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Review: Justified, Season 1, Ep 12 “Reckoning”

Air Date: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 10PM E/P

Rating ★★★★★

The sounds are muffled as Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) walks slowly towards his father Arlo’s (Raymond J. Barry) house. State Troopers and the county coroner litter the yard as they investigate the murder of Helen Givens (Linda Gehringer). The pain in Raylan’s eyes goes deeper than we can imagine. Even though she was his aunt, she raised him as if he were her own when her sister, Raylan’s mother, passed away. Raylan credits Helen for saving his life. She made sure he got out of Harlan because she knew he could achieve more than he would have had he stayed.

Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) won't rest until he finds Dickie (Jeremy Davies)

Helen didn’t go out without a fight; she managed to get one shot off before she was killed. Raylan is hellbent on finding out who the trigger man was; he’s pretty sure it’s Dickie (Jeremy Davies). But he can’t prove it. And Dickie isn’t a fool. He planted his accomplice Jed’s (Richard Speight, Jr.) blood at the crime scene just in case. What Raylan doesn’t know yet is why Dickie was at Arlo’s in the first place. The kill shot was meant for Arlo, not poor Helen.

Arlo infuriates me. He has the gall to blame Helen’s death on Raylan. He says since Raylan killed Coover (Brad William Henke), the Bennetts came after a Givens. What a crock of sh*t! If anyone is to blame, it’s Arlo. The turf war he voluntary joined between Boyd (Walton Goggins) and Dickie is what got Helen killed.

Doyle (Joseph Lyle Taylor, center) and Raylan (Timothy Olyphant, right) team up to arrest Dickie (Jeremy Davies, left)

Mags (Margo Martindale) tells Dickie that if his scheming interferes with her plans, she’ll let him “swing for it.” Mags will stop at nothing to make sure the Black Pike mining deal goes through for her other son Doyle’s (Joseph Lyle Taylor) family.

Arlo warns her if she doesn’t turn Dickie in as the shooter, he’ll back out of the deal. Mags knows she needs Arlo’s land in order to secure the deal with Black Pike but what she does goes beyond masterful. She may have severed ties with Dickie but I don’t think she could really let her flesh and blood “swing.” And when Raylan finally comes face to face with Dickie, it’s an emotionally charged scene that leaves me unsure of the outcome.

Doyle (Joseph Lyle Taylor, center) and Raylan (Timothy Olyphant, right) team up to arrest Dickie (Jeremy Davies, left)

There are two interesting points not directly related to Helen’s death which stand out to me. One, Boyd warns Raylan about disrespecting Ava (Joelle Carter). These two men have a long history, including Boyd saving Raylan’s life when they worked the mines. I’m eager to see if this storyline will come to light in season three.

Boyd to Raylan: “Raylan, I know you and Ava have history and you might assume that familiarity gives you a certain license…well it don’t. That’s twice you’ve disrespected her in my presence, don’t let it happen a third.”

Second, Loretta (Kaitlyn Dever) looks lost and out of place in her temporary foster home. For some reason, I feel like she might go back to Mags. It’s the only life she’s ever known. When her foster mother asks what she used to do for work, Loretta replies, “I sold weed to kids at school.” Does she say that to garner an empathetic reaction or to see if she will be judged? I don’t want Loretta to go back to Mags but I know it will make for more dramatic television.

As we saw in season one, the Givens have their own family cemetery. With several references regarding Raylan’s mortality lately, I think it gives Winona (Natalie Zea) pause when she sees Raylan’s headstone. I doubt Raylan will be killed as there is another season coming up but I think he may get seriously injured before too long. He’s just not as sharp as he used to be, which needs to be rectified immediately. He’s lost a touch of his cool confidence and swagger that we’ve come to love.

Tune into Justified, Wednesdays 10PM E/P on FX.

Photos © FX Network, All Rights Reserved.

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.

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.