Pulled Pork and the Hooker with a Heart of Gold. Retrospective: Justified - "Peace of Mind"

Season 4, Episode 12

Air date: Tuesday, March 26, 2013, 10PM E/P on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

“A man who speaks out of both sides of his mouth deserves to have them permanently shut.” – Boyd

Let’s mess up some bad guys’ day!
(L-R) Jacob Pitts as Tim Gutterson, Erica Tazel as Rachel Brooks, Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens

After learning the sex of his unborn child, you would think it would make becoming a daddy more real for Raylan (Timothy Olyphant); quite the contrary. He argues with Art (Nick Searcy) to let him “finish what he started” on the Drew Thompson (Jim Beavers) case and asks Art to postpone his suspension a bit longer. Perhaps I’ve seen too many cop shows where the police captain always caves and lets the detective continue working a case, blah, blah, blah, but I didn’t peg Art to be a pushover on this one. I’m not curious about Art’s inability to say ‘no’ to Raylan, but I’d love to know the reasoning behind Raylan’s fortitude to finish this case when both Tim (Jacob Pitts) and Rachel (Erica Tazel) can handle things from here. What is Raylan trying to prove? Is becoming a father so frightening to him that he’d rather face armed criminals rather than his ex-wife? Granted, being around a hormonal pregnant woman can be quite daunting.

“Peace of Mind” really captivated me. From unexpected revelations—like someone leaking information—to a stunning ending, this episode will surely widen some eyes. It seems as though Theo Tonin (Adam Arkin, not seen) has “ears everywhere” and that means someone on the inside is spilling details about Drew wanting to protect Ellen May (Abby Miller). Who could it be? Is it someone in the District Attorney’s camp or even closer to home—someone inside the Marshal’s office? I like this twist and I cannot fathom it being anyone we know, like Tim, Rachel, or Art. I’m eager to find out who’s providing Theo with the scoop de jour.

Call me a cynic but do you buy Nicky Augustine’s (Mike O’Malley) apology to Ava (Joelle Carter) for his “discourtesy,” because I sure as hell don’t. Granted, he did give it a good effort, but this sly character doesn’t seem like the kind of man who says ‘I’m sorry’ often. O’Malley brings a welcomed freshness to Justified. His character is quite dastardly but he’s not the typical southern thug we’re used to seeing. I appreciate his city wiles as he tries to outwit the smooth talking Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins). Admittedly, Boyd wasn’t featured much and I feel like this is because he’s going to have a big role in the finale. The writers can’t kill Boyd off without getting major backlash but they could do something that, until just now, I didn’t want to fathom. Could the writers be thinking of killing Ava? GASP! I sure hope not. I love Ava.

The showdown with Tim and Colton has more potential casualties like Ava, Ellen May, and Cassie.

The showdown between Colton (Ron Eldard) and Tim finally happens in the most unlikely place—the church tent where Ellen May seeks solace with Cassie (Lindsay Pulsipher). I’ve been anticipating this moment and I knew the tension was going to be extremely high. If you think Raylan is quick on the draw, wait until you see Tim in action. I know Colton is supposed to be Boyd’s new right hand man but he really isn’t much of one. Sure, he did some dirty work and killed a few people, but the one big job Boyd gives Colton, he wimps out. What does that say about him? Granted, he only wimped out for a moment and was going to kill Ellen May but he hesitated and if you are a soldier/veteran, you know a moment’s hesitation can mean your life or death. Am I sad to see Colton go? No. On another note, will I be sad to see Johnny (David Meunier) go? Perhaps. I just know Johnny could be a contender if the writers would allow Meunier to fully spread his wings. But for now, it’s a waiting game. Will Johnny die at the hands of strangers from Detroit or his own kin?

Limehouse tries to belittle Rachel while telling Raylan he wouldn’t know pulled pork from pig balls. I think he would.

Raylan, Rachel, and Tim pay a visit to Noble’s Hollar to see Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson). They know Ellen May is up there…or at least she was. Riddle me this, why did Limehouse let Ellen May go? He didn’t even collect the $300K Ava was bringing up there nor did he accept Johnny’s flimsy offer to take Ellen May. Why? What changed Limehouse’s mind? He’s hurting financially after the Marshals cleaned out his piggy banks. Could it be that he didn’t want to be responsible for her death? That comes as a surprise from someone like Limehouse. Williamson is vastly under-utilized in Justified. He’s such a charismatic actor with a flair for the southern dramatics. The conversation between him and Rachel is as contentious as it is humorous:

Limehouse: “How you been, lil’ sista?”

Rachel: “You callin’ me ‘lil’ sista’ like you puttin’ me in my place.”

Limehouse: “Well…what else I’m supposed to call you? Got yo’ gun on all big and bad. All I see is a little ole’ Aunt Jemima taking orders from The Man.”

Rachel: “You wanna find out if you insult me enough, I’m gonna break rank and put you in yo’ place. Keep talking shit and we’ll see.”

Limehouse (laughing and making a cat call): “Meow.”

Is it wrong I’m craving pulled pork now?

Interesting/memorable line:

Raylan to Tim about searching Noble’s Hollar: “I told the guy (Limehouse) I was going to toss the joint; it can’t just be an idle threat or I’ll look like a pussy; plus he was rude to Rachel.”

For a penultimate episode, “Peace of Mind” gives me no peace and I’m glad for that. What better way to lead us into the season finale? The shocking end to this episode may catapult the season finale in a whole other direction. The threat of hurting someone Raylan cares about could be dangerous, especially since she is carrying his child. Theo Tonin plays dirty…really dirty.

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Tune in to the Justified season four finale, Tuesday April 2 at 10PM E/P, only on FX.

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

Follow FX on Twitter and use hashtag #JustifiedFX.

Follow cast members Joelle Carter @Joelle_Carter and Jim Beavers @jumblejim on Twitter.

For fans of Walton Goggins, follow @WaltonGFan.

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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.