Justified Season 3 Episode 8 recap

We’re entering the home stretch on season 3. The situation in Harlan is heating up, beginning with Quarles’ gambit to make the FBI think Raylan is dirty. I’ll roll with this plot point but I must point out that in season 1, it was repeatedly stated that Raylan gunning down that dude in Miami made the national news. He would have a reputation among law enforcement circles, and while it probably wouldn’t be a very good one, no one ever doubted his integrity. I’m a little amazed at how quickly the FBI swallows this.

Raylan is chilling at the bar. I feel like I’m supposed to recognize the woman singing, but I don’t.

And that’s goodnight Gary, as Quarles kills him on the lawn of the house he shared with Winona, and that Raylan later occupied. Limehouse descends from his holler to meet Quarles in Lexington and tell him about Boyd’s nominee for sheriff.

Someone’s been futzing with Raylan’s car. Unclear why, probably to do with Quarles’ plot. The homicide detective investigating Gary’s death is actually trying to lean on Raylan. Hilarious. Do these people not know who they’re dealing with?

Deputy Gutterson! He’s already sassing Raylan. Gutterson: 3, Raylan: 0.

That dude Raylan chucked out of the Oxy trailer is desperate to not be killed by Quarles, and so makes a deal to kill whoever Quarles says, no questions asked. Two guesses as to who that will most likely be.

Raylan tells Winona about Gary just as the local PD arrives with a positive match to Raylan’s fingerprints on a casing left at the crime scene. Quarles is nothing if not thorough.

The local homicide detectives are totally impressed with Raylan’s “I threw a bullet at Wynn Duffy and told him the next one would be coming faster” story, but they still obviously think he’s a suspect.

One of the detectives goes to the now-empty house where Quarles had been set up. They haven’t taken care of that dude Quarles was torturing and they interrupt the detective before he can find that poor bastard. Quarles and Duffy deny the bullet-throwing story, and Duffy denies the conspiracy to murder Raylan and Winona from season 2. So this is their play. Make Raylan look paranoid/crazy, take away his reason for having a fingerprint on a bullet, and set him up for Gary’s death. I’ll say it again. DO THEY NOT KNOW WHO THEY’RE DEALING WITH? They’re all going to die.

The Harlan County sheriff’s car is blown up. He suspects Boyd, obviously. Boyd is subsequently arrested.

The homicide cops move on to Winona. They tell her about the murder plot. In a bit of outstanding timing, the DA and FBI show up as he’s trying to talk to her and accuse him of being dirty. It’s basically the worst day Raylan has ever had.

Oh this FBI guy is hilarious. Going after Raylan is bad enough, but crossing Art Mullan is like, the stupidest move available. For all that he’s laid back, there’s a reason the US Marshals thought Art was the only guy who could handle Raylan. The FBI guy is not forthcoming about what tipped him off to the Raylan-Boyd connection. So he knows it’s BS.

Gutterson: 4, Raylan: 0.

The car-tampering definitely relates to Quarles’ frame job. Somehow.

Winona: “I found the gun.”
Raylan: “You touch it?”
Winona: “What am I, an asshole?”
All together now—BEST DIALOGUE EVER.

Winona disposes of the gun then “shows up” to let in the PD. Why can’t she hack it with Raylan again? Oh yeah, because she’s useless as a plot device.

Seriously, Gutterson is the BEST. “Don’t play dumb!” – “I’m not, I’m an idiot. Ask anyone.”

So the sheriff used that guy from the Oxy trailer to blow up his own car, just so he could arrest Boyd and make a show of it. And now that guy wants to get paid and the sheriff refuses. The sheriff is totally going to get killed at some point.

The FBI won’t give up his source on Raylan so the DA won’t indict him. AHA! The FBI guy is the one who’s dirty! He’s on Sammy from Detroit’s payroll. Sammy informs Quarles that he’s out, which I take to mean Quarles is about to kill a bunch of people as a way of coping with his disappointment.

Raylan goes to Quarles’ house and finds Duffy re-painting the room where Quarles tortured (and probably killed) the homeowner guy. Raylan simultaneously threatens and warns Duffy about Quarles’ sinking ship. Cut to Quarles listening to religious radio as he drives around, looking crazy. He hits his own Oxy. Is this what got him into trouble up in Detroit? We end with Quarles turning to Limehouse. Because all roads end with Limehouse.

Raylan’s body count so far: 1 ½