No shirtless/pantless Olyphant, but the episode opens with Boudoir Attire Raylan. So we’ve got that going for us. Dear Winona apologists, explain to me the “charm” behind “jokingly” throwing your infidelity in your ex-husband/baby daddy’s face. I don’t get it.
Oh, Boyd Crowder. Has anyone ever looked crisper in an orange prison jumpsuit? Walton Goggins exerts more charisma and energy sitting stock still in a Prison Visiting Booth than most other actors can muster in an entire feature film. Raylan finally catches wind of Boyd’s schemes and neatly solved the question plaguing you all last week. Crowder’s out of jail by the end of the episode.
As much as I dislike any episode that spends too much time outside of Harlan County, Art has certainly earned this extra time to shine. He and Marshall Bill Nichols have a great conversation about modern lawmen versus Old West gunslingers. When those two worlds rub together, they produce the friction that’s at the very heart of “Justified.”
Hair and make-up did an excellent job on guest actor Frank John Hughes. I nearly didn’t recognize the handsome “Band Of Brothers” actor as WITSEC Douchebag Terry Powe under all that hair grease and stubble.
Just over 15 minutes until we get Carla Gugino as Asst. Director Karen Goodall. We can assume Raylan makes much of her married name “Goodall” in order to drive home the joke that Gugino is essentially playing Karen Sisco. Ditto her references to Miami and her use of a telescoping baton. More of this please.
Way to use your disgusting, neo-Nazi tattoos to your advantage, Boyd.
Most Surprising Moment? Art crossing the moral line. Least Surprising Moment? Dickie Bennett weaseling out of yet another death sentence.
My distaste for Winona is constantly tempered by my love for Ava and Boyd. Their Bonnie and Clyde act is adorable.
Finally, looks like Mykelti Williamson (Limehouse) went to the Tywin Lannister School Of Menacing Character Introductions. Boyd better put some cover-up on his favorite Swastika tattoos.
Carnage:
Bill Nichols. (Cause of Death: WITSEC Douchebag Terry Powe.)
The two henchmen after WITSEC Protectee Mary Archer (Cause of Death: Tough to say, but some combination of Givens/Brooks/Mullen badassery.)
Deputy Marshall Rachel Brooks and Deputy Marshall Tim Gutterson Line Count
Rachel=11
Tim=0
Favorite Line:
“Well now, Raylan, you’re talking to a man who’s sleeping with his dead brother’s widow and murderess. So if you’re looking for someone to cast stones at you on this matter, I think you’ve picked the wrong sinner.”
The Gist: Not the strongest episode of “Justified.” Like I mentioned, I get antsy and bored when too much of the action takes place outside of Harlan County. That being said, it was wonderful to see more of Art. Also, Raylan and Boyd’s cat and mouse and Boyd’s subsequent jailhouse machinations were enough to keep me interested. I hope Dickie lives to weasel on for many seasons to come because I can’t get enough of Jeremy Davies. I was disappointed with how little an impression Carla Gugino made. Perhaps the inside jokes were enough for fans of “Karen Sisco,” but I’m not exactly clamoring for more. Unless, of course, it means less of Winona. Also, kudos to the writers for the connective narrative tissue between Mags and Limehouse. It feels very organic. And though we’ve seen the lye before in Fight Club and the butchering on “Game Of Thrones,” Gangs Of New York, etc., Mykelti Williamson’s performance was just the right blend of menacing and mythical. I’m all in. Finally, what do we think the “Cut Ties” title is in reference to? Raylan cutting ties to his past (e.g. showily smooching Winona in front of Goodall?), Art failing to cut ties to his past? Who else would be cutting ties?
Joanna Robinson would like to thank mswas for some White Hat Technological Assistance.
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i thought it was an excellent episode. Great/good looking characters with great dialogue. What more can you ask for? please more Carla.
Posted by: logan at January 25, 2012 12:36 PM
Ugh. When Raylan admits he's scared and Winona SNARKS at him? Ugh.
Posted by: Ginger at January 25, 2012 12:38 PM
I hate Winona Givens so much and yet I desperately want to be her.
Posted by: PaddyDog at January 25, 2012 12:44 PM
It was that black and white blouse, wasn't it, Paddy? I want it too.
Posted by: Ginger at January 25, 2012 12:47 PM
As much as this is a dead horse...
I hate Winona. So much. Hate.
Posted by: ZombieMedic at January 25, 2012 12:50 PM
Prediction: This baby won't make it. First two episodes have them mentioning how small it is and fears about it getting bigger. It's not going to. Whether or not this means the end of the Winona/Raylan story arc is up for debate, but I'm calling the miscarriage (for whatever reason) now.
They had a good chance to use Rachel well (and she is absolutely responsible for the death of Thug One), but they wasted her. Again. At least she got to go into the field this time.
I was not at all surprised by Art crossing the moral line. His friend was killed and lots of other people endangered by a scumbag who also planned to kill Art. Fuck that guy. I did think he was going to let the snake loose before he left the place, though.
Speaking of which, how does wit-sec mom rate a gigantic house and douchebag only gets some crappy clapboard thing? Also, how do two people connected to the same case end up in the same town on wit-sec? (or did I misunderstand their connection?)
Posted by: Reba at January 25, 2012 12:51 PM
Why the Winona hate? Because she's with him and you aren't?
Posted by: logan at January 25, 2012 12:52 PM
I'm going to go ahead and claim that line count as a personal gift and I love you for it Joanna, SO much.
Nick Searcy KILLLLLLED this episode, I loved watching him show us his own boundaries. I read that the writers have a list of Do's and Don't's for every character, which are firmly abided to. I am now DESPERATE to see the list for every character.
I could have used more McDonough, but Mykelti is working the sinister thing, which I sincerely didn't expect at all. I honestly thought he'd be a nice guy and a villain of circumstance but seeing he's a scary fucking motherfucker? Yes.
Also, arguably, him and his whole situation are that War Mags Bennett was so afraid of bringing down? Or does the possible fourth family remain...a possibility?
Posted by: Nadine at January 25, 2012 12:53 PM
Reba I don't think they were connected to the same case. Powe sold Mary out to the bad guys who were after her so he could raise enough money to buy forgiveness from Little Joe.
Posted by: Ginger at January 25, 2012 12:55 PM
I thought about dropping this show. I mean, I like it, and I'm a big Olyphant and Goggins fan, but it's missing that extra something that makes is a truly great show, like a Breaking Bad. I think they found it though, and her name is Carla Gugino.
I'm in.
Posted by: Riles at January 25, 2012 1:01 PM
Reba:
I agree with you on the "baby won't make it" prediction, but I predict it will be because of some kind on assault on Winona and Raylan will take vengeance in a mighty way to close out the season.
logan:
Am I jealous as possible that fictional Winona gets to make out with my fictional boyfriend? Hell, yes.
But I hate her because her character as written is a venal, manipulative woman. I would love to love her because I hate when shows that have awesome male characters make the leading women unlikable, but in this case, the writers seem to have used up all of their "good strong women, albeit a little psycho-criminal" stuff on Mags and Ava and have nothing but greed and emotional game-playing left for Winona.
Posted by: PaddyDog at January 25, 2012 1:05 PM
Would I be spoiling if I did this?
Okay, I'm not sure if this is a spoiler since it's on a bunch of articles and being discussed by the writers etc, but JUST IN CASE
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
The baby makes it. It's a done thing, without question the baby will be fine, it was decided ages ago and is written as law, Winona wont get in a car crash or get shot or something
. Olyphant doesn't want to act with a kid, though, so how long Winona and her Spawn stay in Kentucky is anyones guess.
END SPOILER.
I hated Winona slightly less for like a half a second this episode but ...wait, no, I hated her completely, what happened was I dozed off during her bitchface.
Posted by: Nadine at January 25, 2012 1:10 PM
So help me, if this makes it another season, I would give my eye teeth for Ian McShane as the Big Bad.
Posted by: Brett at January 25, 2012 1:10 PM
PaddyDog: That was my feeling, too. Someone's going to go after Winona, as foreshadowed by the scene with Nix (Nicks?). I also agree with your reasons for disliking her. She is written as shallow, unkind, and self-centered. The writers did that to her. We're responding as expected. Also, I don't feel like there is all that much chemistry between them, so I'm confounded as to why they're together, other than "it's in the script."
Posted by: Reba at January 25, 2012 1:12 PM
But they didn't exactly establish Gugino as a viable alternative. Did they? She was surprisingly dull for such a wickedly beautiful, capable woman.
Posted by: Canneaux at January 25, 2012 1:17 PM
Nadine: I don't know whether to applaud them for not taking the easy drama option or curse them for making us go through the whole pregnancy thing.
Posted by: Reba at January 25, 2012 1:21 PM
Reba, right? I'm exactly the same, I feel like it's another storyline with her that is just...pointless. The forgotten money was pointless(though now they're claiming it may come up between Winona and Art) but at the same time, I'm relieved they don't go the cheap and easy route.
Posted by: Nadine at January 25, 2012 1:23 PM
I thought this was an excellent episode, I think I even enjoyed it more than last week's. More Art? Always a good thing. Raylan and Boyd's frenemy interaction? Excellent. The introduction of Limehouse? Perfect note of menace. I loved it all.
Posted by: Even Stevens at January 25, 2012 1:28 PM
Did anybody think that whole bit in the office with Raylan and Winona had more to do with a message he was sending Goodall and less to do expressing affection towards Winona? They've always been more discrete I thought, even when it stopped being a secret, because they are in a place of work I assumed. I don't know, possibly this thought is just a convoluted symptom of ohgodpleasefuckoffwinonayouaretootiresomeforwordsitis?
Posted by: catagisreading at January 25, 2012 2:25 PM
Doubtless not the whole writers' room, but the six "crew" credited on the show web site here has one woman. That's part of the problem, I think.
Wynona has brief flashes of a kind of knowing, collected, take-no-crapishnes that, let's face it, would be required to spend any time at all with Raylan. He's monumentally self-absorbed.
The most interesting relationships on Justified are other characters managing their relationship to Raylan and his diskishness. Charismatic, sure - and knows it. Skilled, certainly - and contrives situations where he can win that way. Clever & ironic & damaged - yep & he indulges vs. manages them all. Has a moral code - sure, and it's a very convenient one for him. Etc. Raylan has more in common with Dexter than with most other characters on TV.
I speculate that Winona's whining shrewishness is the result of the writers' bad attempt at showing the kind of strong personal boundaries it would require to be in a close relationship with Raylan & survive. They're not meaning to write her that way. They're trying to write her self-aware and on to his bullshit.
They divorced once, on her instigation. Whatever his nobilities, Raylan's relationships with other characters are instrumental - he's a sociopath even more than Wynona is. It's hard to be in a committed union with a sociopath. You'd have to manage all the boundaries yourself, because they won't. So Raylan is competent in Justified-world, as Gary was not, but not particularly interested in anyone but Raylan.
Contrast this with Eva & Boyd who, for all their criminalizing are both of them energetic and committed to supporting the other's autonomy. Boyd happens to be a criminal thrill-seeker, with a taste for murder. His is in a way more honest that Raylan's, not requiring the cover of law. Eva fatalistically chooses among the options open to her that she understands, knowing what she wants and the costs she is accepting.
In the Justified writers' room I'm not looking for a proportional representation head count. It is, however, hard for men to write complex women in conflicting circumstances. Winona the character has the most complex and ambiguous relationship with instrumental, closed off & dangerous Raylan. She has to accommodate that, but can't be a door mat. That ain't easy to write.
Just my $0.02
Mal / Raylan '12
Posted by: BierceAmbrose at January 25, 2012 5:32 PM
Did anyone else notice the wonderfully framed shot of Raylan and Gugino when they were first in the conference room together? Raylan was standing about three feet further from the camera but the angle made it look like they were embracing each other, sort of. I don't think it was an accident.
Then again, I like a stiff drink as much as Raylan so I may have been seeing stuff that wasn't there.
Posted by: Paultera at January 25, 2012 7:23 PM
Eh, I don't hate Winona. I don't love her. Whatever, sometimes desirable men are attracted to less-than-admirable women. And vice versa. It happens all the time, actually. So in that sense, it's realistic.
As much as I like Olyphant in this show and enjoy every second he's on, I would like to see more of the other marshals. He's not the only one. Then, bonus, we'd see a little less of Winona. Maybe.
Posted by: Slash at January 25, 2012 7:51 PM
I can't say I share everyone else's loathing of Winona. While I'm not as fond of her as I was in S1, it's not like I'm wishing her a quick and long-overdue death. The sheer amount of hatred she inspires seems over the top. You'd think she was the devil incarnate.
And I think BierceAmbrose got it right: the writers really screwed the pooch on the Winona character. They're trying to portray her as the no-nonsense lover who's onto Raylan's bullshit and they've just failed. Spectacularly. And it's even more disappointing when you compare the underwhelming Winona to the magnetic and menacing Mags. How could they get one woman character so right and another so wrong?
I guess that's part of the reason why I haven't thrown in my lot with all the haters. There were glimpses of potential with Winona in S1 and I keep hoping the writers will somehow turn things around. They've done right by Mags and Ava, so why not Winona? GIVE ME BACK S1 WINONA.
Posted by: CC at January 25, 2012 8:20 PM
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Posted by: kirby at January 25, 2012 8:58 PM
I think women tend to hate the wives of really attractive men. Look at Mad Men Don Draper is a pretty shitty human but the hate for his wife is over the top.
Posted by: logan at January 25, 2012 10:58 PM
Why thanks, @CC. I agree with Winona 1.0 vs. 2.0. Her scenes with Raylan in the pilot are glorious. After that ... not so much.
And it's even more disappointing when you compare the underwhelming Winona to the magnetic and menacing Mags. How could they get one woman character so right and another so wrong?
Mags is in the story as a criminal mastermind, symbol and example of Raylan's a-typical past(*), antagonist, etc. Winona's presence in the story is motivated exclusively in terms of her relationship with Raylan. She doesn't even have much to do outside that relationship. Her misadventures in theft or choice of husband are dressing after the fact vs. why she's there.
I think a bunch of action show script writers and crime novelists can write an arch-villain. Hepburn & Tracy is a different thing.
(*) They've done a brilliant job of world building and exposition about Raylan's past without being tedious. How much have we assimilated about Raylan & life in the hollers without Data endlessly spewing data? They've even managed to put in straight exposition like the story of Dickie's limp in a way that we're hungry for it by the time it happens.
Posted by: BierceAmbrose at January 25, 2012 11:22 PM
The thing I don't get about Winona is why she isn't complaining more about Raylan's job. I get that they can't have her constantly bring it up and risk her being even more hated, but it feels like they're going in the complete opposite direction. Why hasn't there been another mention of Raylan transferring to Glencoe to get him out of harm's way especially now that 1) He was shot up pretty badly a few weeks ago and 2) Winona's pregnant and I feel like she'd be pretty pissed if Raylan died and left her to raise the kid on her own. I'd be more into Winona's character if they had her bring this stuff up. Or maybe she is and I miss it because deep down I hate her or something.
Posted by: AngelArm45 at January 26, 2012 1:22 AM
@logan
While there are women and girls out there who seem to automatically develop a hate-on for the love interest of the guy they'd like to bone, it isn't just a matter of women crapping on other women in Winona's case. I've seen just as many men dump on Winona and wish she'd go away via miscarriage, murder, break-up, etc. outside the confines of Pajiba.
Posted by: CC at January 26, 2012 2:01 AM
I just started watching the show this season, and it would be really helpful if fans of the show could answer a question for me. Is Boyd really a racist? I know he has the swastika tatoo. But, based on how much fans like him and the fact that he seemed offened when Raylan implied he didn't like Mexicans I wasn't sure. It also seems from the previews he will be working with Mykleti Williamson's character. Are the tatoos just something he got to fit in with the other criminals? Thanks to anyone who answers. I'm in love with Justified after just two episodes!
Posted by: Lila at January 26, 2012 4:11 AM
I am surprised to be a Winona apologist this season. Shocked. I think she's been delightful in the first two episodes.
Winona and Raylan seem to have really committed to each other and it's totally changed their relationship. I liked the infidelity joke - to me it showed self-awareness, closeness and trust. There is shit I say to my husband that I'd never say to anyone else. And it takes a lot of trust to know he's going to try to understand what I mean and not make it a huge thing.
It seems they both realize they haven't been perfect, and they're willing to work on it for each other. I'm even starting to believe Winona was purposefully written to be whiny and annoying before so that she could grow into being delightful. It may even be genius.
I wonder how much of Art's crossing the moral line has to do with Raylan kinda checking out. "Oops, I forgot my phone was off." As much as they bemoan it, Raylan's willingness to do the morally-ambiguous thing actually allows "the good guys" to be the good guys.
Posted by: SBrown at January 26, 2012 8:57 AM
@logan Thanks so much for reducing so many of women who commented here to shallow stereotypes despite the fact that we gave you our justifcications for disliking Winona.
@Lila In the opening of season one, Boyd had recently joined the neo-Nazis in town, but it appeared (it was never openly stated by him) that it was another convenient association because they provided him with cover for his more financially-motivated criminal activities. In later eps, he reformed and ran an all-are-welcome-Jesus-camp, but again how much was sincere versus another cover for the things he was plotting was never clear: there was always a mix. I think that's what makes Boyd fascinating: he's always playing the long game and his motivations are always complex.
Posted by: PaddyDog at January 26, 2012 9:42 AM
Thanks PaddyDog!
Posted by: Lila at January 26, 2012 7:15 PM
So help me, if this makes it another season, I would give my eye teeth for Ian McShane as the Big Bad.
That would be AWESOME! Need more McShane on TV.
I am pro-Winona, and my husband hates her. It is a lot of fun at my house on Justified night!
i thought it was an excellent episode. Great/good looking characters with great dialogue. What more can you ask for? please more Carla.