really figure out how to award an Emmy for that.
Also, no more Wynn Duffy, no more Wynn Duffy Reacting To Things GIFs. Unacceptable.
