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Review: Justified, Season 2, Ep 9 “Brother’s Keeper”

Review: Justified, Season 2, Episode 9 “Brother’s Keeper”

Air Date: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 10PM E/P

Grade: ★★★★★

Last week’s episode, “The Spoil,” has crucial elements that come into play in this week’s episode, so here is a brief recap: Black Pike Mining is trying to secure as much land as possible in Bennett and Harlan counties because it needs to harvest the coal in the Appalachian Mountains. Carol Johnson (guest star Rebecca Creskoff) hired Boyd (Walton Goggins) as part of her security detail but she is also utilizing his ties with the Bennett clan to give her an edge up when it comes to securing property from the local townsfolk. Raylan gives Loretta (Kaitlyn Dever) a cell phone to call him in case of an emergency. And Boyd realizes why Mags is hell-bent on keeping the property instead of selling to Black Pike.

In “Brother’s Keeper,” Boyd (Walton Goggins) is smart…very, very smart. Since he’s figured out Mags’ (Margo Martindale) endgame, he’s put in a difficult position. There’s more to be gained than harvesting coal. How will the mining company get the coal to and from the mines? Roads, of course. But you need land to build those roads; land that Mags Bennett owns.

There are a few intriguing points in “Brother’s Keeper” that pique my interest. One is Boyd and Ava’s (Joelle Carter) growing bond. Boyd takes Ava to Mags’ party where he pulls Ava onto the dance floor. It’s interesting to see where this relationship is headed. Will Ava and Boyd unite romantically or is this just a friendship? I know Boyd is involved in this whole mining deal because he wants to help Ava. Her house is in jeopardy of foreclosure; plus, she was married to his now-deceased brother Bowman. I’m curious to find out if Boyd will go back to his outlaw ways and take over the drug business his father left behind, or if will he try to stay on a more lawful path, now that Ava might be attainable.

L-R: Walt Goggins as Boyd and Joelle Carter as Ava

Coover (Brad William Henke) is not a happy camper. His mama sure is showering a lot of attention on Loretta—giving her family heirlooms and letting her mind the store. Mags has never let Coover watch the store but in her defense, neither would I. Coover reminds me of Lennie from “Of Mice and Men.” He’s a big guy who doesn’t seem to have a lot going on upstairs but he’s always trying to please his mama and his older brother Dickie (Jeremy Davies). After Coover overhears his mother talking to Loretta about him, he gets revenge in a most cruel way.

Mags to Loretta: “I used to tell people I dropped him on his head when he was a baby. Truth is, I got no excuse for him. You’re like a dream come true for this old girl.”

Dever is truly a joy to watch. Her portrayal of Loretta is fascinating as she stands her ground against some very seasoned actors. The way Loretta speaks, with a polite southern charm, really adds an edge to her words despite her young age. After she sees Coover wearing her father’s watch, her worst fears are confirmed – her father is dead and Coover and Dickie killed him. All hell breaks loose when Loretta confirms the watch is her father’s after reading the inscription, and she finally puts that new cell phone to good use. Coover’s jealousy and stupidity will reap the deadly wrath of Raylan, and Loretta’s ties with Mags will forever be altered now that she knows her father was killed by her family.

Timothy Olyphant as Raylan; Kaitlyn Dever as Loretta

Raylan frightens me a bit in “Brother’s Keeper.” The malice in his eyes when he extracts information from Dickie after getting Loretta’s call is unlike the Raylan we’ve grown to love. His unremorseful tactics of crunching Dickie’s already busted knee with the heel of his boot makes me cringe. I believe Raylan’s actions will come back to viciously bite him, and hard, before the season is over. Is Raylan’s paternal side getting the better of him? He’s really taken a keen interest in Loretta’s well-being and it makes me curious as to why he holds such a soft spot for her?

I really enjoyed this episode. There are so many little things we see that will add up to something huge before it’s all over. The very end of the episode, the look on Mags’ face after Raylan denies her request would strike fear into even the most grizzled man.

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

Photos courtesy of ©FX Network.

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.
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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.