Review
  • Use of Boyd
  • Use of Ava
  • Use of Boone
4.5

Summary

Season 6, Episode 10

Aired: March 24, 2015

Director: Adam Arkin

Writers: Benjamin Cavell

Sending
User Review
0 (0 votes)

“Give me one reason I should believe anything you say.”

– Avery Markham

I did not see that coming.

Of course, neither did Raylan or Boyd. So much of this episode was a cat-and-mouse game between the two of them, each one predicting the other’s moves and trying to stay one step ahead. But they both overlook Ava (even as Raylan has his doubts about her) and, in the end, she drives off with the $10 million.

Justified_S5_poster_notunein_hires1

The only person feeling worse than Boyd right now might be Avery Markham. He gives up his fortune to save Catherine, only to have Boyd rub salt in the wound by telling Avery that Catherine has been plotting against him the whole time. (He already had his doubts at that point after she brought up moving the money just like Raylan predicted, but it has to hurt to have it explicitly spelled out by the man who just ripped him off.)

Also feeling betrayed is Mikey, who decides that his code dictates he handcuff Wynn and serve him up to Catherine. Things look bad for Wynn Duffy, who will be meeting face to face with a couple who just lost $10 million and are unlikely to be in the mood to forgive him for getting Catherine’s husband/Avery’s partner killed.

Runner’s up for the self-pity award have to be Carl and Earl, the two brothers Boyd sacrifices to the marshals in order to pull off the real heist. It really doesn’t pay to be in Boyd’s game, since in the end he only really cares about himself and Ava. (This also doesn’t bode well for Loretta, who needed that muscle to keep Boone at bay.)

Speaking of Boone, he had quite an episode. I have to admit that I wasn’t sure to make of him before, but this week really solidified him as a formidable and disturbing villain. He’s completely loyal to Markham to the point where he never second guesses an order, even if it’s letting his boss drive off alone with $10 million to meet a crazed killer holding his fiance hostage. And he seems to enjoy playing mind games with local hipsters in fun hats to amuse himself in his downtime. He clearly marches to the beat of his own drummer and probably won’t be happy until he and Raylan find themselves in a duel (like John Wayne, that movie cowboy he’s never heard of).

With three episodes left, we find ourselves in a very intriguing place. Raylan has Boyd, which is what this season (and, really, the show) has been all about. Boyd kidnapped Catherine and robbed Markham. And his men were caught trying to hit the truck. These are RICO charges that will stick.

jst_610_Trust_0621_hires1

But it’s a bittersweet victory. Ava is on the run and she has the money. And Raylan is unlikely to have learned anything from Art’s trash and snake speech earlier in the season. He won’t be able to let Ava go. He’s also unlikely to be happy with her being the one to take Boyd down. It has to feel like a hollow victory.

Speaking of Boyd, I have to imagine he’ll find a way to get himself back in the mix. There’s no way he sits the last three episodes out. Maybe he finds a way to escape or maybe he talks Raylan into bringing him along on the manhunt for Ava, but either way, he’ll be involved in the end game for sure.

The more I think about it, the more I love this twist ending. We seemed headed toward a clear showdown between Raylan and Boyd and, in a way, this throws all of that out the window. Sure, I still think that showdown will happen in some form, but right now they both have a common goal – finding Ava. What happens next is anyone’s guess.

And another thing …

  • Never doubt the power of Ava’s feminine wiles.
  • I don’t think I ever noticed how much Raylan loves ice cream.
  • Mikey handcuffing Wynn and selling him out to Catherine probably means my Wynn-Mikey Odd Couple spinoff is a no-go.
  • I love the look on Tim’s face when Raylan goes off about how Boyd wants to go out in a blaze of glory. Tim knows as well as we do that Raylan wants that just as bad as Boyd.

jst_610_Trust_0388_hires1

Written by Joel Murphy. If you enjoy his recaps, he also writes a weekly pop culture column called Murphy’s Law, which you can find here. Follow Joel on Twitter @FreeMisterClark or email him at murphyslaw@hobotrashcan.com.