By Jeff Michael Vice
JUSTIFIED – Live-action drama developed by Graham Yost, based on characters created by Elmore Leonard; rated TV-MA; airs Tuesdays on FX; 60 minutes. Episode 5.5: “Shot All to Hell” (original airdate, Jan. 28, 2014). Directed by Adam Arkin; written by Chris Provenzano (8 out of 10)
The story so far: After one high-profile shooting of a criminal too many, trigger-happy Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens has been re-assigned — from his home in drug-infested Miami to his now, more-overrun-by-drugs childhood home in eastern Kentucky (specifically, Harlan County). Back in semi-familiar territory, loose cannon Raylan butts heads with his new co-workers and his new, no-nonsense boss, Art Mullen, and also has an uneasy reunion with his estranged family members, as well as his childhood friend, Boyd Crowder, who has become a local drug kingpin.
In this episode: Raylan and Art have showdowns/encounters with two associates of Detroit drug lord Theo Tonin: his former right-hand man, Nathan Picker, and Elias Marcos, an assassin is apparently in Theo’s employment. Meanwhile, Boyd will stop at nothing, even blackmail and murder, to free his jailed lover, Ava.
On the run after shooting Sammy Tonin, the high-profile son of Theo Tonin, Picker heads to Harlan to meet up with an associate, former “Dixie Mafia” leader Wynn Duffy. But it’s Art, who’s been watching Picker, that eventually saves the double-crossing murder suspect and possibly Tonin informant from having a fatal face-to-face with hired gun Elias.
As for Boyd, he’s now resorting lethal methods to eliminate key witnesses in the prosecution against Ava. He also uses a new tactic to deal with his duplicitous cousin, Johnny, who was responsible for hijacking a recent drug shipment and for the murder of some of Boyd’s men. Boyd also gets his first bitter taste of what’s to come with newly arrived Florida Crowes, led by the forceful Daryl Jr.
Speaking of the Crowes, Raylan again crosses paths with would-be legal eagle Wendy Crowe, who’s in Kentucky to retrieve the youngest of the Crowes, Kendal. (Raylan removed the pre-teen from the Crowe compound and, with help from his new social-worker girlfriend, Allison, put Kendal into foster care.)
And Raylan also makes a few, less-than-vague threats to the in-custody Picker, who knows Raylan was there and that he stood by as the Tonin crew eliminated Nicky Augustine.
If previous episodes in this season were pot-boilers, the bloody “Shot All to Hell” puts things on a full simmer with several killings (guest stars and a couple of semi-recurring characters alike meet their untimely demise in this episode).
And it’s fun to see the usually comic character actor Alan Tudyk (TV’s “Firefly,” “Suburgatory”) in the role of a bad-ass. His Elias Marcos is a man of few words, backed up with action – particularly during a scene in which he is confronted by a badly outgunned Art and Raylan.
Adam Arkin briefly reprises his role as Theo Tonin and directed the episode, which leaves things on a seeming cliffhanger for the suddenly conscientious Raylan. Veteran television writer Chris Provenzano (“Archer,” “Mad Men,” “Talk Soup”) provided the script, which is full of the show’s customary blend of tense moments and witty one-liners. Among the episode’s best quips and exchanges:
“Is there an end to your feuding with my family?” “Well, I gave the boy 10 cents.” (Wendy, then Raylan)
“I got my nose from a surgeon in Beverly Hills.” (Picker)
“FYI, that’s kind of a thing with these marshals.” (Wynn)
“Well, an unpredictable man can be unpredictable.” (Boyd)
“Oh, you guys sure love the smell of your own farts, don’t you?” (Picker)
“Everybody knows what kind of guy you are. That didn’t stop LBJ from getting elected.” (Boyd)
“Holy Lord, that gun was bad. You get a look at it?” “No, I must have missed it.” (Art, then Raylan)
Overall rating: 8 out of 10
CAST:
The regular characters: Timothy Olyphant (Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens), Walton Goggins (Boyd Crowder), Nick Searcy (Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Art Mullen), Jacob Pitts (Deputy U.S. Marshal Tim Gutterson), Erica Tazel (Deputy U.S. Marshal Rachel Brooks), Jere Burns (Winn Duffy) and Joelle Carter (Ava Crowder)
Guest stars: A.J. Buckley (Danny Crowe), John Kapelos (Nathan Picker), David Meunier (Johnny Crowder), Michael Rapaport (Daryl Crowe, Jr.), Alan Tudyk (Elias Marcos) and Alicia Witt (Wendy Crowe)
Jeff Michael Vice, aka Jerk-bot, can be heard reviewing films, television programs, comics, books, music and other things as part of The Geek Show Podcast (www.thegeekshowpodcast.com), as well as be seen reviewing films as part of Xfinity’s Big Movie Mouth-Off (www.facebook.com/BigMovieMouthOff).