Downton Abbey, Season 5 episode 7

This is steaming ahead at breakneck speed, good thing we’re riding in first class! There is much to discuss in this episode.

The episode begins at a train station in London, as an anxious Rosemund meets the Dowager Countess.  In efforts to keep a low profile, the Dowager has traveled alone to assist Rosemund with the search for Edith. They confer and decide they must tell Cora the truth about Edith’s daughter. The D.C. states, “It’s her right to know, she is the mother.”

Rosemund isn’t as sure, “What about Robert? He’s the father!”

“He is a man, he doesn’t have rights!” Quips the Countess, at least in this matter.

Back at Downton, the family is gathered to discuss Edith’s disappearance.  Lord Gillingham and Mr. Blake are at Downton following the horse races.  Trying to be polite, they ask, “Should we leave?”

Cue an eye roll and sarcasm from Mary, “WHY?” (It’s just your only living sister who seems to have vanished into the ether!)  Aunt Rosemund and the D.C. try to whisk Cora away for the TALK, but now Mrs. Drewe is calling on Cora from the backdoor entrance.  This should complicate things quickly!

The two bachelors have a walk and discuss that pale anorexic elephant in the room. Blake implores Tony, “Mable is a better match for you.  You are messing with her (Mary’s) instinct to have her fall for you, then she breaks it off.” I’m not sure instinct is the correct term for her behavior, more like evil inclination to tease men like a cat with a yummy mouse.

The Bate’s are talking about their property in London that will soon be vacant.  They seem confident that the police are through with their investigation into the death of Mr. Greene. Knowing this is Downton; I suspect that the danger is not over.

Unfortunately, the conversation between Mrs. Drewe and Cora occurs off–screen. Rosemund and the Countess are summoned to Cora’s bedroom for a thorough verbal spanking.  They confess how they helped Edith conceal the birth of the child in Switzerland.  They admit further that they knew the girl was back on the farm and intended to send her to boarding school on the Continent.

Cora is flabbergasted, “And you wonder why she left?” It’s amazing how these two were both viewing the girl as virtual trash, something to be thrown away or at least hidden away forever. They never seem to consider that a mother could have actual feelings and attachment to one’s own child. Egads, no wonder Robert and Rosemund are such pieces of work.

Mrs. Hughes tries to have a conversation with an ice statue, I mean, Mary.  She is still concerned about the Scotland Yard and the “most circumstantial case ever” against the Bates’.  Mary just rolls her eyes, discovering that the unused ticket is the evidence they need. “I burned it!” You think she’d be nice to Anna who is the keeper of her diaphragm!

The Grantham’s host a big dinner party despite Edith’s disappearance. (At least she won’t be there to bring everybody down!) Atticus and Rose make googley eyes while their parents talk about religion. (One of two things you’re not supposed to talk about at polite dinner parties.) Atticus’ father is the not thrilled at the prospect about his son marrying out of the faith.  Cora’s father is Jewish, but technically, that means Cora is not Jewish according to Jewish law.  Cora doesn’t help matters with Lord Siberly by professing complete ignorance of the faith. 

Branson hints to Aunt Rosemund that he is really thinking of leaving Downton. Atticus points out that since Edith just inherited a publishing company, maybe that’s where she is? Thank you, Captain Obvious!

Then Cousin Isobel and Lord Merton announce their engagement! There is toasting and the Dowager looks like she’s swallowed a nasty bug.  Mary inquires why, and the D.C. replies that she’s concerned about Edith. (Cue Mary’s eye roll!) The Dowager finally brings some truth stating, “A lack of compassion can be as vulgar as tears!” Mary is for once at a loss for sarcasm.

The big engagement party for Lord Merton and Lady Crawley will be hosted at Downton. Lord Merton’s sons will also attend and the last time Larry was at Downton, he insulted Branson. Fisticuffs are expected. Mable Fox openly flirts with Tony, simply saying, “I want you!” Blake tells Mary to stop pulling on Tony’s heartstrings and send him a clear message.

Cora and the Dowager are planning to go to London to find Edith.  Cora says, “I’ll never trust you again.”  Rosemund tries to comfort her mother, saying she doesn’t mean it. The Dowager disagrees, “That’s the most honest thing she has ever said to me.”

The Bates’ share a quiet moment at home. The property in London is becoming vacant. They are wondering when they may retire or start a family. Anna is confident that things will work out. Mr. Bates admires her positive outlook.

Lord Grantham asks Mary about her engagement to Lord Gillingham.  She flatly denies that there is a marriage in her future.  Mary leaves and Branson confides to Robert that he is seriously thinking of leaving Downton for the United States. Lord Grantham is truly upset that he’ll lose his son-in-law and confidant.

Cora and Aunt Rosemund stake out Edith’s publishing establishment. After some deflection, Edith appears. First she believes that Aunt Rosemund told her mother the secret, and then learns that Mrs. Drewe was the one who told Cora. Edith agrees to a meeting at a nearby teahouse.

The Dowager and Mary have tea at her house.  There is continued tension between Spratt and the new maid Denker. (I couldn’t care less!) Mary thinks she knows why Grannie is upset about Isobel’s engagement, because she will be “outranked” as Isobel becomes Lady Merton.  The Dowager refutes this saying that they had become friends as fellow widows.  Isobel also saved her life when she had the Spanish flu.  Mary quips, “You’re not sentimental, Grannie.” To which the Dowager replies, “You make me regret my confidence!” Wow.

Branson and Sybie throw sticks in a stream. He gently tries to ask her what she would think about leaving Downton. In her first spoken lines, she simply asks, “Why?”

Downstairs, Baxter and Bates bicker.  They’re upset that she spoke to the police behind their back. Blake calls Mary and asks her to meet him “in rags” at the cinema. Lord Grantham worries about Isis. (Don’t we all, oh wait, that’s the dog!) He advises Rose to write her a letter about Atticus Aldridge. Rose is hoping her dad will convince her mother.

At the teahouse, Edith confesses that she was thinking of going to the United States and changing her name and story. But, she didn’t want to leave Michael’s legacy, the publishing business, in ruin. Cora decides that they both should return to Downton. The story will be that the Drewe’s couldn’t afford to keep the orphaned child and Edith has decided to adopt the girl. Rosemund dislikes this plan immensely, but is overruled. It’s a risky plan but it just might work.

Throughout the hour we've seen snippets of Daisy talking about politics and her feelings of hopelessness, about her studies and prospects now that Ms. Bunting has left. Mrs. Patmore and Mosley have been trying to convince her to not give and have enlisted the help of Mr. Mason.  Thus, Daisy, Ms. Baxter and Mosley have a field trip to the father-in-law’s farm. They all encourage her to continue her studies. Mr. Mason states, “Education is power!” (A very American notion) Try as I might, I find Daisy and her ugly hat truly annoying.  I wish she were not the “downstairs ambassador” of progress.

The plan to get Edith and Marigold back to Downton is almost ruined by the chance arrival of Mary at the same train station. Edith and Cora leave Marigold with Mr. Drewe while they talk to Mary. Anna is with Mary and sees Mr. Drewe with Marigold in a first class car, which is very curious.

The Dowager and Isobel share there last times together as widowed ladies. Isobel inquires whether there has been any news regarding the prince finding his wife. She shrugs off the notion of a link between them. Spratt interrupts and quits, but the Dowager doubts he means it. “He’s as touchy as a beauty losing his looks!”

After the film, Blake pushes Mary to kiss him. Tony and Ms. Fox bump into them. Tony finally is willing to let Mary go and wishes them good luck. Of course, they aren’t really together. But Mary does seem to be interested in Blake, now that he is leaving for Poland for an indefinite time. (She truly must desire to be unhappy!)

Back at Downton, the family is introduced to the idea of Edith’s adoption of the “farmer’s orphan”. Mary, predictably, thinks the idea is “idiotic” and wonders why the problem can’t just be solved with money.  The others seem simply bewildered by the idea.  Edith has to plead her plan with all of them except Cora.  Reluctantly, it’s agreed.  Isis continues to fade and Lord Grantham muses that she may not even know him, except as the hand that feeds her.  He really is too embarrassed to admit how much he loves her.  Sybie comes over and offers her grandfather, and dog, comfort. (Sweet like her mother Sybil.)

The big engagement dinner is underway.  The eldest son of Lord Merton wastes no time making everyone angry. Stating that “irreconcilable differences” are the most common cause of divorce, how can his father marry women like Isobel who is so beneath his class? Then he remarks the Rose and Atticus relationship is doomed due to religion, and then admonishes Branson’s marriage to Sybil.  Branson snaps and yells, “Get out you bastard!”  Lord Grantham and Lord Merton defend not Branson’s language but his sentiment, and Larry leaves. (Good riddance!)

As the dinner party breaks up, Isobel is visibly shaken by Larry’s rancor.  Lord Merton assures her that they are “like their mother in every way.” Lord Merton never loved their mother. Still, Isobel would have welcomed the addition of the men in her life. It probably makes her miss Matthew afresh. (Hope it doesn’t change her mind on the marriage altogether.)

Atticus tells Rose this is the first of many tests of their relationship, then bends a knee and proposes! YES!

Lord Grantham brings the dying dog to bed, and they lay her between them so she is surrounded by love.  It’s a tender moment of reconciliation from that Mr. Bricker snafu.

What did you think? There are four rumored engagements this season. (One more to go!) Will it be Mrs. Hughes and Carson, or Mosley and Daisy, or Blake and Mary? There is one more episode before the finale March 1.

Justified, Season 7 episode 5, Sounding

The episode opens with Boyd and Ava in a car.  Boyd is talking about his dream of making it big in the legal marijuana business.  Boyd muses, “All we have to do is get ahead of Avery Markham!” He also proposes that Ava be assigned one of his team as a bodyguard. (That will make the Raylan meets tricky.) There is a checkpoint up ahead and all the cars are being stopped.  An officer comes over to Ava’s side of the car and asks if she is all right. (This seems curious.) As Boyd and Ava make it through the sea of officers, we see the State Trooper come down and talk to Raylan. The checkpoint was a ruse to check on Ava.

Katherine is babysitting her grandchildren in her hotel suite. (Scary grandma!)  Wynn appears, and she reviews the plan to keep watch on the prison guard to whom Ava owes her freedom.  He is a sort of litmus test to determine whether Ava is a rat. Katherine muses, “I like Ava, it would be a shame to have to kill her.” Katherine isn’t one to make idle threats.

Back at Ava’s house, she prepares Boyd a big southern style breakfast.  She looks like she stepped out of a Trisha Yearwood video wearing a short flora dress, denim jacket and cowboy boots.  (I also have noticed she’s really revving up her accent so much that I need subtitles.) Ava seems desperate to win Boyd’s trust.  She promises a special dinner.  Boyd responds by pulling out her engagement ring and placing it back on her finger.

Ava calls Raylan on her drive into work; she is frantic for a way out.  She wants to leave and start over, far from Boyd.  Raylan tries to soothe her but she needs to provide some good information soon before the Marshall Service will let her go.  He offers the possibility of money and a witness protection program.  Unconvinced and frustrated, Ava flings the phone out the window. (Smart!)

Rachel and Tim are on their way to see the prison guard; they know they are being followed there. He is seen leaving a house followed by one of Wynn’s men.  Rachel and Tim follow him.  Raylan has been stood up for his meeting with Ava at the junkyard.  He calls officer Bob (Patton Oswald, yeah!) Raylan explains the situation to Bob as Bob drools and says, “She’s the kind of girl that make a dog want to break its chain!” (That’s Kentucky speak for “she’s so hot!”)

Ava shows up at Limehouse’s place, hoping for help. (I like how they are bringing back favorite characters for the finale season.) Limehouse is skeptical about Ava’s story and situation. She offers him some cash, but it’s not nearly enough for him, so she promises that she can get some big money for him and he listens. All Ava wants in return is a car, imploring him, “All I want is to be left alone!” After some negotiation Errol escorts Ava out of the holler.

Boyd is making big plans to access the vault now that the explosive expert is dead. Boyd thinks that there might be an abandoned mine that will access the Pizza Portal. It’s extremely dangerous due to the volatile gasses trapped in the mine.

Walker’s gang is talking back at the pizza place. Their plans are crumbling, as less “hillbillies” are willing to sell their land to Avery Markham. Choo-Choo observes that the bartender is stealing from the till, forty dollars a night by his estimation. (So, there are some neurons firing in that big old head of his.) Walker quips they have bigger problems if they can’t acquire the land. Right on cue, Markham enters and dresses down Walker for failing to complete his plans.  Markham deduces the problem has the last name of Crowder or Givens. Avery orders Walker to “Close the leaks.”

Boyd arrives at a cluttered property with a bottle of bourbon and an apology.  An angry man with a rifle meets Boyd on the front porch. He is revealed to be Ava’s uncle and a fellow miner named Zachariah.  He reluctantly accepts the booze and a ten thousand dollars direct deposit into his bank account to help Boyd. (The issue was Bowman’s abuse of Ava, but since he’s dead the argument is too!)

Fekus, the prison guard, answers a knock on his motel room door.  Instead of the “lady friend” he was expecting an agitated Wynn Duffy greets him.  Wynn presses him to find out why he decided to tell the truth about his attack on Ava. To further press the issue, a literal cattle prod is applied as the questioning continues!

“Why did Ava forgive you?” Wynn yells.

Fekus pleads ignorance.  After a bit more torture, Wynn and his muscle leave.  Rachel and Tim pop out of the adjacent room where they were watching the whole time.  The guard is upset, but apparently now free to go,

Errol drives Ava through the middle of town, where they make a stop to pick up a shovel. (Way to stay incognito!) Raylan is waiting nearby with Officer Bob.  He assigns Bob to apprehend Errol, motivating him by saying, “All you need is a badge and a set of balls!”

The situation in the store goes sideways quickly as Errol refuses to go outside with Bob.  Subsequently, Bob uses his Taser to stop Errol.  Raylan has to swoop in and whisk Ava away while he lies on the floor.

Raylan is livid with Ava.  He asks her if she had a plan when she ran away.  She admits she didn’t really know where she was going, just that she just needed to leave Harlan.  Raylan reminds her this stunt could have gotten her shot or at best placed back in prison.

Boyd and a small crew are trying to access the abandoned pitch mine.  Zachariah is giving clearly needed technical advice.  But, an instant later, a spark ignites with the methane gas causing a manhole-cover-like lid to explode, throwing Boyd’s men.  It’s clear this work will be extremely precarious.

The real estate agent Calhoun is leaving the office for the night in the company of his hired “lady friend.” He is interrupted by Sea Bass and Choo-Choo who wants to know whom else knew what properties Markham was after.  Choo-Choo puts on gloves as Sea-Bass describes their training in Torture Arts at Guantanamo University. After Calhoun fails the first question, Choo-Choo hits him. Calhoun is dead!  Choo-Choo is unapologetic saying, “If you ask me to hit him, you get the AMTRAK!” (So much for the art of persuasion.)

Ava is freaking out waiting for Boyd to return home.  Raylan tries to reassure her that they need to finish what they’ve started.  Ava is making demands, she wants one hundred thousand dollars and to leave the country. (Where on earth will they be able to understand her drawl?) Raylan is feeling protective of her, and then their old chemistry returns and they kiss.  Ava’s phone vibrates in her hand between them.

“You should go.” She murmurs.

“I was thinking I’d stay around.” Raylan replies. Rekindling their romance may lead to both their deaths. But, it’s so wrong; of course Raylan wants her and her crazy baggage. The upside is they may die together, romance “Justified” style

Better Call Saul, episode 3, Nacho

Like a rock rolling down a hill in the desert, this season of Better Call Saul is really picking up speed.  This week offered more background on the man who became Saul Goodman.

The episode begins with Jimmy behind bars; in a red jumpsuit talking to a younger Chuck whom he hopes can represent him.  Jimmy’s reason for incarceration is vaguely explained as having to do with property damage and assault. (Sexual?) Jimmy called their mother and she called his older brother Chuck. (I was mistaken previously in thinking Chuck was Jimmy’s dad, he’s a much older brother.) Jimmy keeps asking, “What’s the strategy?”  A beleaguered Chuck reluctantly agrees to represent Jimmy on the promise that he’ll finally turn his life around.

In a wonderful shot of the cucumber water dispenser at the salon, Jimmy enjoys a glass as he prepares to make a call.  He calls Kim, the blonde attorney at his brother's law firm to ask her about the Kettleman case.  He wants to know where the embezzled money is stored and tells her that the Kettlemans could be in danger.  After hanging up, he makes a device out of a paper towel tube and wax paper.  Jimmy goes to a phone booth and calls the Kettlemans using the tube to disguise his voice and implores them, “You are in danger! They are coming for your money!”  But, they can’t understand him, frustrated, he tells them again in his normal voice and they seem to get the message.  Looking out the window, they see Nacho waiting in his truck.

The next day, back at the courthouse, Jimmy is talking to the “petty and a prior” prosecutor in the bathroom.  This time he’s trying to make a different deal, when it becomes clear the prosecutor doesn’t even know the case he’s talking about. Disgusted, Jimmy cries, “I’m trying to work for $700 a shot and you don’t even know your defendants!”

Outside the bathroom, Kim calls and Jimmy leaves the building in a rush.  As always, he meets Erhmentrout at the parking garage who refuses to give Jimmy a break on the fee without the proper validation stickers. This time Jimmy opens the gate himself and flees without paying.  Jimmy arrives at the Kettleman’s to find police swarming. Kim tells him the family has been kidnapped, and they have two young children.

Jimmy finds a deserted payphone and makes multiple calls to Nacho, each one a little more desperate.  Finally, there is an incoming call to the phone then the line goes dead.  There are two men approaching from ends of the street, Jimmy tries to stay cool but then breaks into a run once out of view.  The men aren’t Tuco’s, they are detectives and Jimmy is now forced to come with them.

At the courthouse the detectives inform him they know he is Nacho’s lawyer and they have damning evidence against him.  Nacho’s van was reported as suspicious and it’s been searched and they found blood on its floor.

Jimmy enters the interrogation room to speak to Nacho. He implores him to give himself up and tell the authorities the Kettleman’s location.  He promises Nacho that he could get him a deal, maybe eighteen years with good behavior!  Silence continues, “Tell me you miserable piece of sh*t!” Jimmy yells.

“You set me up!” Nacho replies.

Nacho is angry.  Nacho explains that Jimmy was the only other person who knew he was interested in the Kettlemans.  He is convinced that Jimmy stole his idea and beat him to the money. He states the blood in the van is likely from the two red haired knuckle-headed skaters.  Nacho says, “Get me out, or you’re a dead man!”

Jimmy comes out of the room and speaks to the two detectives.  Of course they aren’t impressed when he implores them that Nacho is innocent. (It’s what all defense attorneys’ say, right?)  Under a hyper-colored framed flag, Jimmy tries to make the case that the blood on the floor of the van is not the Kettleman’s.  Frustrated, he insists on going to the crime scene.  The detectives agree, thinking that seeing the rooms of the missing children will have an effect on Jimmy and his opinion of his client’s innocence.

As Jimmy looks at the children’s bedrooms, he arrives at the startling theory that the Kettleman’s “kidnapped themselves."  He notices that the girl’s favorite doll is missing as evidence.  The detective retorts that the “bad guy” might of let the girl take the doll to shut her up.  Jimmy pulls Kim aside and confesses that he warned the Kettlemans last night of the impending danger and thinks they have fled.  Kim is now both worried and irritated at Jimmy’s poor judgment.  He tells her about Nacho’s threats, “Right now my ass is on the highway to the danger zone!”

Unimpressed, Kim sighs arguing that the Kettleman's are her clients and finding them isn't in their best interest. Jimmy is exasperated, and replies, “This is why people hate lawyers!”

Now Jimmy is trying to get back in the courthouse parking lot, he offers Erhmentrout a weak apology and offers to pay him back with interest.  Erhmentrout says he needs to find another place to park.  Jimmy escalates the situation by threatening to park in the entryway and the car behind him honks.  Jimmy gets out, and Erhmentrout says, “You don’t want to do that.”

“What are you going to do, throw a poop filled diaper at me?” Jimmy gets a hand on Erhnmentrout.

Faster then you can say poop filled diaper, Erhmentrout has Jimmy’s arm-twisted behind his back!

Back inside, the detectives are speaking to Erhmentrout about the case. It seems that Jimmy may be charged with assault since he touched the parking attendant first. The two tell him about Jimmy's "kidnapped themselves" theory. They need Jimmy to make Nacho talk so that they can find the Kettlemans. Approaching Jimmy, he says again, "Nacho is not your man!"(Making the words rhyme.)  Disgusted, they have Jimmy stand so he can be booked for assault.   But then Erhmentrout tells them he won't press charges thereby telling the detectives to let Jimmy go, which prompts Jimmy to run after him. “Why do you believe me?”

“Yes, your story makes sense.” Erhmentrout replies.  In their first real conversation, he tells Jimmy that he was a cop for many years in Philadelphia.  He recounts a case in which the police were looking everywhere for a suspect who was hiding in a foreclosed property two doors down from his own home.  “Nobody wants to leave home.”

Inspired, Jimmy goes back to the Kettleman’s place.  (The song plays as he hikes, “Find Out What’s Happening” by Elvis Presley)  He spots a sticker on the family car of a cartoon family hiking.  He begins to hike behind their house.  Several hours later, he starts to hear singing in the dimming light.  The family is singing “BINGO” in an orange tent.

Bingo indeed! He’s found them! Unzipping the tent, he tells the family the gig is up and that they need to go home.  Betsy offers the greatest resistance and she and Jimmy fight over a duffel bag which rips, and part of the one point six million dollars spills into the tent.

The “next on” teases the about the money and if Jimmy can be swayed with it.  A pattern of unintended consequences has emerged.  Where will it lead our hapless but still moral lawyer on his evolution into our beloved Saul Goodman?

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.