By Jeff Michael Vice
JUSTIFIED – Live-action drama developed by Graham Yost, based on characters created by Elmore Leonard; rated TV-MA; airs Tuesday nights on FX; 60 minutes. Episode 5.2: “The Kids Aren’t All Right” (original airdate, Jan. 14, 2014). Directed by Bill Johnson, written by Dave Andron (7 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 has his hands full with Loretta McCready, an orphaned teen he befriended after her father was killed by the murderous Bennett family. Meanwhile, Boyd faces the consequences of some of his recent actions, including the near-fatal beating of one of Harlan’s movers and shakers.
Things go from good to bad quickly for Raylan, who discovers that Loretta has gotten mixed up in the drug trade, and has been busted for selling pot to the son of a police officer. She’s also pulled a con on the wrong people, a pair of shoot-first, ask-question-later drug suppliers. One plus for Raylan, who’s inclined to let the teen rot behind bars: The new social worker who’s been assigned to Loretta’s case is Allison, and there are definitely some sparks there.
Meanwhile, Boyd and his new partner, “Dixie Mafia” leader Winn Duffy, still haven’t received the drug shipment they were promised by their new Canadian contacts. While the two try to quell an uprising among mid-level drug dealers they’ve been using as distributors, Boyd is also being harassed by a vengeance-seeking lawman and is blackmailed by the gold-digging, Russian wife of the wealthy, now-comatose Lee Paxton.
Unlike last week’s set-up-heavy season premiere, this episode pretty much hits the ground running. We also get to see some welcome, returning faces, including the conniving Loretta and the clearly ambitious Daryl Crowe Jr. (Michael Rapaport), and at least get some brief appearances by Raylan’s fellow Deputy U.S. Marshals, Tim and Rachel. (Plus, we get more interaction between Raylan and his Art, which is always an episode highlight.)
More new characters are added to the mix, such as guest stars Amy Smart (the “Crank” movies), who plays Loretta’s alluring case worker, and veteran RV heavy Xander Berkeley. And sharp-eyed viewers of the well-regarded HBO series “The Wire” will recognize that show’s drug kingpin, Wood Harris, who turns up here in the role of a smart-mouthed pot dealer that’s also looking for Loretta.
On the intrigue side, there’s some mystery about who’s been intercepting Boyd’s drug shipments, and there’s some question of how loyal he really is to his jailed lover, Ava. (She’s about to go on trial for a murder that Boyd committed.) As for Raylan, he’s now enjoying the perks associated with living in the mansion of a former Detroit-connected criminal, which is a refreshing change from his current living quarters, above a noisy college bar.
It’s yet another solidly entertaining episode of one of television’s most enjoyable and witty police dramas, albeit one with less shooting and screwing than usual. This one also has a few several surprises in store for regular viewers. Among the best zingers/one-liners: “I’ve got a gun … Get out of my car!” and “People who talk this much usually wind up in the trunk.”
Overall rating: 7 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: Sam Anderson (Lee Paxton), Kaitlyn Dever (Loretta McCready), Damon Herriman (Dewey Crowe), James Le Gros (Wade Messer), Michael Rapaport (Daryl Crowe, Jr.), Amy Smart (Allison) and Karolina Wydra (Mara Paxton)
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).