Disorganized Crime. Review: Justified – “A Murder of Crowes”

Season 5, Episode 01

Air date: Tuesday, January 7, 10PM E/P on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

“So what? You figured you’d drive south anyways, rip off the simple people? Well, we ain’t that simple.” – Boyd

Justified comes back with a new season that’s fresh but still has that familiar feeling we’ve all come to know and love. “A Murder of Crowes” is chock full of dark humor, sarcasm, new characters, and lots of back stabbing, no good, old-fashioned double-crossing fun.

Raylan travels to Florida to investigate a situation involving the Crowe family

As “A Murder of Crowes” opens, we find Dewey Crowe (Damon Herriman) sitting in a courtroom facing Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant), who’s on the witness stand. When we left Harlan, KY at the end of last season, I was quite skeptical about what would happen on Justified for season five. The last time we saw Dewey, in season three, he thought two of his four kidneys had been removed (I know, I know. We only have two, but Dewey didn’t know that, bless his heart). It wasn’t until I started seeing the promos and tag lines for season five that I realized the creator of Justified is pulling some old aces out of his sleeve. While still keeping the series familiar, he shakes it up and invigorates an old story arc to infuse a like-new feel to the award winning show. Bringing Dewey back into the fold is genius. And during my interview with Herriman on the season five red carpet premiere Monday, January 6, 2014, I can tell you, Dewey is about to be tested when some of his unwanted kin from Florida decide to come to Harlan after hearing about his recent good fortune. As the title of this season premiere suggests, yes, there is a murder or three. But who’s counting?

Daryl is no longer in the sugar business but Elvis Machado (Amaury Nolasco) won't go without a little severance.

Daryl is no longer in the sugar business but Elvis Machado (Amaury Nolasco) won’t go without easy.

“A Murder of Crowes” introduces us to some new characters, as well as reestablishing old friendships. One of the new characters is Daryl Crowe (Michael Rappaport), a headstrong, no-holds barred red neck trying to make do in Florida while keeping the Crowe family together as best he can. His ‘involvement’ in the “sugar” business with the Cubans goes slight awry when his dim-witted brother Dilly (Jason Gray-Stanford) screws up a deal with a corrupt Coast Guard officer. The heat is on and Raylan must take a trip to back waters near Miami, FL to get some answers.

“A Murder of Crowes” is a jolt of vitality for this tried and true show. Changing the scenery, adding dynamic characters, and injecting some intricate and sometimes complex story arcs are just what the doctor ordered. It doesn’t go unnoticed that Raylan seems to dodge any opportunity to go to Miami throughout “A Murder of Crowes.” He even tells Art (Nick Searcy), “Look Art, I’d love to see my child but before we go spending tax payer money on the ticket, I’d like to remind you that we’ve got a perfectly good Crowe right here in Harlan.” Raylan seems to be shying away from his fatherly duties now that baby Givens is here…well, living in Miami with mother Winona (Natalie Zea). Parenthood isn’t easy and something tells me the resounding theme for this season will be about family ties.

Speaking of a change of scenery, we do get to go someplace else in “A Murder of Crowes,” when Boyd (Walton Goggins) and new business partner Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns) head up to Detroit, MI after a confrontation leaves Boyd wounded and without his shipment of narcotics. If you’re at all squeamish, be warned, some really bloody scenes take place during the trip to Detroit. Just hearing the chainsaw sends shivers down my spine.

While many questions from season four are answered in “A Murder of Crowes,” many remain unanswered.” Remember Ava (Joelle Carter), who was carted off to prison at the end end of last season? Boyd is desperate to get her out, and Carter and I discussed this at the red carpet event. In my conversation with Carter at the red carpet event, I mentioned that Boyd wants to be her knight in shining armor but isn’t sure how to go about it. She commented that their relationship will be tested this season; I hope they can weather the storm.

Funny lines:

Raylan goes to Audrey’s bar /brothel to see Dewey and runs into Wade (James Le Gros), an old acquaintance.

Wade (surprised): “Well, hey, Raylan.”

Raylan: “Wade.”

Wade: “Can I get you a blow job or somethin’?”

Raylan: “Just some water.”

Um, I’m speechless.

“If I start arresting girls, how’s that for business, Dewey;you and Wade the only two pussies in this whore house.” – Raylan to Dewey (who’s playing nude Marco-Polo in an above ground pool)

“I’m gonna shoot your balls off and feed’em to the squirrels if you don’t tell me what you know.” – Raylan to Dewey

“Oh, well, I have been to Iraq; it’s a lot like Detroit except you have better music.” Boyd to some henchman.

There is much more to “A Murder of Crowes,” including Canadian thugs who love Tim Horton’s donuts; a sister who wields her paralegal skills to help her brothers; and a new thorn in Boyd’s side by way of Lee Paxton (Sam Anderson), and his new, Latvian bride Mara (Karolina Wydra). I’m very much looking forward to seeing how all these story arcs unfold. Let the season commence!

Tune in to Justified, Tuesdays at 10PM E/P only on FX.

For more on the show, go to http://www.fxnetworks.com/justified.

Follow FX on Twitter and use hashtag #JustifiedFX.

Follow cast members Joelle Carter @Joelle_Carter on Twitter.

For fans of Walton Goggins, follow @WaltonGFan.

LIKE Justified on Facebook.

Check out video interviews with some of the cast from the season 5 premiere event.

Biography of the Author(Read Below)..
Latest Posts (view them )..

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.