After eight long months we’re finally back in Kentucky, back in Lexington and back in Harlan, Bloody Harlan. I’ll be taking up the recapping reins this season and I figure it’s my job to hit the highlights and your job to chew it all over down in the comments. Feel free to disagree with my take, correct me when I get a name wrong, and lose your sh*t over the relative hotness of Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins, Deputy Tim or the vilified/misunderstood Winona Hawkins. Honestly, my favorite thing about a recapping gig is how much insight and analysis you all have to bring to the table. (And the excuse to rewatch said hotness.) So giddy-up, here we go.
Things We Learned:
The gunshot wound in Raylan’s flank has taken the edge off his sharp shooting. There’s nothing finer than Nick Searcy’s Chief Deputy Art Mullen giving Raylan sh*t. His native North Carolina accent sounds like bourbon-soaked pecan pie.
I could watch Raylan and Boyd crack wise at each other all episode long. “Raylan, if a book could only be judged by its cover, you’d be a best seller.”
Emmitt Arnett likes a “little kick” in his coffee. The ice cold Robert Quarles? Not so much. Neal McDonough, with his crazy blue eyes and snappy suits is a great addition to the cast.
The producers know their audience. Just under four minutes: shirtless Olyphant. Just over fifteen? Pantsless.
It turns out Desmond Harrington (Quinn from “Dexter” and Fletcher “The Ice Pick” Nix from last night) is not a terrible and terribly bland actor. All he needed was an eccentric character, a good script and a jaunty hat. He should have stolen one off Batista years ago.
The magnificent Jere Burns as Wynn Duffy will have an expanded role this season. He was a complete delight, all but ignoring Deputy Tim and staring Raylan down until he squirmed. Here’s hoping nearly all of Duffy’s scenes take place in or around that RV with Women’s Tennis on in the background.
Both Devil and Arlo Givens have gotten exponentially stupider over the hiatus. Consequently they get to fill the hapless idiot roles Dickie and Coover Bennett left vacant and allow Ava to be even more badass this season. She’s like a little Gemma Teller in training; punning about lethal fried chicken and thwacking idiots with Aunt Helen’s cast iron skillet.
Winona’s brand of “sass” still grates (“Jiffy Pop Givens”) but she did keep her cool during the showdown. So, grudging credit where it’s due.
Raylan only winged Fletcher Nix. I’m hoping he shows up again somewhere down the line. After all, this episode saw the return of Dewey Crowe.
Which brings us the final sequence in jail, where it’s revealed that Boyd Crowder was playing a long con in order to maneuver himself within shivving range of good ol’ Dickie Bennett. (Looking cooly disheveled in that orange jumpsuit.) I briefly considered that Raylan might have been complicit here (he does like his gray areas), but, in all likelihood, this was all Boyd. I pity the cavalcade of characters who are lining up to take him on this season.
Carnage:
Delmar Coats and The Sloveny, Bearded Pizza Boy. (Cause of Death: Fletcher “The Ice Pick” Nix’s Anton Chigurh Impression.)
Emmitt Arnett (who does look like a less hot Peter Dinklage) and Yvette, the easily manipulated secretary. (Cause of Death: Robert Quarles’ Wrist Gun And The Ice In His Veins.)
Western Cliche:
Literal Black Hat vs. White Hat Quick Draw Contest
Favorite Lines:
“There’s still a sizable amount of money missing.”
“How sizable, Raylan?”
“Well over ten dollars.”
“Well now, if found that kind of money I’d be in Mexico by now.”
“Boyd, I’ve been to Mexico, I don’t think you’d like it.”
“How so?”
“There’s a lot of Mexicans.”
The Gist: While the first season of “Justified” was good, the second season was flat-out fantastic. I’m a bit nervous that too much of that greatness came from the much-missed Margo Martindale. But, as long as the writers eschew the “case of the week” stuff that slowed the first season down a bit and focus, as they did this episode, on weaving a season-long conflict, then I am all in. I cannot wait for Boyd Crowder to reassume the role of Big Bad and they did a great job in this episode fleshing out his competition. Next week we’ll see yet another big player vying for Mags Bennett’s throne in Harlan. I guess it takes three Big Bads to fill Martindale’s shoes. I’m not complaining. Also? P.S.? More of this please.
Each Time You Like, Share, Tweet or Stumble a Pajiba Post, An Angel Does the Paul Rudd Dance
I'm assuming McDonough's character will be Villain of the Season which bodes well. although I'm still upset they killed off Mags. It would be one thing to kill her off because Martindale had another role worthy of her talent waiting for her, but the piece of crap show she ended up in just adds insult to injury.
Olyphant seems to be hitting the Grecian 2000 for Men this season: the grey wings of his hair are decidedly darker and this upsets me greatly.
Posted by: PaddyDog at January 18, 2012 1:13 PM
Forgot to mention that until they showed the ultrasound pic in the "next week" bit, I was sure Winona was not really pregnant. She seems about as excited about this baby as she would be about having a plantar wart.
Posted by: PaddyDog at January 18, 2012 1:15 PM
Lord, I wish that had been a fake baby. I wish so very much. My Winona hatred stands. My Ava love blossoms. Also, we seriously need more Deputy Tim.
Posted by: Ginger at January 18, 2012 1:35 PM
Initially, I was a little worried about season three.
Last year was a tour de force and short of introducing Dick Cheney into the hallowed hills of Harlan, who the hell could live up to the Shakespearean villany of Mags Bennett?
Arlo and Devil are idiots and twitchy little Dickie might have been brighter than his brother, but that ain't saying much.
Boyd is brilliant (someone please give Walton Goggins a damn Emmy already?), but a villain? Not quite - he gives in to the better angels of his nature more than any real villain should (and yet, I feel this won't be the case when it comes to shanking Dickie in the prison yard).
Enter icy-veined, icy-eyed Quarles and his itchy trigger finger. He's going to be a great foil for Raylan this season and I'm really interested to see how this all pans out.
Also, no shirt, no pants - all sorts of service. Thank you, writers. That was just Olyphantastic.
Haven't seen the episode yest - I don't have a TV (SUCK IT PAJIBA), but I need to tell you that it took two internet savvy adults, like, 4 hours to find out where we could purchase this to watch legally.
This is a situationally ironic story to tell on SOPA blackout day, no?
If any other REALLY COOL PEOPLE OF COOLNESS who don't have TVs want to know...it's on Amazon labeled as "Season 2." The one with the porch chair photo. Search for "Justified" and it's on, like, the third page of results - after Contagion and CSI, NY.
As soon as Boyd took on Raylan, I guessed his plan was to get into jain to have access to Dickey. This was a great season opener and I love the new bad guy...Neal McDonough is awesome and I can't wait to see what he brings this season.
Posted by: Anne at January 18, 2012 2:09 PM
Is it just me or does Desmond Harrington "look like a non-threatening Ray Liotta"?
Posted by: Mrs. Julien at January 18, 2012 2:13 PM
Few people play a villain as gleefully as McDonough. Raylan needs a good villain to play off of, and as great as Mags was, I think Quarles will be a great successor.
Did anyone else catch his phone call early on? It sounded like he might have been talking to a son. If so he reminds me just a bit of Henry Rollins' character from Sons of Anarchy, and how much fun they had with him, the evil SOB who tries to be a family man when no one's looking.
Posted by: Markus at January 18, 2012 2:14 PM
I have always wanted to nail someone with a skillet just like that! Just to see how it sounds...
Posted by: Az at January 18, 2012 2:23 PM
I know that if I don't watch the violence, I'll never become desensitized to it. I get it. I'm a delicate flower and all, but, jeezy chreezy, 2 close ups of point blank shots to the head, and a frying pan to the face? That's a lot of cowering behind the throw pillows for me. I love the scripts and the acting, but the violence may be too much for me. Also, wouldn't that kind of blow with a frying pan, at the very least, knock you unconscious or crack your skull and, at most, kill you?
I thought it was pretty obvious that Boyd was making a play to go to jail and get at Dickie. How he, a felon who presumably violated his probation by attacking a federal officer, is going to get back out of jail is a mystery to me.
Posted by: Mrs. Julien at January 18, 2012 2:31 PM
While I still cannot warm to Winona (perhaps because she's written as a cold bitch), I really love what Boyd brings out in Ava so I wouldn't want to see her leave him for Raylan.
Ava really is the daughter Mags never had.
Posted by: PaddyDog at January 18, 2012 2:32 PM
How he, a felon who presumably violated his probation by attacking a federal officer, is going to get back out of jail is a mystery to me.
Clearly, you don't watch Sons of Anarchy. Didn't you know that in the US you can violate bail by leaving the country and consorting openly with a terrorist organization, return home and still remain free?
Posted by: PaddyDog at January 18, 2012 2:34 PM
I'd better write that down for the citizenship test.
Posted by: Mrs. Julien at January 18, 2012 2:42 PM
My favorite line: "You did put your lipstick on this particular platypus” - Raylan to Winona post-coital
Boyd will be let out because Raylan will drop the charge in exchange for Boyd helping him bring down the bigger fish (Detroit mafia). I mean, isnt that what they've done in the past?
Posted by: L.O.V.E. at January 18, 2012 2:49 PM
You missed one in the Carnage section: 120 kilos of premium marijuana! Also, even though I know we won't get it, I would love more "Hot Rod" Dunham.
So, has agent Brooks been cast aside at this point. She didn't even get to speak in her one seen.
Posted by: L.O.V.E. at January 18, 2012 2:54 PM
So does Duffy just ride around Lexington in an RV and park it randomly depending on where the satellite signal for ESPN is good? And if so, how do the US marshals find him so easily
Posted by: PaddyDog at January 18, 2012 3:03 PM
They followed the trail of forehead botox needles.
Seriously Burns, just the forehead? The rest of you looks like an old gym sock, why bother with the forehead. It gives you angry eyebrows.
Posted by: Mrs. Julien at January 18, 2012 3:26 PM
He does have very angry eyebrows. In fairness, his forehead has been slowly annexing the rest of his face for years.
Posted by: PaddyDog at January 18, 2012 3:53 PM
I think the best scene last night was how Raylan did the final quickdraw. Cool as a cucumber, he just slowly pulled the tablecloth towards him. No body english, just a tug table-side.
Posted by: Pragmatist at January 18, 2012 4:27 PM
I will admit a grudging respect for Ava's skillet bitch slap, but I still hate her. I hate Winona too. Caught a glimpse of Carla Gugino in the previews, playing the US Marshal she always should play, here's hoping that she replaces both of the annoying blondes.
Also would be delighted to see more of Fletcher Nix, I like me a good psychopath, and a good fedora.
Posted by: MG at January 18, 2012 4:40 PM
"She’s like a little Gemma Teller in training; punning about lethal fried chicken and thwacking idiots with Aunt Helen’s cast iron skillet."
Ava vs. Gemma. Now that I'd love to see. Particularly in a giant bowl of salad.
Posted by: PG13 at January 18, 2012 4:54 PM
Couldn't help but laugh and applaud at Boyd's brilliance. He wanted to get to Dickie Bennett and figured the easiest way was to get into a fight with a federal Marshall. Well played.
After the brilliance of Margo Martindale's Maggs, it's going to be tough for Neal McDonough or anyone else to fill those shoes. But I'm sure he will give it a good try. The idea of "Detroit" or other interests moving into Harlan to fill the hole left by the Bennett clan is interesting and organic.
Notice that we still have no idea why Raylan is on that hospital bed from the beginning of the episode?
Devil is annoying. Arlo seems to have gotten dumber without Helen around. This better get fixed or they should curtail their screentime. Got too many good characters to be wasting time on the morons.
It's not just Neal McDonough; Mykelti Williamson is coming to town as well. In real life, someone like Mags would leave a huge hole that many would seek to fill; I think the producers are letting art follow life.
Posted by: alone in the dark at January 18, 2012 7:06 PM
I just assumed that Raylan was in with Boyd. Let him go back to jail to deal with Dickie. Raylan wanted him dead too.
But in reality...Boyd would be in jail for a long time for just the parole violation. Throw in the new charges, it would be a decade or more til he saw the parole board again. It might even have made him a "habitual offender".
I do wonder why Raylan hasn't had Winona get a carry permit. And make sure she stays armed. And tell the pregnant woman not to wear 5 inch heels.
Posted by: Sean at January 18, 2012 10:06 PM
I will speak up in defense of Winona for the first time ever. Except for the cheesy "back in action" line, she was lovely, strong and not at all whiny. She was playful and fun, even.
Though...damn girl. She could have been a little more gentle. I know it's been 3 weeks and Raylan is really, really hot, but still - dude's got a hole in his side. Just be more gentle. I could demonstrate if needed.
Posted by: SBrown at January 19, 2012 9:08 AM
Fredo: Raylan was shot in the confrontation with Cooter outside the Bennett house. I'm guessing after his sit down with Mags at the end they took him to the hospital.
Great start to the season. I always forget how much I miss this show until it is back. I knew I recognized the actor playing Fletcher. He was the bad guy in the "not great but it has its moments" Ghost Ship. I hope he comes back this season but I suspect he was a one off red herring Big Bad.
I agree with the rest here: it was a good decision not to present a single Big Bad who could not live up to Mags. I think it could wind up being just as fun to see several mini bads converge, with only one emerging next season as the Big Bad Raylan has to deal with. It worked with Gus Fring on BB.
Winona was much less annoying in episode 1 and her do was an improvement too.
Thanks for the info on "Ice Pick". I couldn't place him. Now it seems obvious. So much more interesting than on Dexter.
I continue to love Boyd. He can never become the Big Bad. He's far more fun as Raylan's frenemy.
Posted by: ed newman at January 19, 2012 12:23 PM
I don't quite understand the dislike for Winona. She's pretty great.
My favorite cameo in this episode was the bottle of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon that Arnett had. Pappy Van Winkle is the best bourbon ever. Way way way too good to use for "kick" in coffee. For that reason alone, Arnett had to die.
Posted by: Lucas at January 23, 2012 11:28 AM
Joanna, just wanted to say I love the format of this review. Look forward to reading this (and the comments) every week.
I'm assuming McDonough's character will be Villain of the Season which bodes well. although I'm still upset they killed off Mags. It would be one thing to kill her off because Martindale had another role worthy of her talent waiting for her, but the piece of crap show she ended up in just adds insult to injury.
Olyphant seems to be hitting the Grecian 2000 for Men this season: the grey wings of his hair are decidedly darker and this upsets me greatly.