In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.
Some lowlife comes into the bar and butts heads with Raylan; before long, we learn that he's an MMA fighter. We also find out that he's Lindsey's husband, at least according to him, and Raylan's like, "Greeeeeeeeeeat."
Art is has announced he's retiring (sob), and as such, a "Patrick" from a Marshal's office in a different part of the state shows up sniffing around his job. Art would rather keep it in the family, but is aware that none of his Marshals is an ideal candidate at the moment; for example, he's noticed the weird hours Raylan's been keeping, and reminds Raylan he can't get away with working side jobs. Raylan, in turn, is aware that that Patrick is making a play for Art's job, so each of them, as usual, ends up feeling like he's the smartest guy in the room.
Ellen May comes to Ava and tells her she's converted to Preacher Billy's church, evangelizing that Ava can change her ways too, but Ava doesn't think there's any salvation for their kind. Johnny thinks this is further evidence that Preacher Billy is responsible for the drop in their oxy sales, but Boyd still isn't convinced, and confesses to Ava he doesn't like churches... he likes them even less when a bunch of kids show up to his place singing about the throne of God, and I know it's early, but the look on Walton Goggins' face when this happens might be the highlight of my year. He goes to Shelby about the cult, and Shelby reluctantly hands over a file on Billy and his sister Cassie (the blonde on the stage last time); Boyd realizes that their MO has been to set up shop in a town until the local criminal element has no choice but to pay them off, at which point they move on, much like the guy who sold monorails on The Simpsons.
Ellen May meets Cassie when she comes to talk to Billy and tell him she's not sure she can be part of their church because of all the terrible things she's done. Billy, however, convinces her that the good she'll do will wipe her slate clean, and that anyone who says otherwise is her enemy. Billy then baptizes her in front of his congregation -- and Boyd, who shows up with Colton and Jim. Boyd and Billy have a little verbal showdown about faith, and Boyd proves rather adept in quoting Scripture in casting doubt about Billy's integrity. Billy responds by telling the congregation he won't be accepting any more of their money, and he seems to mean it, but the dark look Cassie sends Boyd's way lets him know that not everyone there is so spiritually pure. Boyd thinks their problems will be solved if they find out what Cassie wants, but Ava is worried that Ellen May, as part of her spiritual awakening, will give Ava up as a murderer, and I'm not sure what solution she's proposing, but it may not exactly involve not murdering someone else.
Speaking of murder, Art breaks the news about Arlo's new crime, and Raylan recognizes the victim as having been lurking when he showed Arlo the (Panamanian diplomat's, we learn) bag, which Raylan now shows Art, along with the license. The Marshals (including Tim, THANK GOD, he's my other favorite) look to use Waldo's disability checks to track him and his extremely felonious sons down, and when they arrive on the property, it's not exactly Bennett Redux, but there is a bunch of disgusting kids and the absolutely wonderful Beth Grant as the matriarch and Waldo's wife. When Waldo arrives, the Marshals question him about the license, and it soon comes out that the guy is faking being Waldo so the family can keep collecting their draw. Beth Grant then lets them know that she hasn't actually seen Waldo in thirty years -- not since a pilot came to offer him a job from which he said he'd never come back. Art recognizes the name of the pilot, "Drew Thompson," as the same guy who flattened himself in that quiet suburb thirty years ago -- it was cocaine he was carrying, by the way -- but, based on the information supplied by Beth Grant, they realize it was actually Waldo who died, so they resolve to ask Arlo where Thompson is. Might want to hurry, as you'll see.
Colton, you'll be surprised to learn, is kind of out of control as an enforcer, which is to say that he's pretty great at it. He captures a dealer in Boyd's territory and uncovers a Dixie Mafia heroin business going on under Boyd's nose, and as a result, who comes out of the woodwork but my other other OTHER favorite on the show -- Wynn Duffy. Boyd tries to use the dealer's life as leverage to become Duffy's Harlan distributor, and Duffy's answer is to blow the guy's brains out in front of a roomful of people. Before he leaves, though, he lets it be known that Arlo's victim last episode was part of the Dixie Mafia, so looks like both Duffy and Boyd just got pulled into the thirty-year-old mystery. Lucky thing for Boyd he's got some muscle he can pretty much trust.
No show does a slow burn quite like this one; two eps in, and without seeming like there's any particular urgency, tons of stuff is happening. Can't wait to see then one.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Well, we were going to have to talk about this sometime. Obviously, this show is incredibly well-crafted -- I'd go so far as to say it's unmatched at the way it blends slow-burn drama with genuinely funny humor. That said, I think it's fair to say that many people also appreciate Raylan Givens as a, well, a specimen, which is why you can't really fault the show for giving those people, of which I am one, a bit of, as my great friend Joe Reid would call it, some dudesploitation. However, when the opening shot is a shirtless and shaggy-haired (you could tell his hair was longer in the premiere, but he never took his hat off so there was no good look at it) Raylan, along with Lindsey, flopping back onto the bed having just Done It, it is, if you'll permit me, kind of like skipping foreplay. I'm not complaining, but if my syntax seems to abandon me temporarily, you can take that as the reason.
Anyway, between pants, Lindsey says they're getting good at "that," but Raylan predictably thinks "good" was achieved some time ago. They flirt sweatily, and then Raylan tries to demonstrate that he is not selfish that way when his head ducks down out of frame, but Lindsey, while appreciative of the thought, says she's got to get downstairs to field a liquor delivery. Raylan decides to channel his chivalry into an activity that's acceptable on-camera, if barely any more family-friendly, by volunteering to go deal with the booze, and further demonstrates his magnanimity by flashing us the tiniest bit of ass crack as he pulls on his jeans. Putting his shirt on, he tells her to stay there, just like that...
...and then he's downstairs making some notes on a manifest, I assume, as a guy wheels in a keg. Behind him, a dude with a rather strong build enters, and when Raylan tells him they're closed, he's like, that's cool -- and then pours himself a beer. Raylan's like, great, here's me having left my gun upstairs, but does reiterate a couple times that the guy should go, whereupon the guy, after having indicated he's familiar with the waitresses by sight, asks Raylan if he thinks he could make him. Raylan, already sad that this guy has popped the balloon of his post-coital bliss, asks if he's serious, and when the guy repeats the question, diplomatically says he doesn't know and he'd rather not find out. Good read for someone who hasn't even seen the rest of the episode yet. The guy fixes Raylan with a long look, but finally breaks into a smile and says he's messing with Raylan. However, his good humor is belied by him aggressively bumping Raylan's shoulder on his way out. I mean, even giving people a lot of leeway for wanting to touch Raylan, that seemed nefarious.
In the other bar, Ava is also getting a liquor delivery, some of which she declines, and then, speaking of other unwanted items, Ellen May appears. Ava wonders what's up with her no-showing the night before on the heels of her little bear-hunting incident, and Ellen May at first tells her she was indisposed, but recants, says she's never felt better. Ava wonders what fresh hell of idiocy she's being subjected to as Ellen May pulls out a prepared speech about salvation, and my/Ava's question is answered when Ellen May cites it as from "Palms." Ava manages not to be too condescending in correcting her that it's "Psalms," for which alone she should enter the kingdom of Heaven, but when Ellen May tells her she needs to save her own soul, Ava bites out that she saved Ellen May's soul -- not God. Ellen May knows, which is why she's there -- she could have just taken off, but she wanted to try to include Ava in her salvation. She recites a bunch of Preacher Billy's rhetoric, but Ava's like, you're a whore, and also, you and I killed a man and dumped his body without ceremony or consecration -- you really think we qualify?
Hilariously, Johnny limps in and then tries to escape when he picks up on the conversation, but Ava tells him to stay, and I'd bet getting trapped into witnessing this little chat is going to be sufficient motivation for Johnny to work harder at his physical therapy. It is interesting, though, that Ava lumps herself in with Ellen May in labeling themselves as beyond redemption; it suggests that she doesn't take what they did lightly at all. Ava has Ellen May draw closer before she tells her that she'll be back at work that night or won't even set foot in the place again, and the righteous light looks beat out of Ellen May as she nods her understanding.
Art is fairly delighted to just have been given a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon, and I'm so happy to see him that I feel like buying a bottle of the stuff myself. The gift is courtesy of a man we'll learn is called "Patrick"; exposition follows that Art just turned 56, and he and his wife are thinking about buying an Airstream, which he's not sure is such a great idea for continued marital bliss. And he's just talking about the enclosed space, but I can't say I've met tons of couples where both members (a) enjoy traveling together and (b) think the other one can drive for shit. Art asks how things are in Bowling Green, and Patrick recites some statistics that make it clear he's also in the Marshal system. Art reacts to Patrick's claim of things being great by saying that Bowling Green is like Mayberry compared to Harlan, and asks if he's there about the job, and DON'T RETIRE ART OH MY GOD NO. (Unfortunately, the mandatory retirement age appears to be 57, so start planning your goodbyes.)
Art, with more heat than is usual for him, tells Patrick about the people under him: A "decorated sniper" in the Iraq War and an Army ranger with probable PTSD and alcoholism (that's Tim, and despite the description, swoon); a "lady Marshal" who brought in two of the top fifteen fugitives, "but she's always trying to prove herself." He goes on that he thought she'd be the one to take over from him, but now she's left her husband, so "it's gonna be fun to monitor her emotional state," and Raylan, who's been investigated so many times "Internal Affairs has him on speed-dial," and has a father in prison for murdering two people, including a state trooper, "and his daddy killed somebody else last night in prison, and I get to be the one to tell him about it!" I don't blame you for complaining, Art -- that's a mouth and a half full of exposition as it is. Patrick gets up to go, but reminds Art that he just gave him a two-hundred-dollar bottle, and Art replies that he intends to enjoy every drop. I'm not quite sure why Art seems so atypically hostile, but if there's anything we know about this show, it's that it's in about as much of a hurry to reveal people's backstories as Boyd is to make conversational points. Credits.
Art apparently has just broken the news to a fairly stunned Raylan; he goes on that Arlo didn't say much when questioned, but the victim was a "Sam Porter" of the Dixie Mafia, who was a trustee with the prison. When he sees Porter's photo, Raylan places him as having been there when he showed Arlo the bag, but "the bag" doesn't mean anything to Art, and soon he's asking Raylan this: "On a scale of one to a shitload, how much do you need to tell me?" Get it out before he retires, Raylan. (Sob.)
Cut to Raylan plopping the bag and license in front of Art. Raylan helpfully tells us that it's a "Panamanian diplomatic" bag, and Art gets the idea, since Arlo is unlikely to be forthcoming, that they try to track down Truth to discover the bag's significance. This is why he gets paid the big bucks -- for now. (Sob.) (Okay, I'll stop. But it's upsetting!)
Time for another little socioeconomic symposium in Boyd's office. Johnny thinks that Ellen May's conversion is further evidence that Preacher Billy is to blame for the drop in their sales, and Ava now seems far less inclined to pooh-pooh the idea, but Boyd still doesn't want to hear it, and tells Johnny to find him another answer instead of worrying about a tent in the woods. After Johnny limps out as petulantly as is possible to do, Ava suggests that Boyd's being a little hard on Johnny, and it might not be a bad idea just to find out what they're dealing with, but Boyd tells her in no uncertain terms he doesn't like churches. She lets it go, which is fine, because while I'm sure Boyd could recite an oral history of his feelings about religion, enough happens in this episode as it is.
In the locker room, Art and Raylan are packing up to go as Tim (hiiiiii) jovially reads off a laundry list of criminal convictions, and when Raylan asks if the family did all that, Tim corrects him that these belong solely to "Jud Truth," who's Waldo's oldest, so it makes sense he'd be an overachiever. However, Tim goes on that all the kids -- and there are a few, as we'll see -- are "similarly decorated," prompting Raylan and Tim both to wonder if Art really wants to come along. Art, however, says the best barbecue he ever had was in Versailles (it's apparently pronounced "ver-SALES"), and he's not going to miss out. Raylan's skeptical that that's the reason, so I guess he doesn't like barbecue for some inexplicable reason, but he's also apparently right, as Art confesses that his office dropped the ball in failing to notice for thirty years that someone was collected a draw check illegally, so he personally wants to rectify the matter; on top of that, Raylan's mystery bag is giving him a bit of a "Marshal stiffy." Tim's like, nice image, and if you'll bear with me taking it even further, I'll agree that it's in the eye of the beholder. They head out, but Art tells Raylan they're stopping for lunch before they see the Truths, "in case you shoot one of them, then we don't get to go after." With Raylan having worked there for a few years now, I don't know what the holdup is in making that standard policy.
Ellen May enters the church tent and sees a bunch of kids playing, and Cassie, the blonde who was sitting on the stage last week while Billy was doing his snake-handling dance, explains that they watch the kids during the day for parents who need the help. Ellen May thinks that's nice, and then Cassie gives her name and asks what she can do for her. Ellen May wants to see Billy, but Cassie politely stonewalls her; however, the man himself appears momentarily and says he needed a break from what he was doing, so Cassie leaves them to it.
Billy, who looks a bit like a cross between a young Ed Norton and someone I can't quite place, asks what's up, so Ellen May tells him she appreciates everything he's done for her, but she doesn't think she can be a part of his church. He asks her to explain, so she haltingly tells him that she knows he said God forgives everyone, but she's done some unspeakable things -- things that no one could forgive -- and even though she's talking of murder, she's a lot easier to relate to when she drops the stupid voice. As she cries, Billy kindly tells her that none of them are without sin, and goes on that her commitment to salvation is the important thing.
Ellen May wants to believe him, but repeats Ava's pronouncement that some people can't be saved, prompting Billy to ask who put that idea in her mind -- maybe the people for whom she compromised herself? Ellen May defends them, but Billy's getting worked up now, and tells Ellen May that they're trying to shame her, and do so out of their own fear and greed. He takes her hand and asks if she wants to be a part of the church, and she whispers that she does -- "more than anything in the world." He tells her that it will happen, then -- she'll know what true peace and happiness can be. Maybe I lack faith, but is she going to ask at some point whether the snake figures into the church initiation?
So there's a little party going on in the large backyard of someone's house, and we see a lot of money changing hands, which presumably has to do with the fighting ring on the premises in which two shirtless guys are jumping around getting ready. One of them is a ripped dude with a cowboy hat and a big back tattoo; the other, sporting a few extra pounds but still looking pretty strong, is our guy from the bar who got in Raylan's face. Once the bets are closed, some thuggish dude steps into the middle of the ring and, after a few seconds, makes a gesture that the fight's on, and the two contestants get going, MMA style. After a few kicks, the ripped dude steps forward and throws a right cross...
...which cuts nicely into the finish of Colton doing the same to some lowlife in a trailer somewhere. Good editing there; I've seen even great shows fuck that kind of thing up. The guy curses Colton, and Colton replies, "Well, stop trying to stand up; I'll stop hitting you!" You see, he's being reasonable! The guy (we'll learn his name is "Danny"), however, doesn't toe the line, so Colton beats him down again and then laughs with genuine humor, "He keeps trying to stand up!" Hee. Boyd, matching the smile, wonders if there's a reason why he shouldn't, so Colton tells another of his MP War Stories With A Point, which is that he pegged Danny for a heroin dealer, and when he shook him down, his suspicions were confirmed. "You were right -- church ain't your only problem." Danny impotently threatens them, which only gives Colton another chuckle, and after Boyd says he'd like to speak with Danny's employers, Colton then pulls an address out of Danny's wallet. Before there's any further discussion, however, there's a knock on the trailer door -- it's Ava, with Jim in tow, who says Boyd has to come see this...
...and in the main brothel, he finds a bunch of kids singing Jesus-y lyrics while holding those fake bills with the church's name on them up to him, much to the chagrin of the whores. Well, no one said daycare was all fun and games. And seriously, if I ever want to express disbelief, chagrin, or just plain WTF-ness, I should just carry around a photo of Boyd's face at this very moment.
Ah, Boyd has come to see Shelby, and I recently caught Jim Beaver in a disappointing role over on Dexter, so I'm glad to cleanse my palate by unexpectedly seeing him here. Unexpectedly, because as he reminds Boyd, the last time they talked, he told Boyd they were now square -- you remember, he gave Boyd a heads-up that the Feds were looking to haul him in for Devil's death -- but Boyd's reply is "I thought we were a circle." Sorry, Shelby, but straight wordplay enhanced by metaphor -- Boyd's saying your connection to him will never end -- means I'm going to have to give it to him on general principles. Shelby tries to say he'll look the other way with Boyd's activities, "as far as I can without breaking my neck," but Boyd, who's come about the church, as Shelby already knows, tells him he's concerned about "the good people of Harlan County," as there might be a cult in their midst. If all he's concerned about are the good people of Harlan, he might just have pulled up a few chairs and invited them to sit in here.
Shelby, holding a folder, says that this is really really the last time he helps Boyd, and Boyd is like, sure, no problem, I'll even wait like three days to ask you for the favor. As Boyd starts to thumb through the folder, Shelby tells him that Billy and Cassie have been in five cities in the past three years, each more desperate than the last, and he doesn't name names, which is too bad because I wanted to hear if North Haverbrook made the list. Shelby goes on that their MO has been to set up shop, preach for a few months, and then leave, and as far as he can tell, they haven't had any trouble with the law.
Boyd immediately speculates that they take money from the local criminal organizations in exchange for their departure, even though Shelby suggests that what they're doing could help Harlan, as people are in a bad enough way without spending what little money they have on drugs and whores. Boyd's essentially like, "That's cute," and Shelby's facial response is "I should know better by now than to even bother."
The MMA fighter has gotten his cut and found it wanting, so the tracksuit-sporting guy who, I guess, is putting on the whole show tells him that he's new, and as such may not be aware that people bet less on fighters they don't know. MMA asks how he knows he's not being shorted, and Tracksuit, who's got a bit of Matthew McConaughey in him, says he doesn't, but MMA's the one who approached him looking for action. The fedora-sporting tough (good look with a sleeveless shirt) then sidles up and slides his shirt open to reveal his sidearm. This being a strong enough argument for MMA, he asks about the "other thing" he wanted, and Tracksuit tells him he'll make the call as soon as MMA has the money. "Until then, get your white-trash ass off my property." Coming from Tracksuit, I'm not sure I'd take "white trash" as an insult...
...but whatever the case, MMA doesn't seem like he's in the best mood when he exits the property, which makes the timing of two goons who apparently bet on the other guy harassing him fairly suspect. They ask him to reimburse them out of his winnings, which I don't think is how betting works, and this leads to the bigger of the goons getting knocked out in approximately 0.43 seconds and the smaller one trying unsuccessfully to flee. MMA gets him in a chokehold, and AWESOMELY, the guy tries to tap out, which at least gets a laugh out of MMA but doesn't save him from his punishment of "raccooning," which involves two punches that will result in shiners soon enough. Considering the guy's lying on the ground barely able to breathe, he'd probably agree that all things considered, he got off easy.
Our boys and dad are in the car, and, irritated by his snoring, Art wakes Raylan up. Raylan points out that no one has approached the mailbox they're staking out, but Tim tells him, "You were snorin' really loud." Somehow I bet Lindsey doesn't mind so much. After some typical three-way banter with an edge, Art asks where Raylan was the day before -- as I pointed out, he was gone from the office for rather a long time -- and says he's been keeping "addict hours," almost like the baby's already been born. Art asks Tim to back him up, but Tim, awesomely, declines to take sides, and I admit it's a pretty close race between Raylan and Art as to who I'd less rather have mad at me. Art, however, breaks the tie by threatening Tim with morning prisoner transfer detail, so Tim admits that Raylan has seemed a little tired. "Smart money in the office pool is on exotic dancin'." That's some pretty genius money, there. Raylan asks Art what he thinks he's been up to, but Art replies nothing, because he knows that Raylan knows it's against the policy of their office for him to do anything on the side. Even blogging? Damn, I was looking forward to reading Raylan's bon mots about his day. Then again, I'm sure he can come up with a clever web pseudonym. Speaking of clever, Raylan shifts the focus by mentioning the expensive whiskey Patrick brought by, and brings Tim into the conversation as he supposes that Patrick is after Art's job, which is why Art's out there with them now. He offers that they can talk about it, but Art has to focus Raylan's attention on the fact that a boy of about thirteen has just pedaled up to the mailbox on a bike.
As he retrieves the contents, Tim makes the kid as the grandson "Milo," and when he bikes off, the boys try to follow at a safe distance. Unfortunately, Milo figures out that they're on his tail pretty quickly, but Tim's eagle eyes lead to them tracking him all the way even as Milo yells to his kin that "these guys are pervies!" Kid, if Raylan and Tim were into dudes, they wouldn't have to look farther than each other. Milo keeps up his cry of "Perverts!" even as he runs into the house, which leads several rather armed members of his family to appear. Our boys identify themselves, but the leader of this crew isn't impressed, saying that if he's seen one badge, he's seen a hundred. Tim: "You must be Jud." Hee. The ID is confirmed, and Jud tells them to get off the property. He starts counting seconds, which prompts Tim hilariously to remark to Raylan that he's stealing Raylan's bit, but Raylan has some other words he's like to share -- anyone that flinches is going to die right in front of his or her kin. Once again, however, the kids are unimpressed, but the hostilities are brought to an end by the appearance of the absolutely fantastic Beth Grant, and I'm only surprised it took the show this long to cast her.
She notes that they don't look like perverts, but, seeing Art, she amends it to "Well, maybe that one." Hee. She asks them to state their business, and nice of SOMEONE to think of that, and when Raylan mentions Waldo's name, the kids exchange a knowing and worried look, but Beth Grant gives nothing away, saying that she'd be happy to give him a message. Art, however, says that until they hear from him, they're going to be putting a stop to his disability checks, and isn't that just the sort of thing a pervert would do? The kids are like, oh HELL no, but Beth Grant injects some more sanity into the proceedings as she tells her folk to put down their guns and then orders her daughter "Nellie" to start calling around for Waldo. Milo, however, shouts that the Marshals aren't going to take their draw, and Raylan sure looks like he wishes he could go back to that nap now.
We've moved inside, and Beth Grant is hospitably telling stories about Waldo as the rest of her family sits in the living room; after Milo flips Raylan a double bird, which I'm sure is making Raylan really look forward to being a father, Beth Grant gets to the part in their courtship at which she told Waldo that she was married, and as such "this snatch [was] off limits," and you'll forgive me, but THAT sounds a little bit more white trash than anything I heard out of MMA's mouth. Anyway, the punchline of the story is actually clever enough in a hillbilly way, but the kids aren't amused, as they decide to start blazing right in front of the Feds; when Art metaphorically clears his throat, Jud explains that he's "got the glaucoma real bad." I do sometimes wonder how actual glaucoma sufferers feel about their condition being such a boon for burners everywhere.
Just then, Waldo enters, and after our boys frisk him, he gives Beth Grant a not-especially-welcome kiss on the mouth before telling "Mother" that she looks nice. The Marshals then sit Waldo down, and after they check the fairly meager ID he has on him and confirm that he served a term for armed robbery, Raylan shows him the driver's license and Art explains where it came from, but Waldo denies knowledge of the Panamanian bag or of Arlo. In fairness, those are only two of many things it looks like this guy knows nothing about. For, you see, this man is not Waldo Truth, as they get confirmation of when they arrest him for an old parole violation but Beth Grant's guilty expression had already made clear; even as she yells at "Harold," he says he didn't know Waldo was wanted, and he only got to know the family fifteen years earlier, which is when he agreed to pretend to be Waldo to keep the draw going.
Tim then curses as he sees that Milo has pulled a gun, and even Nellie is like WTF, but Brother #2 says they agreed it was time. Raylan, however, disarms him without even flinching, and I'd say it was a pretty terrible episode for bad guys being taken seriously if I hadn't seen the last act. Raylan rattles off a list of criminal charges the family will be facing, so Beth Grant decides it's time to tell what she knows: She hasn't seen Waldo in thirty years -- "since that man came and took him away." She clarifies that the man claimed to be some kind of pilot with a job for Waldo, and said that Waldo wouldn't be coming back. Art asks if she was okay with that, and she says damn straight, given that Waldo used to beat on her, and it got so bad one time she stabbed him in the cheek. Raylan's like, in the face? Really? Beth Grant: "No, honey. Not that cheek." I will spare you all the cheap jokes I could make about that one, which is just as well because my fingers are tired already.
Jud can't believe Beth Grant sold their daddy out, but Art is more interested in the name of the pilot, and when she comes up with "Jew" -- sorry, no time for that one -- Art asks if it might be Drew -- "Drew Thompson?" Beth Grant lights up as she says that's it, and she and Raylan both ask how he knew, but Art is like, we're done here, Beth Grant, and thanks for the hospitality. "We will be takin' the guns, though." Heh. BUT WHAT OF THE DRAW CHECK?
Cassie and a full congregation watch as Billy and a minion finish baptizing someone -- Ellen May. And who but Boyd, Colton and Jim should just now be showing up to watch her be cleansed? Ellen May points them out to Billy, and he tells her not to worry before stepping forward and greeting Boyd by name, adding that he prayed for Boyd to find his way into his tent.
What follows is kind of like the Bible Belt version of 8 Mile -- a Scripture-off that demonstrates that while Boyd's conversion to the Lord may have been forgotten, his study of the Bible has not. To hit the major beats, Billy says he's heard of Boyd's wickedness, but Boyd replies that it's hubris to judge a man you don't know; Billy says the people who have joined his church will testify to his integrity, but Boyd wonders exactly how much integrity he can have if he's taking people's money, and gets his best Tell It On The Mountain voice on as he reminds everyone that John the Baptist told them to test anyone claiming to be a prophet. But just when it seems like the crowd might be swayed by Boyd's classic mixture of the erudite and the populist, Billy shows he came to play by saying that Boyd is wise to question -- so from this time forth, no one in the congregation will give one red cent to the church.
It's a surprise, to no one more than Cassie, who looks like she's been slapped, and she can't help but fix Boyd with a dark, reproachful look, which of course Boyd notes as he leads his crew out with a satisfied smile. Cassie, for her part, looks like she's wondering how she's going to talk some sense into her damn fool of a brother.
Art, I guess, is feeling pretty good about what they learned, given that he's opened up the top-shelf bourbon. He tells the boys that it was only his second year in the Marshal Service when it happened, "'Drew Thompson pancakin' into that driveway." He adds that it was the day cocaine came to Harlan County before he hands over a file he requested on the body, and Raylan doesn't have to look to ask if it says "Drew"'s corpse had a scar on its ass. Art confirms that with a gesture, prompting Tim to inquire if he's going to talk about Marshal stiffies again. Hee. Raylan wonders where, then, Drew Thompson is, and Art confesses he doesn't know. "But I bet your daddy does." Raylan has a look of distaste on his face, and at these prices, it better not be the Scotch.
Back home, after he tells the bound and gagged Danny to keep his face turned away from him, Boyd is telling his inner circle what he observed about Cassie; he thinks that she's the obvious puppet master, so they need to find out what she wants. Ava asks about Ellen May, and Boyd thinks she might be lost to them, but Ava is worried that, with her conversion, Ellen May might not keep her mouth shut regarding "certain details about the murder of a pimp?" Boyd looks like that one got by him, which possibly goes to show how much he's had on his plate lately, but before he can reply, he looks toward the door and brightly exclaims, "Wynn Duffy!" And he may be faking the enthusiasm to some degree, but he's the only one. LOVE YOU JERE BURNS.
Wynn, surrounded by his own people, trades a few words with Boyd in his usual smooth-as-silk manner; when Boyd points to Danny and says he's the reason for the summons, Wynn expectedly denies any knowledge of Danny until Boyd shows him fairly irrefutable proof -- in case you're wondering, he sent people to buy some Dixie Mafia heroin and compared it with the stuff Danny was selling -- at which point Wynn says he's sorry; he has many men working for him, but he'll make sure that such a transgression into Boyd's territory doesn't happen again. Boyd, however, sees an opportunity to solve the financial woes of his organization, and as such lobbies to be Wynn's horse distributor in Harlan for a fifty-fifty split, and I'm not sure if Boyd knows that Wynn tried to toss him in as collateral damage in his attempt to kill Quarles, but either way, this is more than a bit of a surprise.
Wynn sees it my way, saying that even if he were looking for a partner, which he's not, it would have to be someone he could trust. Boyd assures him he can trust him, getting this reply: "But I don't even trust the way you just now said I can trust you." How have I done without Wynn lo these many months? Boyd plays what he thinks is his trump card -- that Danny won't be leaving the room alive should Wynn fail to reconsider -- and Boyd, you disappoint me in apparently not having seen enough great TV and movie criminals to know what's going to happen . Wynn, however, of course does not disappoint as, quick as a flash, he pulls out his gun and shoots Danny dead.
Of course, everyone else gets his gun out, but Wynn awesomely pulls out a white handkerchief, which he uses to wipe the piece off as he informs Boyd that any dealer dumb enough to poach his territory is no dealer of his. He apologizes for the mess, but Boyd, admirably trying to recover from the atypical schooling he just received, assures Wynn they'll take care of the cleanup duty and asks that he look at it as "a first step in the trust direction." Wynn smiles that that's awfully Christian of him, and I wonder if he knows just how deeply hilarious that is, and then turns to go, but halts as he decides to ask, "since we're being so chummy," why Arlo murdered their Dixie Mafia guy in the pen? Ooh, this is the kind of development the show uses so well -- alliances are almost always built on shifting sands in Harlan, and the price of a business deal with Wynn may be for Boyd to get information out of Arlo. This, of course, is the first Boyd's heard of it, and quick looks at Johnny and Ava yield nothing as well, so Boyd's forced to confess he doesn't know. Wynn suggests maybe Boyd should have a talk with Arlo, so Wynn leaves us with the knowledge that it's not just the Marshal Service that's been pulled into the Waldo mystery, but Boyd's crew and the Dixie Mafia as well. Not bad for two episodes' work.
And we're back with Lindsey and Raylan, as they're closing down the bar while flirting and talking about the case. Lindsey wonders what might happen if Raylan finds a guy who was ruthless enough to fake his death and smart enough to get away with it, but Raylan won't be dissuaded from his amorous intentions, and Lindsey "concedes" that in the right light, he could be considered attractive. I'm assuming by the right light, she means "all of them, including the ones not on the visible spectrum." I mean, I'm pretty sure he's attractive to the touch as well. They start to kiss, but then MMA dude walks in, and Raylan tells him that they are definitely closed. Hee, except MMA guy is like, that's cool, but can I have a word with my wife? And while no one could equal Boyd's WTF face from earlier in the episode, Raylan's version is a fine sendoff to the closing credits.
John Ramos is a writer and film producer living in Los Angeles. His new film, a documentary on online privacy and the sale of personal data called Terms And Conditions May Apply, will premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival in January. You can get news on it from the film's Twitter account. Also, you can email John at couchbaron@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/couchbaron, or check out his blog, "Pull Up A Chair," which he'd just love for you to stop by.