Review: Justified, Season 3, Episode 303 – “Harlan Roulette”
Airdate: Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 10PM E/P on FX
Rating:
The new season of Justified seems a bit more cutthroat and treacherous, not to mention bloody. “Harlan Roulette” spares no expense on any of it.
Pictured L-R: Ava (Joelle Carter) visits Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson) to ask if he'll meet with Boyd
Ava (Joelle Carter) stops by to ask Ellstin Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson) if he’ll meet with Boyd (Walton Goggins) to discuss relinquishing the money he’s holding for Dickie Bennett (Jeremy Davies). I love the subtlety of Boyd’s vocabulary—the way he incorporates words/phrases like “ideology” and “satiate my curiosity” while conversing with Limehouse shows Boyd isn’t just a simple redneck but a man who’s knowledgeable and well-versed. The tension between Limehouse and the Crowder and Givens’ families seems to run a bit deeper with a twinge of animosity. When Limehouse recalls the last time he saw Arlo Givens (Raymond J. Barry) on the only bridge into his territory, it sounds like something went down. What I want to know is – what actually happened? It’s still hard to believe Arlo is Raylan’s (Timothy Olyphant) father. The only family resemblance I see is they are both stubborn.
Limehouse, of course, is disappointed by the subject of Boyd’s conversation as he was hoping to help with Boyd’s moldy weed problem. Devil (Kevin Rankin) is told to burn the bad weed but he doesn’t, which doesn’t earn him any favor in Boyd’s eyes. After Boyd reclaims his father’s old watering hole from its new owner, Devil inquires which Boyd is he supposed to be following – the Boyd who recruited him from the church preaching white supremacy, or the Boyd who found salvation after being shot. Boyd eloquently replies he cannot ignore his past – it’s what made the man standing there today. I’m not too fond of Devil. He seems to be too anxious. He wants to make money fast but he keeps trying on pants that just aren’t his size. He thinks he’s smart but he’s not. He also thinks he’s tough but brandishing a gun while talking out of your ass doesn’t make you tough – it makes you a bull in a china shop and it’s only a matter of time before Devil breaks too much china for Boyd’s liking.
Raylan (Timothy Olyphant,R) has a little chat with pawn shop owner Glen Fogel (Pruitt Taylor Vince,L)
State Trooper Tom Bergen (Peter Murnik) tells Raylan there’s word that Wade Messer (James LeGros) is back in town. Wade is running drugs with Glen Fogel (Pruitt Taylor Vince), a local pawn shop owner, but Raylan stumbles upon something infinitely more interesting. It seems Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns) is getting very cozy with Mr. Detroit shot-caller Robert Quarles (Neal McDonough). Quarles has taken over the Frankfort territories formerly run by the Dixie Mafia and he’s dealing in Oxycontin which Fogel is transporting. McDonough has a genuine knack for playing a devious guy. Maybe it’s the way he smirks when his character is talking about doing bad things or it could be his nonchalant attitude as Quarles cleans his little gun on a make-shift track strapped to his forearm while making conversation about killing a federal officer. There is just something about McDonough that oozes “don’t trust me.” I think Quarles’ phone conversations with his son highlights his multifaceted façade. By all appearances, he’s a well-dressed businessman who loves his son. But we can plainly see he’s got one leg knee deep in a black pool of illegal mayhem. I have a theory – maybe someone (*cough* Duffy *cough*) will use Quarles’ son as leverage at some point. Just a thought…
Amusing moment: Raylan and Trooper Bergen discuss how Wade escaped the road block they set up.
Raylan: “…besides these boots aren’t made for running.”
Tom: “And yet chasing fugitives is a Marshal’s primary function.”
Raylan: “It’s ironic id’nit.”
May I just say Fogel is one scary guy. His calm demeanor and hushed warning tones are more lethal than a basket of Cottonmouths. The way he shows one of his henchmen, J.T. (Mike Foy), a deadly lesson by playing a game he calls “Harlan Roulette” sends chills down my spine. Vince’s acting is flawlessly executed. He sells this character like a guy selling water in a scorching desert! The way his eyes shift back and forth so quickly really makes his character appear that much more unpredictable. As an aside, I particularly loved him in the movie Identity (2003).
Pictured L-R: Neal McDonogh and Jere Burns
Duffy, via Quarles, orders Fogel to kill Raylan but when Fogel sends Wade to do the job, I think we all know it’s a big mistake. Wade is strung out on Oxy and in no shape to outsmart Raylan. It’s quite entertaining when Fogel comes by to help Wade, who claims to have been shot while shooting Raylan. Fogel bends easily, ready to wheel and deal by selling out Duffy to save his hide. Too bad his other henchman, Beckett (Eric Ladin), opens his big mouth and gets them both shot! The banter between Fogel and Beckett is outrageously idiotic, yet funny nonetheless. What is interesting about the whole thing is that Duffy actually puts out a hit on Raylan. Did Duffy truly think Raylan wouldn’t find out or trace the hit back to him? I love when Raylan finds Duffy, who’s entertaining Quarles in his RV, and finally has that conversation that “wasn’t gonna be a conversation.” After a few punches and knocking Duffy on his ass, Raylan throws a bullet at Duffy making sure to tell him, “Next one’s comin’ faster.” Quarles’ rebuff to Raylan is quite intriguing as well, “How fast you think those bullets will be when they’re heading back at you?” Oh, was that threat?
Even the prison guards want in on the money!
To round out the “Harlan Roulette” mix, there’s a prison guard who also wants a piece of the Bennett money pie and threatens Dickie that life in prison might become a bit unbearable if he doesn’t cooperate. Davies’ portrayal of Dickie is brilliant. Dickie is a weasel. He acts like he’s got gumption but when push comes to shove – he’ll cower and sell out whomever he can to ensure his safety. As chummy as Dickie’s been with inmate Dewey (Damon Herriman), I’m sure he’d push him in front of a steamroller to save his own skin. I will say I like the humorous way he points out that while everybody wants him to get the money, there is just one problem – he’s in jail, so just “ho, ho, hooold your horses.”
While “Harlan Roulette” has moments of brilliance and outstanding acting, I feel like something is a bit disjointed, but I can’t seem to put my finger on it. I don’t think this is a filler episode exactly, but it almost feels that way at times. I’m very anxious to see what Quarles’ involvement with the Dixie Mafia will bring about and I’m very eager to learn the mysteries of the Limehouse/Crowder/Givens past connection. There’s a story I’m dying to know!
Tune in to Justified, Tuesdays at 10PM E/P only on FX.
For more on the show, go to http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/justified/.
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Follow the cast on Twitter: @Joelle_Carter and for Walton Goggins fans – Follow @WaltonGFan
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Photos © 2011 FX Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Judy Manning
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