Last week Justified took a time out from the season arc for Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) and Rachel (Erica Tazel) to try to track down his money, which wound up becoming chicken feed. This week it was back to the 30 year cold case of Drew Thompson. Back in Harlan County, Johnnie Crowder was attempting to setup a double cross on Boyd, and Boyd was trying to do away with Ella May.
We pick up with Colt conning his way into the security cameras of the convenience store. He discovers that Ella May left the scene in a copy car. Ooops.
Winona alert! With Natalie Zia a regular on The Following, I was wondering if there was even a remote chance we’d see her on Justified this season–and here she is! Turns out she is involving Raylan in the baby checkups. Good to see her again, hopefully we see more of her this season. Raylan brags about being put in charge of the Thompson case, trying to parlay it into ‘good news’. The baby interrupts them with a little kicking. Raylan promises he will be there for here, and of course gets an urgent call from work and has to skip the appointment. Turns out Arlo is at HQ. Roll intro credits.
Vasquez shows up and this time he is using his powers for good, he has arranged for the Thompson case to be pulled from the FBI to the Marshalls. Arlo is discussing ‘terms’ with his attorney while Art raises trouble with Agent Barkley. Barkley tries to take a verbal swipe at Raylan as they pass one another, Raylan simply replies “Kiss my ass.”
Raylan wants to know why Arlo is in the office. Art and Vasquez tell Raylan that Arlo will hand over Drew Thompson in exchange for his freedom. Raylan is visibly pissed and exchanges an extremely venomous glance with Arlo who is the epitome of ‘Pleased with himself’.
Raylan asks how long he has to find Drew Thompson himself, and Vasquez gives him 24 hours. Raylan is determined to make sure Arlo dies in prison, but can he find Thompson by the end of the episode?
Winn Duffy is meeting with Barkley and Nick Augastine. Seems Barkley is a little dirty himself. Barkley and Augastine reminiscence about their good old days and end the conversation with the revelation: Drew Thompson is alive. Barkley assures Augastine that he can take out Arlo if he happens to drop a name. Augastine represents Theo, the man Thompson double crossed. Turns out Thompson shot Theo in the eye. Barkley continues to try to put himself out as “The man for the job” and Augastine suddenly shoots him through the head, then gives Winn Duffy the assignment of finding Drew Thompsan. This puts Winn back in Raylan’s path. Win for us.
Colt shows up at Sherriff Parlow’s (Jim Beaver) office to inquire on Elle May, but comes up empty. As he is talking to Parlow, Boyd calls and Colt passes the call. He leaves, making sure Parlow knows not to contact Boyd.
At Boyd’s bay, Boyd tells Johnnie that Winn Duffy is coming over for a visit. Johnnie is visibly shaken. There is a knock at the door and Colt comes in. He tells Boyd that it was done, meaning Elle May is dead. Boyd questions him for details, and Colt proceeds to dig himself deeper. Luckily for Colt Duffy arrives and the purpose of his visit is revealed. As Winn and Boyd sit down, Boyd sits a gun on the table. Duffy is shocked, and Boyd tells him they are not trustworthy men. Winn shows a stack of cash in front of Boyd’s gun and tells him he needs him to find somebody.
Great moment because, finally, the rather disconnected Crowder arc begins to weave with the Raylan arc. It will take more than just money to generate a good battle of wills between Raylan and Boyd though. We’ll have to wait to see what that is. FWIW: I can’t wait.
Elsewhere in Harlan Raylan meets with Constable Bob (Patton Oswalt) who has picked up the teenage grafter we met in the premiere who had initially found Thompson’s bag. Raylan wants to know who told them to find the bag. Turns out to be her stepdad Josiah.
Raylan drives to Josiah, who turns out to be played by the always wonderful Gerald McRaney. After Josiah refuses to answer any questions about Arlo and the bag, Raylan cuffs him to the passenger’s side of his car and takes him for a jog. They could use some of those law enforcement techniques on Law & Order. Turns out Josiah knows where Thompson is. With the “Hill People”. Raylan doesn’t believe it, but eventually he relents. Looks like Arlo might be staying in prison after all.
Turns out the Hill people are rumored to be Cannibals. Yeah, that’s not likely. Raylan heads off to Hill people land in search of the mythical Drew Thompson, calling in Gutterson to watch the road out.
Back at the… uh… hooker wagons (?) Johnnie stops by to talk to Ava. Ava is in Elle’s trailer packing up her stuff. Johnnie is more concerned with what Winn wants Boyd for, and why he doesn’t know anything about it.
At the Hill People’s land, Raylan stalks through the woods as animal sounds begin to envelope him. Suddenly hill people emerge from behind the trees. Geek alert: one of them is Philthy Phil (Christopher Douglas Reed) from Sons of Anarchy. The group takes him to … Boyd? After an agonizing commercial break we find out that Boyd is a prisoner there as well. After scuffling with the hill people a bit, Boyd gets the upper hand and Raylan joins in the fray. Backup Hill People arrive and Raylan tries to convince them he is there for Drew and means them no harms.
The Hill people lead Boyd and Raylan off into the woods to throw them down a mine shaft. Nice. Luckily Raylan had a picture that proved he was a distant relative and that is enough to buy them freedom. Raylan grudgingly uses his ‘Kinship’ to buy Boyd’s freedom as well.
They learn that Drew Thompson is no longer in the hills, he had left over ten years ago without warning but was subsequently seen hobknobbing with the rich and powerful of Harlan County. On their way off the Hill Raylan cuffs Boyd to a tree.
Gutterson and Colt are trading war stories when Raylan emerges and tells Gutterson to call Art and cancel the Arlo deal because he has a lead on Drew Thompson.
Boyd is freed and makes contact with Winn. Now that Boyd feels he is close he is raising his stake. He wants half of the Heroin business in Kentucky. Winn agrees and hangs up the phone. It turns out that Johnnie was in the room while they were talking. Johnnie is disturbed that Winn has upped the stakes, but Duffy reassures him
that once he has what he wants Johnnie is free to kill Boyd and take over his now even larger chunk of the business.
Colt, meanwhile, busts in on Parlow and demands to know where Elle May is. Parlow insists that he knows nothing about where Elle is but that one of his Deputies saw her get into an 18 wheeler. Colt leaves and again tells Parlow not to say anything to Boyd. Parlow closes the door and it is revealed that Elle May is hiding out with Parlow. Parlow convinces her that he will protect her because he needs her help to take down Boyd. Whoa.
Boyd is talking to Arlo’s attorney, who he is paying for. Boyd pulls out a wad of cash and tells her to sabotage the deal. She accepts the money gladly.
Raylan returns to Josiah’s and finds him missing only a foot left behind. So no Drew Thompason this week, but the trail is getting warm, and bloody.
So what do you think? Can Parlow take down Boyd, or does this mean Jim Beaver will soon have time enough to return to Supernatural as a regular? I kind of hope… BOTH!
Next week on Justified. Jim Beaver fans rejoice! Looks like next week Raylan will be working very closely with Sheriff Parlow as he pursues Drew Thompson, and tries to rescue Josiah.
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