Season Two Advance Episode Review
“Cottonmouth” Airing March 9, 2011
JUSTIFIED Wednesday nights at 10 PM EST on FX
March 8, 2011
By Lena Lamoray
JUSTIFIED FX RELEASE: Developed by Graham Yost (Boomtown, Speed) and starring Timothy Olyphant (Damages, Deadwood), Justified is based on the works of crime novelist Elmore Leonard, including Leonard's short story Fire in the Hole. Fresh off the epic gun battle that concluded season one, season two of Justified finds Bo Crowder dead, and the Crowder criminal grip on Harlan County broken. Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Olyphant) must now face off against the criminal organizations that are moving to fill the void, and finds himself entangled once again with the mercurial Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins). The series co-stars Nick Searcy (CSI) as Givens' longtime friend and boss 'Chief Deputy Art Mullen;' Jacob Pitts (21) as 'Deputy Marshal Tim Gutterson;' Erica Tazel (Life) as 'Deputy Marshal Rachel Brooks;' Joelle Carter (CSI: Miami) as 'Ava Crowder;' Boyd Crowder's sister-in-law; and Natalie Zea (Hung) as Raylan's ex-wife 'Winona Hawkins.' Walton Goggins (The Shield) also stars as 'Boyd Crowder.' Yost (Boomtown, The Pacific, Band of Brothers) wrote the pilot and serves as Executive Producer/Writer on the series. Leonard (Cuba Libre, Rum Punch, Get Shorty) is also an Executive Producer on the series along with Fred Golan (Boomtown, Raines), Sarah Timberman (Kidnapped), Carl Beverly (Kidnapped) and Michael Dinner (Karen Sisco), who directed the pilot episode. Justified is produced by Sony Pictures Television and FX Productions.
JUSTIFIED “Cottonmouth” Season Two Episode 5 Advance Review, Airing 3/9/2011
JUSTIFIED continues on its season high with one of my very favorite episodes this week. “Cottonmouth” features the incredible Jim Beaver from my cherished show, “Supernatural”. I love “Supernatural” so I was delighted to see a cast member on JUSTIFIED this week. “Cottonmouth” – Raylan’s hunt for a killer puts him on a collision course with the Bennett clan, while Boyd plots a heist with treacherous new partners. Written by Taylor Elmore and directed by Michael Watkins.
Well, Dewey Crowe (Damon Herriman) just can’t keep it together even in prison and he may have gotten a touch of the “monkey virus”. Don’t worry though, Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) is there to console him with the “world’s smallest man with the world’s smallest violin.” It is a good thing Dewey has a friend like Raylan to discuss things of importance with; like who could pass for sixteen and “mortgages and shit”. Dewey certainly has an interesting way of thinking.
Art Mullen (Nick Searcy) informs Raylan of Arlo’s (Raymond J. Barry) defiance but that problem is solved quite quickly. Art always has some of my favorite lines and even though he isn’t in the show that much he makes his screen time well worth the wait. He insists that Raylan does “Marshal shit” and gives him an incredible title. I don’t want to give it away but it is enough to get Raylan a spot on “Oprah” so you know it’s sensational.
My dearly beloved Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) is keeping some pretty shady company. What are we going to do with him? As his hair gets bigger on the show so do his plans and he is orchestrating a heist with his new associates. Will someone please hug Boyd already? I don’t know how Ava Crowder (Joelle Carter) can resist him. What I love the most about Boyd is his unassuming calmness. I am fascinated by his smoothness and the sadness in his eyes. It is definitely known that he will break again and he has already given Kyle Easterly (Michael Mosley) a delicate taste of the volatile being that is lurking inside but I just adore him. I guess I have a soft spot for wounded souls. Boyd is the master of the ABC’s and he does the dishes as well. If Ava kicks Boyd out there is always a room for him at my place.
Raylan gets in a little high voltage scuffle that may or may not involve a “jolt to the pecker”. Now that your interest is peeked you will have to watch. Later on, when Raylan is discussing this scenario with Marshal Rock (Keith Middlebrook) “nice” is the one word reply that is uttered and it is amusing.
Boyd and his associates rough up this week’s guest star, Jim Beaver who plays Shelby. They are not very welcoming to Shelby and Boyd gets a little “bold”. Luckily, someone has paid their cell phone bill this month so things take an interesting turn.
Boyd has a revealing conversation with Ava that pertains to his literary style, soul searching and transgressions.
If there is one person in this show that I would not want to meet in a dark alley or hell even a sunny field, actually especially in a sunny field, that would be Mags Bennett (Margo Martindale). I do not want any of that “apple pie’ that she is toting. Mags is inclined to remind Coover Bennett (Brad Willian Henke) of his position in the food chain. She has a special mommy and son discussion with him that you do not want to miss. That woman is intense.
Loretta McCready (Kaitlyn Dever) has won the affection of Mags and she is even assisting in the store. She catches the attention of Raylan and he doesn’t care about her “relief” just about her safety. Raylan reaches out to her in hopes that she will return the favor.
“Cottonmouth” is an exemplary episode of JUSTIFIED and it serves as a reminder of why I adore this show so much. The characters are phenomenal and I can’t get enough of Boyd. He has developed so magnificently over the series and I know he is only going to get stronger. Watch JUSTIFIED Wednesday nights only on FX.
