Justified, season 7, Episode 4, The Trash and the Snake

The episode begins as the previous one ended, with Ava and Boyd in bed.  This bed is at the fancy hotel in Lexington where Katherine Hale has set up base.  They are sweet together, but Ava is removed from her revelry by a text that says, “Downstairs.”

Ava enters the stairwell to meet Raylan. He knows that she is has resumed her intimate relationship with Boyd but tells her that this isn’t a requirement for her work with the U.S. Marshalls.  Ava know that the stakes are high, if she doesn’t get something quick on Boyd, she goes back to jail.  Ava tells him about her meeting with Avery Markham and his sidekick Ty Walker.  She muses, “How’s it like to hold someone’s fate in your hands?”

Ava returns to her room and is surprised by Katherine Hale, she lies about being out for a smoke.  Katherine invites her to lunch in her suite, but observes that Ava didn’t take her cigarettes with her for her smoke break. (Busted!)  Raylan pays Art a visit to discuss the case.   Art is useful in providing the background on Hale’s husband Grady and Avery Markham.  It is likely that Markham was a rat since he disappeared after Grady was caught and sent to prison.  Their business was marijuana.  Art uses the analogy of taking out the trash and finding a snake on the way, what’s more important, to take out the trash or kill the snake?  He advises Raylan, “Don’t get bit!”

Raylan pays the real estate agent Calhoun a visit to discuss the recent transactions detailed in his ledger that was stolen from the bank.  Calhoun confirms that Markham is offering cash to acquire a multitude of properties in Harlan County. There are have been some unusual fires and the death of a couple from carbon monoxide poisoning.  This was the teacher and her husband who were approached by Walker in the previous episode. (And called him a peacock!)

Katherine and Ava have their lunch in her suite.  It’s more talking then eating. Katherine chides Ava about being a cheerleader and winning her quarterback, Boyd. Katherine recounts her marriage to Grady.  She asks Ava how it felt to kill her first husband, Bowman.  The main course is revealed to be four lines of cocaine.  Ava hesitates, understandably wanting to keep her wits about her in front of Katherine. But, she joins in after Katherine encourages her and says, “We’ll need it for our plans this afternoon.”

Wynn and Boyd are discussing the Markham plan, which is hinged on marijuana becoming legal in Kentucky. (Um, I don’t think so!) They are on their way to meet an explosives expert to help them get inside the vault at the Pizza Portal.  They are greeted by a woman wearing daisy dukes and a snake, who introduces them to “The Wiz”.  He seems like a crazy guy, but he knows his explosives and has a similar vault on hand like the one at the Pizza Portal that they can use for experiments.

Katherine and Ava arrive at a diamond store.  Katherine flirts with the owner while Ava does a fantastic job of playing blonde. (The coke helped!)  Katherine asks to see a tennis bracelet while Ava tries on a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings. (They appear very similar to the Duchess of Cambridge's engagement ring.)  Ava drops an earring while Katherine switches the tennis bracelets, real for a fake.  They laugh as they make their getaway.  Katherine explains how she used to know the owner when she was married to Grady and was his best customer.  She is confident that he is too scared of her to report the theft.

The Wiz is busy getting ready to test the explosive device on the trial vault. Boyd and Wynn watch as he tries to explain his methods. Then a cell phone rings.  The Wiz exclaims, “I though I told you jack-asses to leave your phones outside!”  These are his last words, as the cell phone detonates his device and his head is blown sheer off.  Wynn and Boyd have a face full of blood!

Tim and Raylan go investigate the home of the recently deceased couple.  They find plastic and tape on the windows,  placed by Walker and crew.  Their deaths are now homicides.  Tim and Raylan go to visit the last member of the Bennett clan, Dickie Crowe who is still in prison.  After some repartee, they get him to confess that he sold the last of his land to Loretta McCreedy.

Loretta is still very young, but Mag’s money from season 2 has made her rich. Walker pays her a visit, trying to entice her to sell her land.  In response, she offers him some of Mag’s “apple pie” moonshine. (OMG!) He refuses and then Tim and Raylan arrive at her doorstep.  Raylan and Walker play a game of “chicken” that almost evolves into a gunfight.  Avery Markham arrives to make the party complete.

Avery tries to tempt Loretta with “more money then she could ever spend”.  Loretta is not easily bought.  She offers Avery the apple pie, and he has her taste test it first. (He’s done his homework on the Bennett clan.)  Avery gives Walker a history lesson on Harlan and its families, not including the Givens.  Raylan quips, Arlo would have been crushed.

Raylan breaks down Markham’s offer for Loretta, “Sell or he kills you!” Peeved, Markham replies, “Is there something else you are going to tell me I’m not allowed to do?”

“What is next is entirely based on the next choice you make.” Raylan threatens.

Avery takes a hit off a joint and calls it a night.

Katherine tells Ava a Clinton joke, the punch line is that the woman is the power behind the man.  Katherine describes her hatred towards Avery for being a rat and getting away.  She confesses to sleeping with him in order to rob him and extract her revenge.  Then Katherine mentions how lucky Ava was that the dirty guard who attacked her came clean which enabled her to leave prison.  It seems that this may have been Katherine’s doing.  Ava is seriously spooked by this information and calls Raylan the minute Katherine leaves.  As she is packing, Boyd returns and Ava is stuck.

Boyd is in high spirits, declaring that he has a “new endgame” for their future, in Harlan, free and rich.  Ava urges Boyd to leave Lexington and return home that night, he agrees.  It is unclear what the future will hold for Ava, it seems that she may not make it out of Harlan alive.  Will any of them survive the Markham new world order? Raylan has his eyes set on the snake he wants to kill but the snake is large and deadly and he is in real danger of getting bit.