Justified

[InternetApex]

The only possible complaint I could have about this season is that with so many excellent characters/actors there isn't enough screen time to go around.  We definitely could have used some scenes of Wynn and Mikey playing Scrabble in season 5.

They could kill off Ava. That would help.

[InternetApex]

I understand the point of showing a heart to heart with Raylon/Wynona and Boyd/Ava back-to-back again and again. It makes sense to cross those two love stories together and show how loving these two men who will clearly never leave Harlan alive can doom a woman in different ways. But this show is so much more entertaining when good guys and bad guys are going head up and dumbass crooks are caught up in the hellfire. When I said it would help if they killed off Ava, i don't mean because I don't like her character. And Joelle Carter has done a magnificent job in that role for what that's worth.

But she and Wynona slow the show down, nice as they both are to look at.

Anyway this season is shaping up to be one hell of a sendoff. I can't wait to see the rest of it, but absolutely hate that it's ending.  

[InternetApex]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/03/03/justified-recap-the-hunt/

But Neely Tucker who does the recaps for The Washington Post reminds us that in Elmore Leonard's world of lore, Ava would be the one who gets away with the money and a fresh start. We'll see.

[CT III]

I had myself a Justified two-banger and watched both "Alive Day" and "The Hunt" last night.  

This is the only show I know of that could introduce a character like Choo Choo as comic relief, give the guy a heart-breaking back story, develop him into a sympathetic character, make me despair for his obviously imminent demise, and then make me laugh again when he's robbed of the poetic death by namesake that he sought.

Tim Gutterson forever.

Also, when will poor Nelson ever catch a fucking break?

I'm glad they at least had Ava come clean to Boyd, because as much of a blind spot as he had for her, it was beginning to strain credibility that Boyd wouldn't catch on. And while I agree with Pex that the relationship stuff slowed the show down quite a bit, it was obviously done for contrast purposes, and as Natalie Zea's not going to be available throughout the season, I'm cool with them going with one episode that's heavy on her character since we may not see her again until the finale.

[CT III]

I don't want this show to end.

I loved Katherine's incredulous "it's 9:30 in the morning" reaction to Wynn eating guacamole, as she's reaching to pour herself a bourbon.  That's Kentucky, I guess. Also, Mikey is another one of this shows bit players who has taken their small part and just owned it.

I felt for Walker a little bit at the end, but I will say that in a series that has always had its share of violence, his murder of those two paramedics in the previous episode struck me as one of the most cold blooded acts I'd seen on Justified.

The scene with Katherine and Art was the balls, although my fear is that if Art starts poking his nose back in things he might get retired permanently.

I have seen television characters burn possessions as way to symbolically put the past behind them before, but I enjoyed that Tim totally called Raylan out for wrecking his lawn.

I keep wondering if Karl isn't going to end up being the wild card in all this.  He's Boyd's smartest henchman ever by a long shot, he clearly wasn't pleased when Boyd basically told Zachariah that he considers his guys to be disposable, he knows where Dewey Crowe's body is buried and if I'm not mistaken his dumbass brother Earl is still wearing Dewey's gator tooth necklace.

[R-V]

I don't want this show to end.

I loved Katherine's incredulous "it's 9:30 in the morning" reaction to Wynn eating guacamole, as she's reaching to pour herself a bourbon.  That's Kentucky, I guess. Also, Mikey is another one of this shows bit players who has taken their small part and just owned it.

I felt for Walker a little bit at the end, but I will say that in a series that has always had its share of violence, his murder of those two paramedics in the previous episode struck me as one of the most cold blooded acts I'd seen on Justified.

The scene with Katherine and Art was the balls, although my fear is that if Art starts poking his nose back in things he might get retired permanently.

I have seen television characters burn possessions as way to symbolically put the past behind them before, but I enjoyed that Tim totally called Raylan out for wrecking his lawn.

I keep wondering if Karl isn't going to end up being the wild card in all this.  He's Boyd's smartest henchman ever by a long shot, he clearly wasn't pleased when Boyd basically told Zachariah that he considers his guys to be disposable, he knows where Dewey Crowe's body is buried and if I'm not mistaken his dumbass brother Earl is still wearing Dewey's gator tooth necklace.

Well with Karl & Earl both in the stir now, if Raylan can prove to them that Boyd hung them out to dry, they could be his downfall. Highlights of the latest installment:

Mikey pulling about 12 weapons off of Wynn's person
Loretta's aunt talking some serious shit to Markham
Ava completely upending my expectations of a Raylan/Boyd showdown

[R-V]

DPD. This is amusing.

Did Raylan think about shooting the truck's tires as Ava drove away?
No. This goes back to Speed, the movie I [wrote]. Have I told you this?

I think so, when we talked for the movie's 20th anniversary. But let's hear it again.
I was reading Janet Maslin's review in The New York Times, and she says, "When he's running after the bus, which is now not yet going 50, so the bomb has yet to be set, why doesn't he shoot out the tires?" I remember reading the review and going, "Oh crap, why doesn't he?" I honestly never even thought about it.

And Raylan doesn't look down right away to help Boyd either.
The scene, as shot, went on longer, and he actually kneeled down and checked in on Boyd. The feeling was that he really should be focused on Ava, and what we didn't shoot would be him pulling his phone and saying, "We've got a runner." The other thing, honestly, shooting the tires, you can still drive on rims. She's not going to stop. "I don't want to damage the rims on my getaway truck." She would just keep driving. She's got the keys from the other car, so Raylan can't go after her. That's the car they came in, the getaway car. So, there you go. There's your answer. It would have served no purpose to shoot the tires. Raylan's a Harlan boy: He doesn't want to damage a nice pickup truck.

There we go.
I'm good at rationalizing.

[CT III]

Goddammit Carl.


Goddammit Mikey.

GODDAMMIT NELSON

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Goddamn.

Tough to let this show go.

Goddamn.

[InternetApex]

That was a beautiful ending. Very true to the writings of Elmore Leonard.

I'll miss this show forever.

I don't believe that Raylan was sentimental enough to care about Boyd because they dug coal together. But he knew that it meant something to Boyd and he could use it to appeal to him in hopes he'd believe his story about Ava. It appears Boyd bought it.

Does Raylan seem happy with his new life in Florida? I don't think so but he does in fact seem less angry. This really is not a happy ending. It's terribly sad.

[InternetApex]

The only possible complaint I could have about this season is that with so many excellent characters/actors there isn't enough screen time to go around.  We definitely could have used some scenes of Wynn and Mikey playing Scrabble in season 5.

They could kill off Ava. That would help.

No, Peck.

[Richard Chuggar]

[InternetApex]

Also: Wynn Duffy as the big winner in the Avery Markham Big Big Bag of Drug Money Sweepstakes is so damn perfect and hilarious and right.

[CT III]

The whole goddamn thing was outstanding.  There were just a ton of little moments in that final episode that stuck me as...perfect.

Sam Elliot pulling up that chair to Ava.
Ava's gasp when Boyd pulled the trigger on that empty chamber.
Loretta stepping on Boon's hand.
Boyd's kid having his shirt buttoned all the way up.

Funny that Boyd, a character who was supposed to die in the pilot of the show managed to make it out alive.

I couldn't agree more on Wynn Duffy.

I will miss this show a ton, but there's something to be said for it going out at the peak of its powers.

[ChuckD]

The first five seasons are all free to stream on Amazon Prime Instant Video so it looks like a rewatch of the series is in order.

I forgot how great the first interaction with Dewey was.