Justified Season 6, Episode 11 recap
It’s the third to last episode of Justified ever, and damn if this show is not slowing down. This is an all-time great episode, and one that introduces a new fear for the finale—that Raylan will live, only to go to jail. Raylan has always operated right on top of the ethical line between lawman and outlaw, which leads to Vasquez openly accusing him of being dirty—again. It’s not even an unfounded charge—Raylan HAS tanked a previous case by sleeping with Ava, and even though we know he isn’t now, he’s given the likes of Vasquez no reason to believe otherwise. From the outside looking in, it’s completely feasible that Raylan would be in on an attempt to steal the ten million and run off with Ava. Even Art, who knows Raylan best and has believed in him longest despite everything, has to admit the idea has merit. So Raylan is summoned back to Lexington.
Of course he doesn’t go. Ava is in the wind with the ten million and Raylan is determined to bring her in, even though he pretty much let her go in the previous episode. Boyd’s in custody, hospitalized by Ava’s bullet, but he gets the better of Carl, whom Avery sent to kill him. It should be noted that Boyd’s escape is facilitated by Deputy Dunlop—the WORST deputy in the Marshals’ service. (There is a very low-key running gag of Dunlop consistently falling for the thinnest of ruses.) So now Boyd is in the wind, too, and he is also gunning for Ava.
The centerpiece of this episode, though, is Katherine Hale confronting Wynn Duffy. Though Avery offers to present Wynn’s head to her as a wedding present, Katherine wants to deal with her husband’s killer herself. As she says, Grady was her husband, and she has to avenge him. Her speech about vengeance has an unintended consequence—it inspires Mikey to try and save Wynn. In one of the best fight scenes this show has ever staged, Katherine and Mikey fight in the RV and Katherine shoots Mikey no less than half a dozen times before he throat-punches her, presumably crushing her windpipe and killing her. Mikey is a beast, powering through the carnage to free Wynn before collapsing and dying in Wynn’s arms, cradled like a child.
I’ve often wondered about the true nature of Mikey and Wynn’s relationship, and the answer should have been obvious. Justified is a show about fathers and sons—of course Mikey saw Wynn as a surrogate dad. Wynn snitching was the final straw; disappointed in his father, he told on him to Katherine Hale. All Mikey wanted was for Wynn to see him as more than hired muscle, but Wynn didn’t realize what he had in Mikey until Mikey’s last, desperate moments—he didn’t even know Mikey liked classical music because he never let him choose the radio station.
As we head into the final two episodes, everything is chaos. Avery Markham’s plans are torn asunder by Katherine’s death and the fact that Boyd’s ex-henchman Earl can link him to Carl’s attempt to kill Boyd. Boone is clearly insane and will inevitably do something horrific before this is all over, and Ava’s plans to escape are dashed when the hill person she needs to guide her out of Harlan is found dead in his cabin. She’s stuck, with both Boyd and Raylan on her tail. Boyd has nothing left to lose, and Raylan seems determined to throw everything way to catch him. I have no idea how any of this will end, but one thing is certain—it’s going to be wild.
Raylan’s body count so far: 2/21
