Written by Ryan DeMarco
Noblesse Oblige Plot Summary:
ADA Vasquez (Rick Gomez), and Brooks issue Ava (Joelle Carter) an ultimatum, to either give up information about Boyd within the week or go back to prison. Raylan (Olyphant) goes on the hunt for missing explosives all the while Boyd (Walton Goggins) finally interacts with the mysterious Ty Walker (Dillahunt) and Markham (Elliot) for the very first time.
Just like that all of the pieces are coming together with a great episode. Justified has officially shaken off the dead weight of last season and is firing on all cylinders like never before.
Everyone and everything worked perfectly on last night’s episode of Justified. Whereas nothing really happened last week , this week sped up by giving us some of the answers we needed in order to make the story move a lot smoother. Everyone’s story worked this week starting with Ava getting a time limit on giving up information regarding Boyd’s heist. You can tell she is beginning to feel the strain on whether or not to give up Boyd. All of this time she has begun to spend with him is for Raylan, so she says, but is that true?
Marshall Brooks (Erica Tazel) also turned the heat up on Raylan this week, as she joins him on a lead with missing explosives. I always love the dynamic between Raylan and the other Marshals whether its Art, Brooks, or Tim. The banter between them is always a great moment as you can tell they enjoy their roles. Raylan and Brooks investigate Luther, who worked at the coal mines with Raylan and Boyd back in the day. They believe the explosives used in the bank heist came from the quarry. When they meet Luther, something doesn’t add up and Raylan figures out that he son was responsible for the stolen explosives. There was nice dialogue between the two on what fathers will do for their kids especially when it comes to protecting them. This goes along with Raylan stating that fatherhood changes a man.
Meanwhile, Boyd had some nice scenes this episode where he met Ty Walker early on, only to find out that the money that was stolen from the bank was not of Calhoon’s. Of course this goes against what Boyd actually thought was going on. Walker goes on to state that now that Boyd knows this he is to return what is not rightfully his or face the consequences, like death. Boyd is unfazed and sends Walker away empty handed. Later in the episode they meet again at Ava’s dinner table, the place where things started on Justified. Noticing a continuing theme here? Only Ty and Boyd are not alone, they are joined by Walker’s boss, Markham. Ah ha!
Sam Elliot’s character didn’t stir up too much for me last week but it’s safe to say that he quickly changed that and he absolutely owns the role. We learn that Markham knew Boyd when he was just a child and makes Boyd aware that although he has grown, he is still playing child’s games. He allows Boyd and Ava off the hook, but sternly warns them that if they are to interfere with him again, he will consequences, which is again death.
We end the episode on a playful note with Boyd telling Wynn Duffy and Katherine Hale, who spills that she is sleeping with Markham but still wants to steal from him, that he will continue his plan of robbing Markham’s vault and putting a bullet in his ear.
As far as being early in the season, the stakes have been raised higher than ever before. I can now see why Dewey Crowe was killed off so early on. Justified is definitely aiming for the fences and looking to go out bigger than before. The writers are working the story beautifully, and I’m excited to see how everything plays out.
Nobody getting out of Harlan alive? I’m counting on it.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Justified airs Tuesday nights on FX.
http://youtu.be/LqDX-Pao4ok
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