Justified Review: “Wrong Roads” (Season 5, Episode 9)

When the season started, Raylan and Boyd were kept at somewhat of a distance. This may not have been the intention, but with nothing to change the status quo, it was the result. There has been the occasional breach in this arrangement for various reasons, but overall that has remained the situation throughout season five. Moving forward, Boyd may not have that luxury. Boyd has been able to maintain his legal innocence over the years through loopholes and favors. With all roads leading back to him, those options may be null and void in the coming episodes. Where will that leave Ava (Joelle Carter) though?

Ava may be making inroads into the independent woman role, but she still relies heavily on the assistance of her fiancé, or at least, in theory. If Boyd doesn’t come through with the heroin, her deal for protection goes away. She has already made enemies of Boyd’s enemies simply by association and her only hope is making good on her entrepreneurial attempt at becoming the cell block supplier until Boyd can come through with his promise and frees her. Even with the new condition on the table, Ava has a small window of opportunity to make this situation work in her favor.

Joelle Carter has really stepped it up this season with her performance. There’s been a vulnerability about the character that we haven’t seen since her uncertainty after shooting her husband several years ago. The additional layers to the character not only make her more complex, but make her more interesting to watch. Even as some of the other characters go stale, in this episode namely Boyd, she continues to give every scene something that makes it memorable.

Is there anyone else that you think has given it a little extra this season? Will Ava’s new stance on taking care of herself work, or will Boyd’s problems be the death or her, literally? Let us know all your theories on Justified in the comments section below!