REVIEW: Justified, Season 2, Ep. 5 “Cottonmouth”

Air Date: Tuesday, March 9, 2011 10PM E/P on FX
★★★★★

“The Hillbilly Whisperer.” That’s what Art (Nick Searcy) calls Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) when the state police come asking for Raylan’s assistance in Harlan County. To say a smile crept up on my face is an understatement. I laughed out loud!

This show continues to get better and better each week. There’s some dangerous business going on which involves the Bennetts and brings Loretta McCready’s (Kaitlyn Dever) father’s death back into the light, but it’s not quite how you think. I’m happy to see Loretta back because she is truly phenomenal. Dever is one of the best young actresses on television right now. The delivery of her lines is so well versed yet teeters on the edge of sarcasm. You are scarcely sure if she is being seriously well-mannered or a smartass. I love the interaction she has with Raylan as he walks up to her while she is in the midst of an ‘herbal remedy’ exchange with some classmates. I’m worried about Loretta as much as Raylan. She may be smart, but she doesn’t truly know she is inside the belly of the beast living under Mags’ (Margo Martindale) roof.

Dickie (Jeremy Davies) and Coover (Brad William Henki) are either both very smart and brave or very dumb and naïve. I’m voting on the latter, save Dickie. He’s a bit smarter than your average hillbilly and he’s cooking up something because he wants a bigger slice of the outlaw pie other than the marijuana and moonshine his mother is serving up. When I said Doyle (Joseph Lyle Taylor) was a mama’s boy, it’s even more evident when he’s holding Coover down on the chopping block while his mother hammers away…literally! What Mags does to Coover makes me cringe. It’s something you usually see in gangster type movies. What makes it more pathetic is Coover hugging his mother afterward, while professing his devotion to her.

The relationship Raylan and Arlo have is far from loving but I sense a mutual affinity. Arlo is a criminal—he was very good at it for a while but as he’s aging, he’s losing a few steps.

REVIEW: Justified, Season 2, Ep. 5 “Cottonmouth” 1

Raymond J. Barry as Arlo Givens

Raylan is a U.S Marshal—he’s very good at his job, although it seems he’s bending more rules as he gets older. Quite the parallel there. Note to the writers: I don’t want to see any kind of reconciliation between these two. The tension is what makes their relationship so unique and wrought with drama.

REVIEW: Justified, Season 2, Ep. 5 “Cottonmouth” 2

L-R: Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens and Raymond J. Barry as Arlo Givens

I won’t go into detail about the exact moments leading up to the scheme Kyle (Michael Mosley) wrangles Boyd (Walton Goggins) into. You need to watch each moment because there are subtle details, which will inevitably play a larger role in future episodes. “Just remember your ABC’s – Always Be Cool.” ~ Boyd Crowder

The conversation between Boyd and Ava (Joelle Carter) afterwards is very telling.

Boyd: “I don’t believe they intended to let me live through the day. Didn’t think I was gonna find a way out. Part of me just felt like…laying down, lettin’ it happen.”

Ava: “But you killed them instead?”

Boyd: “Well, I gave them a choice. Now, if they hadn’t a pulled that switch on me when I was down there in that hole, things woulda gone down different. So the way I see it Ava, they killed themselves with greed and avarice.”

Ava: “When I called that cell…did I…?”

Boyd: “No. It allowed me to kick them out of the trailer. I put a little cash on the Emulex, a little Emulex on the cash and I made sure the blasting cap went into their packet not mine.”

Ava: “You coulda run when Raylan came by; just lit out and let the chips fall.”

Boyd: “What does it say about me that that thought never crossed my mind?”

Ava: “Why did you agree to rob that mine in the first place?”

Boyd: “Because it’s what I do. It’s who I am, Ava. As hard as I tried to pretend otherwise, everyone else seems to know that but me.”

A key point at the end of the conversation is Boyd mentions he saw a letter from the bank regarding the house. How interesting that Ava asks if any money survived the blast. Conveniently, Boyd throws a bag toward her containing $15-$20 thousand. But Boyd needs a favor because the police have just rolled up sirens and lights ablaze. I’m sure he’s asking her to give him an alibi. The question I have is will he give Ava the money even if she refuses to oblige? The dynamic between these two is becoming more palpable and I can only speculate as to whether they will have a romantic connection in future episodes.

Don’t miss Justified –Wednesdays at 10PM E/P only on FX.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.