Raylan is sooooo on Art's shit list. Art isn't even communicating directly with Raylan. I don't see the two of them getting past this. And yet, since Timothy Olyphant is the star of this series and it's about a deputy marshal named Raylan Givens in Kentucky, it seems unlikely that Raylan will be transferred. Which made me think about the feeling I've been getting that something will happen to Art before he retires.
But the thing is, no matter how angry Art is, Raylan is good at his job. He managed to track down his walk-in problem by doing good old fashioned police work.
For a misogynistic criminal nerd, T.C. Fleming was a fun character. He had the nerve to jump out the window to escape from Raylan, even though he only had one leg. (Loved Kemp's Richard Kimble joke.) He insulted his girlfriend's html coding but saved her from Kemp by rerouting that phone call. He took out Raylan's credit cards and bank account, but then taught him how to be caller number seven. Fun. Did they have to follow it with the massive cliche of T.C. hiding in his grandmother's basement, though?
Raylan is actively working on divide and conquer with the Crowes now by telling Wendy about Darryl killing Dilly, and of course Kendal is waiting in the wings to tell Darryl about Danny killing the Haitian. I'm still sort of confused about where they're going with Wendy getting Alison suspended from her job and why Wendy is determined to seduce Raylan. Wendy is used to thinking rings around everyone, especially her brothers, but I don't think she's going to get anywhere with Raylan.
As I've mentioned before in other reviews, Raylan and Boyd tend to deal with parallel problems, so Boyd was also having problems at "the office." In fact, Boyd's massive problems with getting his business off the ground have involved way too many fatalities. I think he should take the hint and possibly try to make a living some other way. Used car salesman? Drive through window? Actually, if Boyd still believed in God, he'd make a fabulous preacher. Set up a tent, pass around a collection plate, he'd do great.
Anyway, I assume Johnny is actually dead now, that he won't be coming back again after a lengthy hospital stay this time. That's sad. I'll miss duplicitous cousin Johnny. He was such an interesting snake of a guy. And I liked how that scene in front of Yoon's house seemed to highlight how much Boyd and Johnny look alike. They always felt like cousins. Boyd looked a little shocked when he realized he'd finally killed Johnny, didn't he?
Johnny was still talking about Ava right up until Boyd outthought him to death with the truck ambush. I wonder how much of the deadly anger between them had to do with Ava?
In the comments on last week's episode, we were interpreting Ava cutting her own hair as a sign that she was taking back control of her own life. We were right. Ava just made herself invaluable to the "heavenly mother" by eliminating the competition and becoming the new jailhouse supplier.
Boyd had better get his drug cartel up and running, or Ava might have just made things worse for herself instead of better.
Bits:
-- Kendal is working actively on an exit strategy and was hitting up his Uncle Jack.
-- Kemp shot Larry in the ear through his cell phone. Never saw that one before.
-- The "heavenly mother" (played by what's-her-face the werewolf from True Blood) was fun. So tough she was putting out cigarettes on her hand? Really? She did articulate Ava's situation pretty well, though. No more "waiting on a maaaaaaan to save you."
-- Mr. Yoon's place in Mexico was very Los Angeles. Although it looks satisfyingly Kentucky-like, Justified is filmed in the Los Angeles area.
-- In this week's hair report, Joelle Carter's roughly chopped off hairdo looked real. Good job there. I started wondering if it actually was real.
Quotes:
Larry: "Have you heard of falafel, marshal?"
Raylan: "Never cared much for it. I always found it kind of like a cut rate hush puppy."
Boyd: (to Johnny) "Well, look at you. Even vultures can fly south for the winter."
Tim: "Between a one-legged evaporating computer nerd and the walk-in this morning, you're on fire today."
T.C.: "Man, I've been phone phreaking since I was 14."
Raylan: "I don't know what that is, but I'm guessing that means you weren't getting laid much."
See what I mean about them going for the nerd cliches?
Chris: "God, no. Technology to reply to a post is decades away."
Wendy: "I have to admit I find your blatant abuse of government privilege incredibly sexy."
Good enough episode, but I am again not feeling Justified so much this season. Sigh. Three out of four cut rate hush puppies,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
This season is definitely a come down after last season. There are certainly moments to enjoy, and I'm liking the very serious conflict between Art and Raylan, but most of it still feels pretty scattered.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad that Cousin Johnny bit the dust, too. I liked what he brought the mix, and it is always a bummer to lose characters with a good, established history. The relationships that have built up over years of story can yield such great drama. At least we got to see Boyd and Johnny go head-to-head one last time.
This season isn't grabbing me either. I'm starting to wonder if the intent is to do a lot of set up for next season with more long plot development? Otherwise the various threads aren't coming together well for me.
ReplyDeleteI always joke with my husband that Justified is so good, but it gives me a stomach ache from the tension of watching it. This season the Art/Raylan relationship is my big stress point. I've been worried about Art since late last season and it just keeps piling on. Raylan needs people who call him on his bs and still stick around. It has been a steady attrition of all of Raylan's support and moral touchpoints over the course of the show. His aunt Helen, his father (a moral touchpoint by bad example), Winona and his baby, now he's at odds with Art. He really seems as poised to lose that thin edge of control that keeps him one of the good guys. Boyd is definitely on a similar path from bad guy to worse bad guy with his separation from Ava.
I agree with you all that this season is not as compelling as former seasons have been, but the Art/Raylan conflict is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI was struck this episode by how much Rachel seems to be stepping up and giving orders. Is this foreshadowing of who will be in charge next year?
I liked it. I was wondering how they'd get rid of Johnny, I was surprised at the disappointment I felt finally seeing him die, but I can't think of a better way to do it. And I didn't really want him to stick around to be an actual adversary to Boyd. I like his actor and I find him physically attractive, but the character was just such a grudge-bearing loser that I'm glad he's stopped lingering around.
ReplyDeleteI really liked what they did with the Crowes concerning the last scene. I wondered if they were really destined to be Crowder cronies but no obviously they'd fuck it up of their own accord, and better sooner rather than later. What is Danny's fucking problem lol, how is it that Dilly's the one who was picked to be off? Retards
The stuff with the hacker was pretty fun. I was amused at Raylan asking Wendy to pick up the tab almost seeming like some sort of power move then I remembered about his card just before he mentioned it, lol.