The only person in the world who doesn't look terrible in a hat? Raylan Givens from the series Justified—which sadly concludes this week (FX, Tues April 14, 10 pm). NOOOOO!!! Guys, I LOVE me some Justified, which is one of the best, unsung series on television. Why? TWO REASONS: (a) Justified is a great modern TV western (even though it's set in Kentucky... more on that later), and (b) Raylan Givens' hat. In the show, Raylan (played to near-perfection by Timothy Olyphant) is a US marshal who's stationed in the hillbilly haven of Harlan County, Kentucky, and insists on wearing a Stetson—the classic American cowboy hat.
Now it should be noted that on Timothy Olyphant, a Stetson looks like it was genetically modified to sit perfectly on his head. Conversely, when I try on a Stetson, it immediately shape-shifts into one of those really tall idiot hats that Pharrell wears. (Seriously, Pharrell... STOP IT.) Anyway, that gorgeous Stetson has become an essential character in the series; looking fantastic, but also grounding Justified in the tropes of western movie classics such as Rio Bravo, High Noon, and Winchester '73.
Here are the basics: Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, Raylan was born and raised in Harlan, but escaped the coalmines to become a US marshal in Miami, where he becomes famous for his fugitive-catching ability and quickdraw shooting style. After one particularly controversial shooting, Raylan is transferred (read: condemned) to Harlan—but as it turns out, his in-depth knowledge of the area and its hillbilly citizenry make him extremely adept at his job... which sometimes includes shooting people. (But he's always polite about it, so there's that!)