Justified Review: “Shot All To Hell” (Season 5, Episode 5)

Justified brings out the big guns on this episode, making the good guys look better and the bad guys look like they’re definitely on the losing end of things. Between the Marshal service’s recent victories and Boyd (Walton Goggins) making himself enemies in all the wrong places, this season is shaping up to result in a body count that rivals any previous season and may even include a series regular if events keep backfiring like they have been.

There are currently three storylines weaving their way through this season of Justified – the Crowes and their hostile takeover of Harlan County, Boyd and his criminal enterprises (including the predicament that Ava (Joelle Carter) is currently in) and Raylan and his semi-sweet relationship with Art. We’re starting to see them begin to run into each other which can only mean more interactions between Raylan and Boyd, and Boyd and the Crowes, in the near future. The downside of all the characters beginning to engage each other is that it also means a higher chance of someone ending up on the wrong side of a bad situation.

The Crowes reign on Harlen County might be short lived if Danny (A.J. Buckley) and his temper have anything to do with it. Instead of taking heed of some not entirely friendly advice, he fires back (literally), destroying any chance of coming out of this misadventure without blood on his hands. Besides giving Kendal (Jacob Lofland) a hard time when he returns from child protective custody, projecting his shortcomings onto his younger brother, he continues to charade until long after it turns scary.

Daryl (Michael Rapaport) may be set on the family staying in Kentucky and setting down roots, but they probably should hold off on unpacking. Since his family has already been the cause of two murders and Raylan is set on relocating the Crowes in their entirety (happily sending Dewey along as well), back to Florida, it doesn’t look promising for these entrepreneurs. To make matters worse by adding legal jargon to muck up the situation, the more sensible Crowe has headed north to join her flock.

The newcomers take things one step further by trying to bully Boyd. The only person who has successfully attempted this has been Raylan, and there have been occasions where his badge and badass gun slinging skills were almost not enough. Daryl is finding out very quickly that antagonizing Boyd will either be the biggest mistake he’s made or the slow start of taking over Boyd’s territory. It would be quite the spectacle if at some point they joined forces, but with all the emotional turmoil Boyd is headed toward with Ava’s reinstated incarceration and transfer, this is probably not a good time to strike up a conversation about the matter.

Continue reading on the next page…