Abstract
ABSTRACTThe male antihero in the police procedural is marked by a fundamental conflict. On the one hand, his hypermasculine behavior signals that he is an independent actor with no allegiance to the state for which he works. On the other hand, his actions usually work to shore up the power of the state, which relies on his hypermasculine displays of independence to get the job done. Through this sleight of hand, audiences are encouraged to embrace the cop and loathe the system, not recognizing the fundamental complicity of the two. We argue that this formula is significantly interrupted in Season Two of Justified, when audiences are introduced to a female antihero—Mags Bennett—as powerful and trigger-happy as its main protagonist—Raylan Givens. As Mags emerges as the primary unlawful force of the show, Raylan increasingly aligns himself with the federal forces he was more at odds with in Season One. Mags strips Raylan of his antihero status, exposing him as a working stiff for the feds. The season ends with Mags’s death, but not before it presents audiences with a glimpse of an alternative order—one in which toxic masculinity gives way to matriarchal ascendance and extra-legal violence is revealed as the modus operandi of the state.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
