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Justified: Measures

"Theo Tonin sent a couple of guys down here to take out the trash."

This was an oddly amusing episode, considering it basically consisted of different factions of nasty thugs running around threatening people and featured a gruesome murder with a katana, which is not something you see every day. The clever dialogue on this show just spoils me for other shows. Although I'll readily admit that I'm not as blown away by this season's mess as I was by the Bennett crime family last year, I have yet to be bored.

Because we just don't have enough wonderful male supporting actors on this show (that was my sarcastic voice), they just added Adam Arkin as the frequently mentioned Detroit mob boss Theo Tonin, and Michael Ironside (Michael Ironside!) as Sarno, one of his more eloquent thugs. I am now looking forward to seeing Adam Arkin pull a human ear out of his pocket and talk to it.

Wynn Duffy finally made his move. I'm just surprised it took this long. I thought it was funny that he was advising his new associate Boyd Crowder to settle for the $100K dead on Quarles instead of the $200K alive. Of course, Wynn Duffy knows Quarles better than Boyd does. Wynn Duffy and Boyd Crowder would probably work well together, since they're both relatively pragmatic and somewhat sane. But of course, to make things more complicated, Errol wants to partner with Dickie and join forces with Boyd against Limehouse. I can't wait to hear what Boyd says when they approach him about working with Dickie. Then again, it would certainly make it easier for Boyd to kill Dickie, since he'd have him right there.

Although it's confusing and everyone has a different agenda, the action appears to be heading in the direction of a nasty death for Quarles and an assault on Noble's Holler. That three million bucks has to be somewhere. Although I doubt that it's under the church. Where does Limehouse keep his ill-gotten gains? In the meat fridge stuffed in a pig carcass, perhaps?

It was Art's turn to shoot someone. I really enjoyed the Art/Raylan extended discussions on job performance and how to submit paperwork on Raylan's many shootings. And at least we got both Tim and Rachel this week, and they were in fine form. Well, mostly Rachel.

Bits and pieces:

-- Dickie Bennett's exit from prison made me laugh out loud. So did the dog-loving neighbor woman's description of Quarles as a huskie.

-- Errol is to Limehouse as Dickie is to Mags?

-- Bearded Pot Kingpin was back (okay, his name is Dunham, but I really like "Bearded Pot Kingpin") and is gone again already. I think he made the right decision not to back Dickie's assault on Noble's Holler. He did, didn't he? I might have lost track. Of course, that was before there were later recruitments to the cause.

-- Young Donovan was rescued from Quarles's bathroom before Quarles could do whatever it is that he does that we still (thankfully) don't know. Yay.

-- Ellen May is ambitious, after all. She wants to be Dickie Bennett's moll. No, I got that wrong. Ellen May wants to be Queen. Good luck with that, Ellen May, because I get the feeling Dickie won't survive the season. Then again, I didn't expect him to survive last season.

-- In this week's hair report, you know what I'm going to say, don't you? Did Dickie Bennett actually shave off circular sections of hair over his ears? Is that a new style that I am (thankfully) as yet unaware of?

Quotes:

Raylan: "You don't even know what I'm gonna say."
Lindsay: "I think you're gonna apologize again for not giving me a full accounting of every second of your life before you heartlessly accepted the gift of my feminine virtue."
I am really enjoying Raylan's new honey. She's a woman after my own heart. Please don't let her die in the run-up to the finale.

Lindsay: "I knew you were going through something. To tell you the truth, I feel a little bad taking advantage of you."
Raylan: "Really?"
Lindsay: "I mean, not so bad that I don't plan to do it again."
Like I said, a girl after my own heart.

Raylan: (to Michael Ironside) "Where'd you buy your suit? Gallows on Michigan Avenue?"

Art: "Some asshole threatened to kill one of my deputies. I'm the only one gets to do that."
Raylan: "I'm touched."

Raylan: "You ever get the feeling God's laughing at you?"
Art: "Why? Just because we shot the guy that's looking to kill the guy that you're just dying to see dead?"

Errol: "His initials are Boyd Crowder."

Three out of four huskies with eyes so blue you can see them from across the street,

Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

7 comments:

  1. This episode was great fun, although--like you--I don't love the overarching plot as much as last year's. (But how could they top that?) This is one of the few shows I watch that makes me laugh out loud, consistently. The "huskie-lookin' fella" had me going for about five minutes.

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  2. While they weren't in a scene together it was nice seeing Mickey Jones and Michael Ironside in the same episode. It took me back to when the original V was a mini-series. I did enjoy last season immensely and this one isn't the same but I like that it has a different feel. And the little bit with Tim and Rachel was nice but too brief. They are just too underutilized in this show. I understand it's about Raylan but he's his best with Art and both Tim and Rachel.

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  3. I'm thrilled that Adam Arkin is our latest bad guy, but I'm having a hard time believing him as Max Perlich's father. Surely, he can't be old enough to be Max Perlich's father?!

    I enjoyed this episode, too. Any episode where Raylan and Art go out in the field together is a winner. And Art giving Raylan some advice about his impending fatherhood was lovely.

    I agree that this season doesn't have the gravitas or power of last season, but it sure has been fun.

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  4. For a moment there I thought Adam Arkin would reprise the villain he played in "Sons of Anarchy".

    All around enjoyable performances and scenes. It doesn't have the same wight as last season, but let's give them time to do it, and I'm sure they'll be great for the next seasons.

    I liked when the goon described Quarles as a guy who seems to shit blond. Also when Boyd said somenthing aboutputting the WIN in Whyn Duffy. Great, funny writing.

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  5. I thought this episode was great. The chess prices are all coming together for the end of game; it really laid the foundations for the end of the season for me.
    I loved the 'field' scenes with Art and Raylan. What a wonderful friendship-I wouldnt describe it as a bromance, more like and old married couple. Their relationship is very comfortable, familiar and forgiving.
    I do wonder what they have in store for Rayland and Winona. Natalie Zea is still in the credits so there must be another turn in that bumpy road.
    I too, have to agree I think Lindsay is not long for this world!
    In my opinion, I believe that last season was so strong because of the very strong family element, and a strong focus on women; whereas this season is all about thugs and bad guys and double crosses. But this is still one of the strongest tv shows,not just presently, but definitly of the last decade.

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  6. I just loved this episode. It made me laugh out loud over and over again.

    The father/son dynamic of Art and Raylan just makes me smile:
    Raylan: "Unmoored?"
    Art: "Oh, shut up. I'm just feeling my way through this."
    Raylan: "Art, I've already got a daddy."
    Art: "Yeah, I've met your daddy."
    Raylan: "Fair enough. Continue."

    My second favourite exchange of the episode, I just love the tone they use with one another and the looks they exchange. Underneath it all is a grudging respect and admiration for the other that has, frankly, been a while in coming.

    My favourite exchange you quoted above about God laughing. I watched that scene about eight times, just grinning.

    And, you've got to admire the karma of Quarles being naked and chained up. At least he gets a bed and not a toilet!

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  7. Re-watching Season 3, and I cannot get onboard with Lindsay. What is with her baby voice and the horrible bangs? It's just hard to believe Raylan would go from Winona to someone like Lindsay (I get that he didn't voluntary leave Winona but still, the downgrade is evident).

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