Walton Goggins Came Up With Timothy Olyphant's Final Moment On Justified

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Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) and Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) are two sides of the same morally ambiguous coin in FX's "Justified." So, it makes perfect sense that Walton Goggins came up with Timothy Olyphant's final moment in the Season 6 finale. Despite the fact Boyd was originally going to die in the pilot, the pair's dysfunctional friendship became a major thread throughout the legendary crime drama. The core line that defines them is, "We dug coal together." Yes, it references how they literally worked in coal mines together, but it also represents everything that they've been through since then. 

"It wasn't planned," showrunner Graham Yost told the Television Academy. "The way that became the last line of the entire series was thanks to Walton." According to Yost, Goggins said, "'What if we go through this, that, and the other thing?' And then Boyd says it, 'We dug coal together.'" Yost ended up debating with series writer Fred Golan on whether Raylan should nod or reply with a "That's right." In the finale's closing moments, Raylan does both.

It seems Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder's turbulent dynamic transferred over to real life. Peter Biskind's 2023 book about network TV, "Pandora's Box," claimed Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins butted heads on "Justified." Goggins addressed the feud claims to The Independent: "We had a tough time towards the end of 'Justified.' We were so deep into these people we were playing, and they were so polar opposite at this point in the story." Goggins explained, "I think we were both obsessed with our own points of view, just carrying the weight of this conflict." Goggins did make sure to note how much he admires Olyphant, however. 

"I respect and love him greatly, and I feel respected and loved by him greatly. We just needed to take a break in order to come back together." The pair had been working together on "Justified" for half a decade before it ended with Season 6. Olyphant explained his side of the alleged feud to Vanity Fair, saying: "I adored working with Walt from the jump, but these actors, they're a pain in the a**. They get really into their work." Part of the problem stemmed from Olyphant becoming a producer on the show and working with the writers. He said: "They'd add things that were like, 'Here's what we need Walt to do in order to get to this finale we want.'" Goggins would occasionally disagree with these decisions, calling them out-of-character, creating more friction between himself and Olyphant.