Justified Season 4 Episode 7 recap

I recently re-watched seasons 1-3 and the first half of 4 and damn, I’d forgotten half the connections on the show. Like Sheriff Shelby—totally lost track of him being the security boss at the mine that Boyd saved in season 2. It’s really worth going back to view Justified from the beginning.

Someone emailed me about my stance on Ambiguously Gay Gutterson. I didn’t know that was a thing, and frankly, he doesn’t scan that way to me. The secondary characters on Justified have very little time for development, and so far what we’ve seen of Gutterson, particularly the two times he’s appeared off-duty, points toward alcoholism as his notable characteristic. But I won’t argue with you if you read him that way. We know the least about him out of everyone, after all.

So we’re on the downhill slant for season four, beginning the final six episodes. It’s felt so far like a table-setting season, not driven so much by action but by exposition. Seven episodes equates to six days in the show’s timeline. That dude Raylan picked up while moonlighting for the bounty hunter chick was exchanged six days ago, according to the title card. (Remember when Constable Bob stabbed Roz through the foot? Good times.)

And that guy is escaping. Which means he’s going to go back for Raylan. Because somehow people still do that. It’s like they’re not aware that he’s killed FIFTEEN PEOPLE IN LESS THAN A YEAR.

Aw, there goes the hot bounty hunter. Crazy Escapee Convict killed her.

Speaking of people eating it on Justified, has anyone else noticed that the marshal’s office is the only group that has suffered no major losses? Trooper Tom and Aunt Helen are ancillary losses, but the actual Marshals remain untouched. So…a Marshal is going to die soon. Right?

I approve of any establishing shot that features Raylan’s butt. This makes up for the tragic lack of Shirtless Gutterson last week.

The Drew Thompson trail is growing cold and Art’s solution is to go rattle Arlo’s cage in prison. Also we’ll be revisiting corrupt Harlan sheriff Hunter from season 1. Also they haven’t found out about the tragic demise of crooked FBI agent Barkley yet.

Also Gutterson is a punk.

Johnny may or may not be legit sweet on this hooker, but he definitely knows that some random dude didn’t do that to her. Gutterson is already suspicious of Colton and now Johnny is onto him. He knows Ella Mae isn’t dead.

Raylan’s ice cream thing is one of those threads that run throughout the show. They don’t make a big deal of it, but he loves ice cream.

Crazy Escapee Convict has been doing drugs for six days, has also killed two drug dealers. So he’s on a roll. His buddy who helped him escape is a “filmmaker”. Raylan is already onto them, so they’re off to hit the CEC’s cash stash at his ex’s. In a nice piece of writing/direction, we don’t see Raylan doing the legwork but instead get it from the perspective of the crooks. We also get to see Raylan at work from their perspective—I like this. He’s even cool from the POV of people who hate him.

The “filmmaker’s” license plate is KY FLIXXX. So now we know what kind of films he makes.

Insecure Boyd is ADORABLE. And Ava sassing him is AMAZING. They’ve turned out to be way more interesting than any of Raylan’s many lady-loves. They’re on their way to a “rich man’s sex party”, as Ava says.

Raylan is flirting with this chick, Cute Jackie, he found at the CEC’s ex’s place but she looks, um, a bit young for Raylan.

I don’t see how Boyd gets out of this party without killing someone.

OMG ex-Sheriff Napier is now hosting the Harlan swinging scene. Ha!

Wow—is everyone in Harlan County an asshole? Because everyone at this party sure is.

Raylan took Cute Jackie home and the CEC still got the drop on her, but at least he caught on in time to go back for her. And hey, Cute Jackie isn’t useless! Still, the CEC gets away (by throwing himself off a second floor balcony—cocaine is a hell of a drug), and plans to ambush Raylan and kill him, despite having a broken hip. Cocaine: it’s a hell of a drug.

And yep, there’s the Boyd Crowder we know and love, kicking ass on behalf of Ava. These creepy rich people want him to put the screws to some other creepy rich person. That’s why they were able to get an invite. So far they’re nil on the Drew Thompson front.

The “filmmaker’s” plan should everything go south with the CEC and Raylan: “I’ll get laid and then I’ll kill myself.” Priceless.

Also priceless: the CEC does porn. And he made a movie for Raylan to watch. Which involves cheesy synth music and the CEC comparing the world to a basketball and promising Raylan death from above at any moment. Seriously, Justified finds humor in the oddest places.

Cute Jackie cops to a crush. No surprise there.

Given how many times Raylan has cleared Hot Lindsey’s bar for one of his grudge matches, he must be kind of bad for business, right? Also, who is running this place in Hot Lindsey’s absence?

Raylan ups his body count for the first time in a long time. The CEC is no more.

This is an odd episode. It feels like even more of a time-out than this entire season has so far.

Johnny confronting Colton is kind of terrifying. The two most unstable characters on the show going at each other is not going to end well.

The creepy rich people trying to boss Boyd around is also not going to end well. They want him to kill some guy so they can scam EPA funds. They’re all, “Do it or we’ll destroy you.” No, son. Boyd will f*ck your sh*t up so hard you won’t see straight till Sunday.

So Cute Jackie had the money the CEC was after all along. Here’s hoping Raylan didn’t end up stealing it from her. The scene ends with him eyeing the bag.

Raylan called himself an old fart. I laughed out loud.

Things between Arlo and Raylan are epically bad. Arlo doesn’t give up Drew Thompson even when he learns Boyd is searching for him on behalf of Theo Tonin, and then Raylan point-blank says he’s going to enjoy learning that Arlo has died in prison. Stone. Cold. Yikes.

Raylan’s body count so far: 1/16