Contributor: Henry T.
Written by Graham Yost
Directed by Michael Dinner
More than anything, I think “Justified” revels in showing atmosphere. Each season wants to show an aspect of Kentucky that isn’t seen very often. If the premiere episode is any indication, this is going to be much more loose than previous seasons, too. There doesn’t seem to be a primary villain like the Bennetts or Limehouse and Quarles last season. Taking their place is what looks like a murder mystery plot that will be parceled out in segments as this season progresses. Time will tell if this is a good tactic or one that will drive the show off the rails. Very little information is doled out in the premiere so I’ll have to reserve judgment for later, but the way it connects to Raylan and his family history promises a lot of intrigue. Since it involves his father (who seems to be his only living relative now), he isn’t particularly keen on pressing the case, which only means that it will cause more trouble for him than it’s probably worth. We keep company with a whole mess of new characters in this episode, too. Some of them are good and some are bad, and they beg to explored in the season to come.
The loose structure of the show allows the episode to center back around Raylan, who spends the lot of the episode on his own. Last season had him reacting the majority of the time to the villains that became the center of the story. It sometimes feels like he doesn’t know what he’s doing and is really rolling with the punches. This is especially true since a bounty hunter gives him a side job of bringing in a killer and thief named Jody Adair. The job goes somewhat smoothly at first (I really liked that Raylan outsmarts the guy by shooting the air bag, something that never even occurred to me, and that shows Raylan at his best), but then quickly turns sideways. It’s all well-integrated, too, which is something the show sometimes struggles to do with its various running plots.
Two kids rob Arlo’s now-abandoned house, specifically focusing on a bag stuffed inside a wall that contains a driver’s license with the odd name of “Waldo Truth” on it. When the kids also steal Raylan’s car with Adair in the trunk, Raylan uses the assistance of Constable Bob Sweeney (Patton Oswalt) to get it back before he loses the bounty. I have a mixed reaction with regard to Oswalt in this role. It’s clearly designed to be purely comic next to Raylan, but there were times when he got grating. Thankfully, Constable Bob isn’t used very much, and I think that if the show put some restraint towards the use of the character, then it adds color to the overall atmosphere of the show’s world. The bounty hunting job isn’t a lark, either. Raylan reveals that he’s trying to gather up some side money to give to Winona whenever she has their baby.
He has noble intentions (even as what he’s doing is technically illegal), and the admission to Constable Bob highlights how truly alone Raylan is. He’s still living above the bar (and sleeping with hot barmaid Lindsey), his Marshal’s career isn’t moving very much, and he still loathes his father. It’s clear there’s more to the mystery of the Waldo Truth driver’s license and Arlo is cagey about details. Raylan wants nothing more than to cut all ties with the man, but the bag that is connected to the dead parachutist with cocaine from the beginning flashback will draw him back in. It’ll be interesting to see how much Raylan will struggle this season to stay away from the case.
Elsewhere, Boyd is in the midst of a recession in terms of his oxycodone drug sales. I thought this was a much more oblique subplot than the one with Raylan. It’s only because Boyd (and his gang of Johnny and Ava) are such magnetic characters that there’s any interest at all. Here, Boyd is given clear opposition in the form of Preacher Billy. He looks to be an Evangelist-type “healer” who is the salvation of so many of Boyd’s customers, including the unfortunate Hiram. Being that Boyd is a former preacher himself (who has seemingly given up on his previously-unshakeable faith), this sets up a very nice dynamic that should be explored throughout the season. Boyd seems desperate to get his clientele back, and Preacher Billy might be solid foil. His introduction is certainly memorable enough: Doing a sermon asking who wishes to be saved (reminding me of Eli Sunday from “There Will Be Blood” in some ways) while a rattlesnake is wrapped around his right arm.
What is the deal with this guy? Why does he advertise with fake one million dollar bills? What’s with the blonde sitting in silent rapture at the back during the sermon? This seems to be the only act of its kind in town so that might explain why Billy is targeting Boyd’s addict customers, and that’s not making Boyd a happy drug lord. It irks him so much that he calls in one of his Army buddies to be a de facto enforcer on every job he does. It doesn’t go too well at first, with the show’s darkly comic aspirations coming to light when Colt misinterprets Boyd’s orders and shoots poor Hiram. The relationship between these two men have to be fleshed out as the season goes on, but I like their interactions with each other. Colt looks laid back, but is capable of sudden bursts of violence. It always seems like Boyd wants to go berserk at any time, and is just holding back so he doesn’t go back to prison or something. How much time will it take before Boyd snaps and the target of his fury might just be Preacher Billy?
All in all, I’m really glad this show is back on the air. I actually missed it when it was away. It is populated with very interesting and inherently watchable characters, all of whom are put in situations that they don’t want to be in yet have to deal with anyway. There will be more light shed on the mystery of Waldo Truth and the parachutist with bags of cocaine, but that’s for the bulk of the coming season. Also coming down the line would be Raylan’s impending fatherhood, and how he’s going to deal with that. He doesn’t seem too happy with his lot in life right now, which is understandable given his current ongoing relationship with his own father, and it’s not getting any better in the short term. Regardless, this is a show in the middle of a good flow. I’m sure the writers know what they’re doing and how they’re going to set up the pieces to build a solid season.
Score: 8/10
