Season Two Advance Episode Review
“Brother’s Keeper” Airing April 6, 2011
JUSTIFIED Wednesday Nights at 10 PM EST on FX
April 5, 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 “Brother’s Keeper” Season Two Episode 9 Advance Review, Airing 4/6/2011
JUSTIFIED treats us to a party and some clogging by my favorite ABC practitioner. You do not want to miss this festive episode. “Brother’s Keeper” – Just as the bad blood between the Bennetts and the coal company threatens to boil over, Raylan must thwart one of Mags’ sons. Written by Taylor Elmore; Directed by Tony Goldwyn.
If you missed last week’s episode, Mags Bennett (Margo Martindale) invited everyone to a party at her place. Would you attend that party? I wouldn’t because if there is one character in JUSTIFIED that terrifies the hell out of me, that would be Mags. Margo is incredible as Mags, so much so that I would actually be uneasy around her in person. Now that is a job well done. Mags helps Loretta McCready (Kaitlyn Dever) get primped for the party. Coover Bennett (Brad William Henke) barges into the room and is put in his place by Mags and she tells Loretta that there is “no excuse for him”. Coover does a lot of really stupid things and it’s interesting to hear Mags talk about his childhood. That is one gene pool that I would not want to take a dip in. Coover, Dickie and Doyle are all degenerates and between the three of them I can’t think of one redeeming quality.
Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) shows up at the party with his beautiful plus one, Ava Crowder (Joelle Carter). As you can imagine, “shit” is the reaction to that and can you guess who says it? Boyd is looking to have a word with Mags. Boyd is feeling chipper and fills us in on his cousin, Heinz’s dance steps. Yes, that is Heinz like the ketchup.
Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) is with Carol Johnson (Rebecca Creskoff) at the party and Carol wants to talk business with Mags. Raylan gets to be in charge of the velvet rope and he is one tough doorman. Boyd joins in on the conversation. Mags is not one to sellout but she does extend a demanding and intimidating counter offer to “boney ass” Carol. Mags offers Boyd a few words of encouragement and warning.
My favorite part of the episode is when we get to see Boyd party down and dance. You are going to love watching him let loose. Boyd never lets me down and every week I adore him even more.
Mags is pretty entertaining and she does her best to comfort Loretta by telling her that things are going to be different. Coover knows exactly how to get the attention he is looking for and he asks for Loretta’s assistance. About the only thing cool about Coover is that he is wearing a Shaggy from “Scooby-Doo” shirt. I think that is the only positive thing I can say about him. I have to hand it to Loretta, she knows her treatments but her patient is just ahead of the curve in that one instance. Dickie is “failing to see a problem” with Coover’s current situation.
Raylan is concerned and checks in on Loretta. Dickie is treated to a rough and misty wakeup call. Those Bennett boys are always causing trouble even when they are not walking around with a duffle bag of mystery.
This is one of my favorite JUSTIFIED episodes and you are not going to want to miss it. It has something for everyone; dancing, violence, singing, edgy banter and no it is not an episode of “Glee”, thank goodness for that. Mags could take out the entire cast of “Glee” with one swing of her baseball bat. She is unstoppable and I would actually watch that episode of “Glee” if Mags was on the warpath. Do not miss Mags, Boyd and the rest of the cast of JUSTIFIED, Wednesday night at 10 PM EST only on FX.