by Lee Padrick, February 24, 2014
Justified S5E6
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| Can I buy you a beer? |
WARNING: This review contains spoilers.
A man walks into a bar.
After the last episode, everyone is sitting on the edge of their seats. Raylan has confessed, sorta, that he was involved in the Nicky Augustine murder. What is Art to do?
Raylan visits Art, post-sorta-confession, at a bar during a rainstorm. He walks up to his boss, and says "Art." Art punches Raylan in the face and walks out.
Ava is now in prison, and the protection Boyd offers her, in the face of an Aryan crime boss, is not providing her the sanctuary she needs. Boyd's Aryan buddy views Boyd as a traitor to the cause, and his sister roughs Ava up instead of providing protection.
Boyd, incensed by his former friend's actions, decides to collaborate with the Crowe family, and pays back the transgression with a fit of violence. Don't expect the Crowder/Crowe business arrangement to hold for long. Also, Boyd is trying to establish a Mexican cartel connection to supply the heroin trade in Harlan County. But Cousin Johnny, under the guise of Hot Rod Dunham, is planning to cross Boyd and take over this apparently lucrative vice.
Tim is suspicious of the fact that Raylan has a black eye and Art has injured his knuckles, but neither the protagonist or his boss will talk about a personnel matter. Rachael sides up to Raylan, but Raylan will not confide in her what precipitated the conflict. But he does offer some nice platitudes to solidify his respect for his co-worker.
This episode falls a little flat, especially coming off "Shot All To Hell." But the last episode will likely be remembered as one of the best of the series, so it is likely not a fair comparison. And the writers have earned trust over the years, so this episode will probably be looked at as an essential bridge in Season 5.
There are lots of scores still to settle in Harlan County.
Random Thoughts:
- Darryl is really growing on me.
- Danny's psychopathy was toned down this episode.
- Tim needs to shoot someone.
What did you think?
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by Lee Padrick, February 6, 2014
Justified S5E5
WARNING: This review contains spoilers.
Holy cowboy hats! That was an excellent episode of Justified!
After a couple of slower-paced episodes, Justified roars into the Season Five plotline with blood, violence, and supreme badassery. This is Art Mullen's time to shine, and our favorite Chief Marshal notches a few accomplishments on his gunbelt as he prepares for his impending retirement.
Raylan is busy running around and trying to cover his own ass. First, he jogs down to the Social Services office, just in time to see Wendy Crowe picking up the younger Crowe and chiding Raylan for his harassment of her family. And his new girlfriend piles on as well. But scolding is the least of Raylan's worries; there is a certain Mr. Picker who is talking with Art about the night that Nicky Augustine was killed. Raylan somehow gets a few minutes alone with Picker and threatens the career criminal. Which is not an easy feat, considering that the only reason Picker is talking to the Feds is so he can get some protection from Theo Tonin's hitman, Marcos.
Speaking of Marcos, an encounter with Art leads to the best scene of the episode. Marcos, after executing one of the Canadian drug runners, goes to Kentucky to hunt down Picker, who is having breakfast with Wynn Duffy and Mike. Only Art is there, too, and confronts Marcos. Marcos wisely decides that Art will likely shoot him if he continues his mission against Picker, and backs down. Only to reappear later at a warehouse when Art and Raylan go looking for Marcos and Tonin. Marcos takes a few shots at the Marshals with an automatic shotgun (yep, even Art is impressed with this weapon!) before succumbing to a Raylan bullet. But a search of the warehouse yields a sickly Theo Tonin, and Art arrests one of the nation's most notorious fugitives. So Art is having a good day.
Meanwhile, Boyd is out killing people, making deals, and righting his own ship as he tries to spring Ava from jail. And his plan is working, as he eliminates Paxton, Mrs. Paxton, Mooney, and even makes a deal with Hot Rod Dunham to get access to Johnny AND a supply of heroin. A good day at the Crowder household. Except that short prison guard has not gotten over his humiliation, and decides to fake an attack on himself and blame Ava. So Ava is not coming home any time soon.
Cousin Johnny is showing off his own smarts, too. While Hot Rod was out negotiating with Boyd, Johnny has been busy paying off the Harris brothers, who decide to turn on Hot Rod and back Johnny. So Hot Rod may not be long for this world.
And over at the Crowe's, Dewey is exploring existentialism with a couple of his employees, while Darryl Jr. is out threatening Boyd. As expected, neither Crowe is successful in his endeavors. And we get to know more about the psychopathic Danny Crowe, who shoots Jean-Baptiste after a slight regarding Danny's work ethic.
Finally, Vasquez informs Art and Raylan that Picker fingered missing (and deceased) FBI Agent Barkely for the Nicky Augustine killing. But Raylan suddenly develops a conscience and confesses (well, sort of) to involvement in the Augustine killing.
Whew! An action-packed episode of Justified, and likely one of the best of the entire series. I can't wait to see how Art processes this new information regarding Raylan.
Random Thoughts:
- A brief Tim/Rachael sighting at the end of the episode.
- I can't decide where we are going with the Big Bad this season. Is it Darryl, Jr.? Danny? Or Cousin Johnny?
- I have concerns whenever a supporting cast member gets an episode to shine. That usually means that character is short for this world. Please, writers, don't be predictable!
What did you think?
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by Lee Padrick, January 31, 2013
Justified S1E4
WARNING: This review contains spoilers.
A Public Service Announcement to all Webelos: Maintain and/or replace your shovels.
After last week's rather flat show, this episode offers up what Justified does best. Non-stop, well-written action. And a poor sap that somehow perseveres. You have seen this episode before. But its fun, nonetheless.
Dewey is persuaded by his Florida kin to "make his bones" and deal with Messer's betrayal. So a few gunshots and a fight scene later, Dewey is tracking an injured Wade Messer through the Kentucky woods. While dazed and confused. Well, more dazed and confused that Dewey already is. After Messer finally bleeds out undiscovered, Dewey has completed his task. He is now facing a decision on whether to work for Cousin Darryl or to demote him.
Boyd is still busy dealing with the responsibilities of a local crime lord. He is playing both sides of the law, offering information to Raylan in return for unfettered continuation of his nefarious enterprises. Boyd gets a face-to-face with Cousin Johnny, who is now partnered with Hot Rod Dunham. And Boyd is collecting bodies for Mara's mysterious plan.
Raylan is continuing his relationship with Allison, and their time together has an effect on the Deputy Marshal. Raylan uses the young boy working behind the bar as a way to stir up Darryl and his brother by playing the role of social worker, as he removes the youngster from the Audry's environment.
Art is travelling to Detroit to meet with some colleagues about the death of Sammy Tonin, and the tip from one of the Canadian drug dealers about a "Kentucky Lawman's" involvement in the murder of Nicky Augustine. Art's success with his investigation will play a major role as the season progresses. In Art's defense, he is vetting the man that will likely replace him when he retires, so it is understandable for him to show curiosity.
This penultimate season of Justified is moving toward some major changes in the show's world. And episodes like "Over The Mountain" offer what is great about the way Justified is written. In lesser hands, "Over The Mountain" would not likely work. But this great team of writers and actors take the familiar and turns it into something that comes across as excellent.
Random Thoughts:
- Tim was in this episode! And running from a dog!
- Raylan appears headed for dark, troubled waters.
- Another Vasquez sighting. Not good for our protagonist.
- The return of Hot Rod Dunham. Can Steve and Wood Harris be far behind?
What did you think?
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by Lee Padrick, January 31, 2014
Justified S1E3
WARNING: This review contains spoilers.
"Good Intentions" is an appropriate name.
This episode offers a neat, tidy hour of television. It did not slow this season's story, but it felt a little flat. Granted, a "flat" hour of Justified is often much better than most serialized series, but this transition episode was reminiscent of several episodes in early Season Four. Although last season came together in the second half, so the writers get the benefit of the doubt.
Raylan is again pushing limits of authority. While he is living in Monroe's confiscated mansion, he is sexing up Allison and being accosted by angry big guys. Raylan turns the angry big guy on Wynn Duffy, and the threat is eliminated. This tendency to get adversaries embroiled in violent confrontations is likely not conduct becoming of a U.S. Marshal. Especially when Art is looking into the Sammy Tonin thing, with Vasquez hanging around the office. Raylan's self-destructive choices continue to lead to a darker future. And considering his troubled past, this can't fare well for the trigger-happy protagonist.
Boyd, on the other hand, is trying to balance the mechanics of distribution with his attempt to ascend to the top of the Harlan County underworld. And he is doing a poor job of it. His fiancee is in jail, and he is sexing up Mara, the mail order wife of his rival, Paxton. And there is the not-very-interesting character of Sheriff-wannabe Mooney. The cliffhanger of Cousin Johnny on the phone promises to quicken the pace of Boyd's story.
Meanwhile, Dewey is trying to hold together his business, AND maintain curb appeal. His Florida cousins have smelled fear and money, and have settled into Audry's. Dewey is the ultimate mark, so his bumbling of dealing with this week's revelation that Wade Messer is skimming money for Boyd does not bode well for his longevity.
This episode offered a good, tight stand-alone story, but did not offer much in terms of the season arc. Like a beautiful Chamber of Commerce day on Tuesday. Nice, but not a lot going on.
Random Thoughts:
- Was hoping that the Raylan-Rachael roommate pairing would be sustainable.
- No Tim?
- Vasquez hanging around suggests that he may have a larger role to play this season. Like investigating a certain Deputy Marshal.
What did you think?
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by Lee Padrick, January 15, 2014
Justified S5E2
WARNING: This review contains spoilers.
Manuela cooks a mean iguana, its very tender.
Raylan has to spend this episode bailing Loretta out of a jam, because she has gotten caught up in a drug deal with Hot Rod Dunham (remember him from Season 2?), and things have gone south. And Boyd is trying to evade imprisionment as he works on springing Ava from her incarceration.
This episode of Justified hits just about all the marks that we have come to expect of a good episode of this show. Great writing, pacing, and dialogue. And fun characters. I firmly believe 10 years from now this show will be in writing textbooks as an example of how to do things right on television. This episode was just so much fun to watch.
Loretta, as mentioned earlier, has gotten sideways with Hot Rod Dunham, and she and her boyfriend are on the run from Hot Rod's enforcers, played by Steve and Wood Harris (real-life brothers playing TV brothers). Yep, Eugene Young and Avon Barksdale are on this episode of Justified.
Raylan comes to the rescue and settles Loretta's debt to Hot Rod, without firing a shot. Or at least a shot from a firearm. He does get to whack Steve Harris in the head with a shovel and fire off an awesome threat to Hot Rod.
Raylan: "I'll kill four of you before you even clear your weapons, and I'll take my chances with the other two. And you see this star? That's gonna make it legal. Now, do we have an understanding here?"
That is classic Raylan and this kind of dialogue is what makes this show so great. Because you know he means it, and can do it. Luckily, Hot Rod (who, if I remember correctly, has never been on the wrong end of Raylan) understands Raylan's threat and makes a good decision to forgive Loretta's debt. Then, as Raylan is taking Loretta home, he realizes that Loretta has gamed him and everyone she has come in contact with. He shakes his head and grins like a proud adoptive father. Oh, and Raylan develops an attraction to Loretta's social worker, the lovely Amy Smart.
Meanwhile, Boyd is being extorted by Mara, the mail-order bride of Paxton, who Boyd beat severely last week. She wants $300,000 to disappear, or she can implicate Boyd in Paxton's beating. And Officer Asshole (is he the Sheriff now, since Shelby stepped down last season?) is hot on Boyd's trail, trying to get Mara to identify Boyd as the man responsible for Paxton's beating. Boyd is also trying to get Ava out of jail, but I noticed a spark between him and Mara. We'll see where that goes this season.
And the Florida Crowe's are now in Harlan County to visit Dewey. And to serve as this season's Big Bad.
Lastly, Art is looking into the murder of Nicky Augustine. Seems the death of Sammy Tonin has piqued Art's interest, so Raylan will likely have to answer for his orchestration of Augustine's demise last season.
The chess pieces are moving into place, and with the announcement this week that next season will be Justified's last, the writers have an endgame in sight. This season will play a major role as the bridge into the final season, so it will be interesting to see where all of our favorite characters are at this season's end.
Random Thoughts:
- Nice throwback to Arlo and Hot Rod's history.
- Is this love interest/social worker on the up-and-up? I dunno, I sense something hinky going on with her.
- Will Art cover for Raylan when he finds out the truth about the death of Nicky Augustine?
- Paxton's out of his coma. More trouble ahead for Boyd?
What did you think?
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by Lee Padrick, January 8, 2014
Justified - Season 5, Episode 1
WARNING: This review contains spoilers.
Justified is back for its fifth season, and we're going to Florida!
The Elmore Leonard-inspired serial drama kicks off in fine fashion, as a time jump has occurred and Raylan is now a father. Trouble is, his ex-wife and baby girl are now living in Florida. The show throws us into Judge Reardon's (Stephen Root) courtroom where Dewey Crowe (Damon Herrimon) is suing the Marshal's Service for his mistreatment at the hands of Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens. A humorous exchange between Dewey's attorney and Raylan, as the protagonist is held to account for his past sins. Judge Reardon grants Dewey a $300,000 settlement, and we have a new owner of Audrey's, bought from one Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), who is in need of quick cash to try to spring his betrothed from incarceration for the murder of Delroy (a former owner of Audrey's). Harlan County must have a "six degrees of separation" thing happening at the local cathouse/bar.
Boyd meanwhile is trying to work a drug deal that goes badly when he gets shot in the ear. So he calls up a women's tennis-watching Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns) and they head to the Motor City for some facetime with the head of the Tonin gang. Except Sammy Tonin, the heir of the organization after Theo skipped the country, has lost his mind and is holed up in a blighted building with sex dolls and a chainsaw-wielding torturer. You want an explanation? All we get is "that was last week." There are some shades of Season Three's Quarles in that scene. Some real freaks in the Tonin organization. Picker (from Season Four) offs Sammy and the Chainsaw Massacre because of a debt owed to some Canadians that are organized more than the government allows, and we have a great scene where Boyd and Duffy lose their northern suppliers of illicit substances.
Boyd is desperate to get Ava out of jail, so he visits Paxton (from last season's Harlan Swingers Club) and even begs for help. Until Paxton makes the fatal mistake of insulting Ava, then Boyd pistol-whips the man to death (or something close to it). And Boyd lets the witness to this savage beating, the mail-order bride of Paxton, walk away. Don't know where Boyd's story is going this season, but I expect it will be darker than what we've seen previously. Maybe I need to go back and watch previous seasons, but Boyd's storyline had some holes in it. I'll just chalk those up to "that was last week."
Meanwhile, Raylan has been assigned temporarily to Florida to track down some of Dewey's family members in regard to a missing Coast Guard guy. Raylan works with his old boss (Matt Craven) and a local deputy marshal (David Koechner) to track down Darryl Crowe (Michael Rapaport), who hangs out with his dimwitted brother and his tramp-stamped sister Wendy (Alicia Witt). The episode devolves into a case-of-the-week, as Raylan and his marshal friend track a Cuban sugar smuggler named Elvis, who gets shot by Raylan. Imagine that? Raylan shooting someone.
These estranged Crowes will be coming to Harlan to pay Dewey a visit this season. Which means they will get sideways with Deputy Marshal Givens.
There was some hinkiness in this episode, but I'm confident most of the wrinkles will be ironed out as the season progresses. Justified consistently delivers some of the best writing and dialogue found on television today. I look forward to where this great show will go from here.
Random Thoughts:
- No Rachael, Art, or Tim this week.
- What's up with Cousin Johnny? Looking forward to seeing what he's doing now.
- Raylan is quite the technophile, as he watches Netflix and Skypes!
What did you think?
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by Lee Padrick, October 9, 2013
WARNING: This review contains spoilers.
The Bridge has wrapped up its initial season and is poised for 2014. The Big Bad of Season 1 was defeated a few episodes ago, and we've been treated to a few episodes of Season 1.5. A bonus thrown to the audience for tolerating David Tate? Perhaps.
Hank (Ted Levine) and Sonya (Diane Kruger) spend some time at Hank's ranch, where he shows off his rodeo skills while Sonya decompresses. These two characters are fun to watch, and I hope we get more of their backstory next season. Sonya is concerned that Hank is considering retirement, but he assures her (and us) he will be back next season.
by Lee Padrick, September 26, 2013
WARNING - This review contains spoilers
The serial killer arc has wrapped up and The Bridge is dealing with the aftermath. And I must say, I liked this penultimate episode.
We finally got back to the premise of the show that we started watching during the early run of the season. The El Paso/Juarez dynamic is an interesting world and as the show moves past the evil mastermind of David Tate (who has a brief scene where he smirked at Marco as he was perp walked into the courthouse), we get a glimpse of where this show may be headed in the second season.
Hey, The Bridge producers, if you're reading this. More Galvan and Linder, please.
And Sonya's character development is progressing nicely, as we see her lamenting the salvaging of her sister's Bronco and her new-found empathy for her "partner", Marco. Marco's on a month-long bender after the death of his son (he doesn't seem too concerned that his wife is gone), and Sonya's trying to reignite his passion for his work, by stopping in to see him and his Walter White-inspired beard. After a few failed attempts, I think Sonya has rescued Marco from his pity party and when we last see him, he's clean-shaven and at the courthouse (where the previously-mentioned Dr. Evil wannabe smirks at him).
by Lee Padrick, September 12, 2013
-This review contains spoilers-
Later, Tim. You were fun while you were here, but you pissed off the wrong widow with hot pants. Charlotte just got shafted (in the un-Charlotte way) by her dead husband in the will and she's coming off her first kill (a pitch-forked Graciela), so it was a bad time for her and Ray "Close the Deal" Ray to find that ATF transmitter. I wonder if she now carries a bag of lime around in her Cadillac SUV? And is she going to make Caesar dig the grave, or will she do it herself? Yes, folks, Jeb Bartlett's daughter has grown up to be a murdering trollop.
So how does Charlotte tie into the main story? Not a clue.
And where was Mutton Chops? C'mon, I need my Linder fix.
OK, I think its safe to say The Bridge has officially turned a corner and given us a plot twist for the ages. I mean, we started out with this show giving us the eye-opening reality of one of the world's most dangerous cities (Juarez) adjacent to one of the world's safest (El Paso), the ignorance of the average American about life south of the border, and political commentary on TexMex relations. And now we're on a ride with a superpowered serial killer, who has impecible timing and luck, on a revenge mission because ... wait for it .... some dude porked his wife. I'll be the first to admit, I didn't see that twist coming.
The show I started watching offered something different than "Scream 8". Speaking of Scream, this was Matthew Dillard's finest episode. As Daniel, he stumbled on his road to sobriety and Adriana ('Epoch from "Friday Night Lights" / Brock's Mom on "Breaking Bad") got him to an AA meeting where he had his Jesse "Problem Dog" Pinkman moment. Great scene! Then, when he steps outside for a smoke, David Tate sticks him in the neck with Dexter's M99.
Say what??
Yes, we're watching a classic slasher film now. What other show started with socio-political commentary, only to turn into Friday the 13th? Was it Season 2 of Homeland when Abu Nazir became Michael Myers? I think its safe to assume that Tate has a Showtime subscription. Maybe Tate has done nothing but watch Showtime for the past 6 years, I dunno. At least he gave a shout out to crazy Childress. Remember Childress? He is the guy that Marco and Sonya arrested a few episodes back that spouted all the political stuff that we thought the show was about.
Alma threw Marco out again. Maybe its me, but I don't think Alma gets to corner the market on righteous indignation, considering how she humped a serial killer. Marco is a serial adulterer, but when Alma tells him that her father and brother are upset with him, my first reaction was, "Did you tell them that you put yourself in danger because you decided to get in on with your co-worker who turned out to be a psychopath?"
On the Marco/Sonya front, no new character development, just a lot of tail chasing until Tate decided to call Marco and meet with him. Sonya did show some empathy for Marco and Gus this week, though, in what I thought was a touching scene. And Gus is in a greenlit barrel slowly filling with water. That's brutal, Tate!
By the way, Gus is at the uncle's house. You could hear the water running, and Tate paused for a moment when Marco said he was at the uncle's house.
We have 3 episodes to go this season, and I'm going to continue along on this wild ride because I keep holding out hope that we'll get back to the original premise that the show offered us. Or that Sonya will discover Tate's kryptonite. Or that Linder finds out that Hank Wade is his biological father. In the meantime, I'll sit through the next few episodes about the archtypal omniscient serial killer mastermind, because you can't find that storyline anywhere else on contemporary television.
Random thoughts:
- So Tate assumed Hastings' identity years ago after he faked his suicide? Where's he getting his money to pull all these shenanigans? Did his gig working next to Alma pay THAT well?
- Hank and Lindner could have their own show. I don't know what it would be about, but I'd tune in.
- I'm surprised Ray is still alive. As soon as he called himself "Ray Ray," I just knew he was to be a redshirt.
- So how did Tate know Daniel was going to be a the AA meeting? Is he following him? If so, when did he put Gus in the barrel? He's quite the multi-tasker. I don't think Tate has slept in weeks, but then again, I guess he doesn't have to with his superpowers and all.
- Bonus points if you picked up on my "Homeland" reference. Meredith Stiehm was a writer on "Homeland" before landing the Executive Producer gig on "The Bridge."
Quote of the Night:
"We used to play kickball together."
What did you think?
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