Justified is becoming a big ole circle of death with almost every character trying to kill everyone else. This constant series of threats and backstabbing can get confusing, but these plots make Justified more interesting than other shows. Sadly, only two more episodes remain in this fantastic season, but at least they all seem to be fantastic. This latest episode, “Fugitive Number One”, combined violence, all manner of surprises, and an intense man…er…woman hunt through the hills of Kentucky. The result was a fantastic episode that went to unexpected destinations while setting the stage for a fun finish.
Technically, “Fugitive Number One” is set against the backdrop of a desperate search for Ava and her uncle, but a lot more happens during the episode. Boyd tries to figure out a way to escape Marshall custody, Wynn deals with his dangerous situation involving Mikey, and Avery Markham tries to determine his fiancé’s loyalty. Plus, this all happens while Art and the Marshals try to get Raylan back to headquarters. There are so many layers to the story that they can actually get confusing at times.
Mikey has always been a quieter character, but he was always entertaining.
Granted, any confusion is well justified by the amount of entertainment during the episode. Ava and her uncle don’t create the best moments of the episode, mostly because they are simply dragging money through the woods. However, the law enforcement giving chase is a great source of entertainment. Tim and Raylan make a great team; except for the times that Tim is trying to make Raylan follow rules. For some reason, Art is trying to force Raylan back to the office in Lexington instead of letting him pursue Ava and the money. This decision is probably based on the pressure from ADA David Vasquez, who doesn’t particularly like or trust Raylan. Sadly, this pressure causes Raylan to make some questionable decisions that will most likely derail his law enforcement career. Even worse, these decisions keep delaying the inevitable gunfight between Raylan and the creepy villain Boon. This weird, mustached kid is obsessed with both Raylan and Loretta, and he really wants to have a Western gunfight. This fight keeps getting teased, but the outside influences constantly delay it. These delays are actually becoming a little frustrating because this fight is going to be great, and it needs to happen soon.
While Raylan is dealing with Ava, the Marshals’ office, and dirty cops, Boyd is dealing with an even worse situation. Many, many people want Boyd to die a horrible death, so they view his time in the hospital as the perfect opportunity. Sure, Boyd may be covered by constant police protection, but that doesn’t stop any potential assassins. Unfortunately, one assassin in particular is more familiar with Boyd than almost anyone else in Justified’s history. This assassination attempt leads to some unexpected moments in the hospital, which are very well done.
Not a good moment.
As mentioned earlier, “Fugitive Number One” is one very busy episode, but that isn’t a problem. No, the only real problem with this latest episode is trying to figure out the motivations behind certain decisions. Multiple moments in the episode will make you want to scream at the characters because they are attempting to make the worst possible decisions at all times. Hopefully, these decisions won’t wreck what appears to be a stellar final season.
Justified only has two episodes left, and they are going to be full of storylines. The writers left so many story loops open that they will be hard-pressed to answer all of the lingering questions in only two episodes. Thankfully, Justified has avoided being a disappointment throughout the different seasons, so the show should finish up quite nicely. Plus, “Fugitive Number One” was a great lead-in to these final two episodes.
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