The land deal crap is confusing me. So I'm going to talk about Ava first.
Boyd obviously left the ledger and the deeds in the barn to see if Ava would take the bait, and dammit, she did. Fortunately, Raylan realized what Boyd was doing, and clued her in. Ava dressed to the nines and went on the offensive with Boyd in the bar, which might have been enough to throw him off. It's so sad that she's no longer Bonnie to his Clyde and that she's afraid of him all the time. It's like an emotional repeat of her relationship with Bowman, and we all know how that turned out.
Let me also add that drinking bourbon with breakfast isn't a smart move when your life is in danger and you need to think clearly. Maybe that's why Ava didn't realize that Boyd was setting her up.
Raylan outwitted Boyd this time, so Boyd doesn't have his ticket out of Harlan yet. Was anyone else creeped out about Boyd repeatedly mentioning Raylan's baby daughter Willa, an obviously veiled threat? I know Boyd is a bad, bad guy who just killed one of his best friends, but I'm accustomed to liking the good in Boyd, the Boyd who adored Ava and cared about Raylan. I don't want Boyd to be despicable. Oh, well.
Other than Ava fighting for clarity, I thought the best scenes in the episode were Raylan and Tim and the completely hilarious Choo-Choo, who has a head full of shrapnel. Raylan outwitting him and driving off in his car was priceless, the sort of thing this show is known for. Choo-Choo made me laugh four or five times, especially when Raylan tossed the keys at him, Choo-Choo didn't even blink, and they just went past and hit the wall behind him.
It didn't make the bad guys any less frightening, though. Ty Walker (Garret Dillahunt) was frightening. I don't know what he and Seabass did to Betty and John-O, that poor couple who wouldn't sell out, but all those trashbags and rolls of plastic didn't look good. Calhoun Shreier the real-le-tor might have gotten out from under his dilemma, with Raylan's help, and Joyce Kipling the bank manager didn't lose her fingers or her eyes by giving Walker Boyd's name, so there's that.
Which brings us to the return of Wynn Duffy, Mary Steenburgen as the scary Katherine, and Sam Elliott as the possibly even scarier Avery. Like Boyd, Wynn and Katherine are aware that Ava's release from prison looks suspicious, and that's not good. I was also uncomfortable with the Katherine/Avery discussion about fingers and eyes.
But hey, ladies and gentlemen, Sam Elliott! Raylan has always reminded me of the laid back Western characters played by Sam Elliott. He belongs on this show, and I'm interested in seeing where they go with him.
Bits:
-- I'm so happy that Tim is getting some serious screen time this season. I loved his "undercover" scene with the bad guys of "Tigerhawk Security".
-- Willa is nine months old and not walking yet. Raylan doesn't want to miss seeing her walk for the first time, but I get the feeling he will.
-- Boyd's minion Earl found Dewey's necklace under a cabinet and hung it around a stuffed squirrel's neck. Along with it being a bit of mean commentary on the value of Dewey himself, it's evidence. It would be interesting if Boyd went down for killing Dewey Crowe.
-- … although I'm starting to think that it's Ava that will bring Boyd down. It would be sad if she ended up killing him the way she killed Bowman.
-- The land deal stuff is confusing and I'm not sure what's going on yet, but apparently it's important that the pizza place used to be a bank.
-- So hills are just the pussy version of mountains. Good to know.
Quotes:
Tim: "So that is your kid. I was worried that was some random internet baby."
Raylan: "Got tired of the cat videos."
Betty: "Feels like I'm chattin' with the devil himself."
She got that right.
Choo-Choo: "Get out of the road, cock holster!"
Raylan: "Well, that ain't polite. You just about hit me and now you're gonna sling foul utterances in my direction?"
Raylan: "Today I'm just gonna take your car."
Raylan: "Fancy seeing you here."
Boyd: "You know, I've never been entirely certain what that phrase is supposed to denote. Does it mean this gathering here must be fancy 'cause you're present, or is it simply an expression of surprise at such a random meeting between two friends or acquaintances?"
Raylan: "Jesus, Boyd. I was just saying hello."
Boyd: "You see, Raylan, I've learned to think without arguing with myself."
Boyd does indeed seem more focused and less confused.
Walker: "See what happens if you call me a peacock?"
Shudder.
Three out of four foul utterances,
Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Not that I don't think Boyd deserves a nasty end for all the horrible things he's done, but Billie, I actually took his mention of Willa to be humanizing moment. Boyd knows dark days are a-comin', and I took it as his roundabout way of warning Raylan away. His vain attempt to say, "You have bigger things going on elsewhere. Go see your daughter, extricate yourself from all this bloody business before you lose the chance. Leave Harlan alive."
ReplyDeleteI really loved the Raylan, Tim, Choo Choo stuff this week, too. That was right in the Justified zone for me. Too funny!
ReplyDeleteI don't think we're supposed to understand what's up with the land grab bit yet. We're supposed to be asking the same questions Boyd, Ava, and Raylan are. I'm curious whether Sam Elliot is directly tied up in all that. They seemed to imply that he was on the other end of that call that Calhoun didn't take. Does that mean he's the Big Boss for Tigerhawk Security? After all the eye talk, he strikes me as vicious enough to have sadistic minions like Ty Walker. Or is he another interested party? Time will tell.
I was impressed with the way Ava tried to turn around her mistake in taking those papers Boyd left in the shed. It was a very convincing anger and set of concerns she threw back in his face. I wonder if he bought it, or if he's still harboring suspicions. After the pizza parlor reveal, he seems to be feeling a lot better about her loyalties. I'm still worried for her, but it was good to see her summon that fire when she's on the spot. It might save her neck yet. I want Ava to live. Like Boyd, she's made bad choices, but I'm "accustomed to liking the good" in her, as you put it.
I refuse to believe that is San Elliot. Elliot has a mustache. Or the mustache has a Sam Elliot attached to it.
ReplyDeleteCalhoun Shreier the real-le-tor...
ReplyDeleteBillie, this made me laugh out loud.
I'm excited to see how the pizza parlor/bank comes into play. Is there a vault? Is there something awesome in the vault? Are they going to use the vault for something awesome? I feel like screaming, a la Dean in Supernatural, "What's in the vault?!"
Choo Choo's "I'm not following" repetition shouldn't be as funny as it made me chortle. It's borderline just stupid, but I loved it. He's great. Also it was great to see Buddy Garrity from Friday Night Lights on the show now.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't tell whether I should read Boyd's comment about his daughter as a reminder of what's important or a threat but I'll admit my first impression is that it's the former. Though I prefer a Boyd who's not in a tolerant mood with Raylan since it's almost funny to see him annoyed (but not murderous).