Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Justified Season 7 episode 1



I thought this season of Justified would begin with a bang.  Instead it began with a crash, two actually.  Like many, I was a bit disappointed with the “big bad” last season, Daryl Crowe.  But, in the end, I think the finale of season 6 brought a clean end to their stories.  After defeating much of the Crowe clan last season, Raylan returns with his eyes on his number one prize, Boyd Crowder.

The episode begins with Raylan in Mexico, trying to figure out what happened in the desert when Johnny was killed. The Federales treat him, as you would expect, with contempt.  Raylan must utilize his “hit and run” interrogation technique and kidnaps the Federale, bringing him to El Paso for questioning.

We see Dewey get released from prison. He feels invincible because he won his harassment case against Raylan. Tim and Raylan follow him, hoping that “Good things happen to those who wait on stupid.”

Meanwhile, Ava wakes up uneasy as the she is now Raylan’s C.I.  Boyd is in handyman mode, helping her out with the house.  Boyd asks if she would consider leaving Harlan with him, revealing that he is about to come into a lot of money.

“How long are we gonna stay in this ghost town before we become ghosts ourselves?”  Boyd muses.

“You act like we ain’t already dead.”  Ava replies.  She doesn’t want to leave Harlan; it’s their home.  I think she doesn’t feel that she deserves a better, or easier life.

After a “Sons of Anarchy” type car chase, Raylan and Tim run Dewey off the road. They force him to open the duffle bag that Boyd placed in his car only to find it’s filled with underwear. 

Boyd and the gang are at the bank.  He has scouted out a few safety deposit boxes for removal.  He breaks in, hitches the inside of the safe to a truck outside and removes three boxes.  When they are opened later at the bar, it is revealed that they contain ledgers and paperwork rather then cash.  Boyd is not disappointed in this.  Boyd is always playing the long game.

Ava and Raylan meet on the bridge that night where he chastises her for not knowing about the bank job.  She pleads ignorance and states she’s afraid for her life.  Raylan says he knows her better then that.  He recounts the story of how she killed Bowman, after careful planning and cooking him a feast to distract him.  “He never saw it coming.”  Raylan knows Ava can be cunning and manipulative.  He threatens to return her to jail if she doesn’t get them some intel, quick.

Raylan visits a convalescing Art. It’s good to see he’s alive, but I felt the sponsor of tonight’s show, Marker’s Mark 46, created the scene.  Dewey wants to give Boyd hell for making him look stupid in front of Raylan.  He asks Boyd if they could ever get the old days back, and if Boyd is truly his friend.  Boyd tells the story of their Harlan ancestors and asks Dewey to look closely at the old photograph.  Then he kills Dewey.  I couldn’t help but equate the scene with Carole from the Walking Dead when she asks the little girl to “Look at the flowers” before shooting her in the head.


I don’t think Boyd and Raylan will meet face to face for several more episodes in order to draw out the tension.  Boyd has made decisive moves this episode, ridding himself of Dewey and robbing the bank.  The previews showed the last Crowe standing, Dickey, who is still incarcerated.  I’m sure Boyd has a plan for him.  I look forward to the unfolding of this finale season between the true enemies Raylan and Boyd.  Neither man is black and white, good and evil.  I have a feeling only one man will remain standing at the end.

No comments:

Post a Comment