Justified - Season 4 (FX) (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

Another hour full of twists and turns, the biggest surprise being what happened to Arlo. Nice to see Raylan back to his first season prime of outdrawing and shooting someone every episode or two. I'm more convinced than ever that Sheriff Shelby is Drew Thompson. They dropped some pretty heavy hints in tonight's episode, which was either laying the ground work or setting up a red herring.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Another hour full of twists and turns, the biggest surprise being what happened to Arlo. Nice to see Raylan back to his first season prime of outdrawing and shooting someone every episode or two. I'm more convinced than ever that Sheriff Shelby is Drew Thompson. They dropped some pretty heavy hints in tonight's episode, which was either laying the ground work or setting up a red herring.

At this point, it would almost be cheating if Shelby is not Drew Thompson. They actually had him say "I think if you pretend to be something long enough, it's not pretending"

 

[ScottH]

I feel like a total idiot for not seeing that about Shelby, but now that you mention it, I totally get it. This was one of the best episodes of the entire series. "I hope I made the right call on that one."

 

[Richard V]

I feel like a total idiot for not seeing that about Shelby, but now that you mention it, I totally get it. This was one of the best episodes of the entire series "I hope I made the right call on that one.""

Classic Raylan.

 

[Quentin]

Awesome episode! I do think they made it pretty clear Shelby is Drew Thompson between the 'pretending' speech, the reminder his wife left, and his overzealous interest in Thompson's widow. I'd be shocked if it isn't him at this point. But, I think it makes for some pretty interesting payoff potential. I had thought early this season they would kill Shelby off. Still a possibility, but I think he may live to see another day in witness protection. The only question in that scenario will be what happens with/to Ellen May.

 

[Richard V]

Awesome episode! I do think they made it pretty clear Shelby is Drew Thompson between the 'pretending' speech, the reminder his wife left, and his overzealous interest in Thompson's widow. I'd be shocked if it isn't him at this point. But, I think it makes for some pretty interesting payoff potential. I had thought early this season they would kill Shelby off. Still a possibility, but I think he may live to see another day in witness protection.The only question in that scenario will be what happens with/to Ellen May.

I got a feeling that she will return to the loving arms of Boyd and Eva, and that all will be forgiven after she somehow, offs Colt.

 

[Quentin]

All cards are on the table now! It's just a matter of cleaning up the messes...

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'm absolutely loving this season. It's giving Season 2 a real run for its money; they both have the pleasure of showcasing "Justified" where it knows exactly what it's doing and where it's going. Next week's episode looks literally explosive.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

One thing that sometimes bothers me (only a little) about the show is how much time Raylan spends doing non-U.S. Marshal stuff. It is kind of refreshing that this season's central arc centers around the pursuit, apprehension, and safe transport of a federal fugitive.

 

[Quentin]

Fun, fun stuff. "Can we just agree...this guy is an absolute badass."

 

[PhilipG]

What Justified does better than any other show I can think of is fully utilize a wide variety of villains and have them play off each other. Great to have Limehouse back. Only realized today (checking IMDB) that he was Nic Cage's buddy in Con Air. Honestly, I haven't enjoyed this season quite as much as 2 & 3 (I prefer a 'big bad' to a mystery) but am really looking forward to the various sides clashing heads in the next few eps.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by PhilipG
What Justified does better than any other show I can think of is fully utilize a wide variety of villains and have them play off each other. Great to have Limehouse back. Only realized today (checking IMDB) that he was Nic Cage's buddy in Con Air.
Honestly, I haven't enjoyed this season quite as much as 2 & 3 (I prefer a 'big bad' to a mystery) but am really looking forward to the various sides clashing heads in the next few eps.

Also Bubba in Forrest Gump among other roles.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'm going to miss Colt. Ron Eldard's performance was so different from all of the others we get on this show. He was a ruthless son of a bitch, but he wasn't malicious. The show always sort of acknowledged that he was a victim as much as anybody, even when he was perpetrating horrific acts.

Also: So much for them probably not being able to get Natalie Zea back again this season. She had two big scenes tonight and looks to be all over the season finale next week. That last scene with her in the rocking chair, with us knowing who delivered it and why, has to be one of the most forboding scenes in the entire series. Just gave me the willies, and really drove home that it's not just Boyd who's been poking Theo Tonin and Detroit in the eye. Boyd would never go after Raylan's family; that's not how the game is played. But this time Raylan isn't dealing with Boyd. Mike O'Malley is terrifying in a way that none of the other villains have been, because he's brutal efficiency. He has no investment in Raylan one way or the other. And he's found where Raylan's vulnerable.In happier news, I love that Raylan's kid is going to be a girl. Just picturing badass Raylan Givens having tea parties and playing princesses is absolutely hilarious to me.

 

[Richard V]

Knew that a showdown was coming between Colt and Tim since the first time they met, just thought it would be a little more dramatic than just having Tim blow him away so easily. Can't say I like this coming conclusion. In a way it just seems "tacked on" to the end of the capturing of Drew Thompson.

 

[Quentin]

Agreed, Adam on all points.

I'm also glad Raylan gets to have a child without continuing the Givens name - a name I think he'd like to leave behind.

Raylan has faced off against the mob in Miami...I think he can handle Theo Tonin.

I loved Tim taking Colt's glasses. A trophy? A sign of respect? Both? Great bit.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

TVLine: FX Renews Justified for Season 5

Knew that a showdown was coming between Colt and Tim since the first time they met, just thought it would be a little more dramatic than just having Tim blow him away so easily.

I think it was always going to end that way. Colt basically chose to suicide-by-cop. Tim understood that, but Colt ensured that Tim had no choice.

I'm also glad Raylan gets to have a child without continuing the Givens name - a name I think he'd like to leave behind.

I think he had a line about that earlier in the season, something like, "well maybe it'll be a girl and all of this shit will finally end."

Raylan has faced off against the mob in Miami...I think he can handle Theo Tonin.

One thing that that ending drove home for me is how much of the show has focused on villains that are big fish in a pretty small pond. Theo Tonin is a big fish in a very big pond, and that means he doesn't have the manners and decorum of a Mags Bennett or even a Boyd Crowder. That's something we haven't seen since the pilot, and it keeps things fresh and adds a new dimension to things.

I loved Tim taking Colt's glasses. A trophy? A sign of respect? Both? Great bit.

Definitely a trophy. I think the rest of sort of a muddle of feelings. Some brotherly feeling for a man who shared this formative experience with him of serving overseas, some satisfaction at having avenged his friend, some disappointment that a fellow soldier went so far astray, the mix of feelings that always come when you kill a man. I think he took them to remind himself that this thing happened, and it made him feel all of these things.

 

[ScottH]

After possibly the best episode in the entire series, this one wasn't the best, but a good setup for the finale.

I thought Colt's demise was fitting, and just the way it should have been. What else should they have done? A shoot-out? Please.

 

[mattCR]

Really great season finale for a solid season.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Now that was a great finale. After the show is done for good, we'll look back on that nursery scene as one of the standout moments of the entire series.

I miss Natalie Zea as Winona. She's a great actress in a great role, and the chemistry she and Olyphant have is off the charts. I hope her schedule allows us to see more of her next season. Since this and "The Following" both shoot short seasons, maybe they can adjust their production schedule so there isn't as much overlap so Zea's available more.

And Raylan's solution to the Nicky Augustine problem shows how far he's come over four seasons. We expect Raylan to be brutal and direct. This was subtle and elegant. He's going to be a father so he no longer has the luxury of saying damn the consequences.

Meanwhile, Boyd finds himself at a real low point. The scene with Boyd and Wynn Duffy was very telling. Boyd's basically unconsolable, but when a sterling business opportunity arises, he takes it. Because he knows the heroin trade will bring him wealth, and with wealth comes power, and with power comes the mechanisms to free Ava and exact his revenge.

Duffy meanwhile respects Boyd as another who was able to make it through that shit storm unscathed. They really painted Wynn Duffy as a sadistic psychopath in the first season, and I'm so happy they backed away from that since because he's so much more interesting as the cool-headed middle man who's just trying to get his business done only to have all these hotter heads blow things up all around him.

And Ava knew the risks when she did what she did. It was her taking responsibility for her decisions, and accepting the consequences. It was also the sort of selfless thing you do for someone you love. There also may be a facet in there of, "I brought Ellen May along with me the last time, and that really screwed things up, so I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."

And that moment in the truck before Raylan gets out to meet Nicky, where he gives Boyd his gun back. There's a real moment of respect there, in a way we don't often see with Raylan toward Boyd.

 

[ScottH]

Decent finale. GREAT season. I'd say right up there with season 2 as possibly the best. A little surprised we never saw a one-armed Quarles pop up this season.

One question I had was how was it so easy for Raylan to contact Sammie Tonin? I vaguely remember them having interaction in the past, so I guess it had something to do with that?