Review: #JustifiedFX "Thick As Mud" (The Misadventures of Dewey Crow...to be or not to be...without kidneys?)

Review: Justified, Season 3, Episode 305 “Thick As Mud”

Airdate: Tuesday, February 14, 2012, 10PM E/P on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

As I suspected, Dewey (Damon Herriman) is lying in a bathtub, sans the ice. Poor thing, it appears his kidney has been removed by Lance (Clayne Crawford) or “Lawrence Nightingale” as Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) calls him, leaving Dewey up the proverbial Shit’s Creek without a boat or a paddle. But, don’t believe everything you see. (Note to Dewey: There is no way you would be alive if both kidneys were removed. Just saying.)

Review: #JustifiedFX "Thick As Mud" (The Misadventures of Dewey Crow...to be or not to be...without kidneys?) 1

Dewey (Damon Herriman) is a “desperate man.”

“Thick As Mud” should be called “The Misadventures of Dewey Crow” because Dewey goes through a whole lot of trouble in order to get $20,000 to buy back his kidneys from “fancy Lance.” The hijinks that ensue on Dewey’s quest to rob every single establishment in town is quite entertaining but I must say, what he says to the strippers after robbing an appliance store is hysterical!

Dewey: “Oh Jesus, not again! Don’t tell me guys pay you by credit card!? I saw a girl on TV say she can make $3,000 in one night on the pole! Now granted, she was a 9 ½ and you’re a six, if I’m feeling generous, but I figured you’d be good for a grand or so!”

Stripper 1: “It’s 10 o’clock in the morning!”

Stripper 2: “Lexington ain’t hardly Vegas.”

When Dewey mistakenly mouths off with blasphemous profanity to a local store owner who doesn’t take too kindly to that kind of behavior, he gets more than he bargained for from the elderly gent. It’s actually very funny to watch Dewey crawling on the floor trying to escape the shotgun blasts from the store owner, only to end up trapped in a storage closet.

“Thick As Mud” is very entertaining and definitely focuses less on the whole money issue between Dickie Bennett (Jeremy Davies) and Ellstin Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson). Although, I will say, Ellstin’s henchman (Demetrius Grosse) brings up some interesting questions, like ‘what happened to the nearly three million dollars’ and ‘who else knows about the so-called missing money?’ It seems Limehouse is holding back on Dickie but the question remains – why? The obvious would be the three million dollars but Limehouse isn’t the kind of man who puts stock in riches. This subtle shift in the story makes it vastly more intriguing than the previous episodes have depicted.

Two intelligent and deadly men meet – Quarles (Neal McDonough) and Boyd (Walton Goggins) finally become acquainted with one another under somewhat strained circumstances. They are like two bulls fighting to be in the same china shop but the winner is the one who doesn’t break that many plates. I think we all know there will be a few…casualties, if you will. If I recall from all the cop movies/shows I’ve seen, when you pat someone down for a weapons check, you search everything: back, legs, chest, and arms. Why doesn’t anyone pat down Quarles’ arms? His little hide-away gun may be small but I’m sure the holster would be felt in a true pat down. Meanwhile, the surprised look on Quarles’ face when Boyd reveals how knowledgeable he is makes the saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ become hyper-relevant. Quarles makes a grave mistake in exposing that he thinks he’s smarter than the good ole boys in Kentucky.

Review: #JustifiedFX "Thick As Mud" (The Misadventures of Dewey Crow...to be or not to be...without kidneys?) 2

Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens

Despite the nuances in the credulity of how certain things are played out, “Thick As Mud” really is engrossing. From watching Dewey rob everyone he can to get his kidneys back, to seeing Raylan nearly suffer the same fate, thoroughly entertains you from the word “go!” I have to admit, when I see Raylan lying semi-conscious in that bathtub, it makes my breath catch in my throat. I found myself really paying attention to what everyone is saying and what they aren’t saying. Sometimes, it’s what someone doesn’t say that speaks volumes. And we see a prime example of such when Limehouse employs a local girl to be his eyes and ears in town. Limehouse is much more than a meager player. He’s got quiet stake in whatever is happening in Harlan County and he aims to keep his toes dipped in the pool for as long as he can.

And just as it puzzles Raylan, it also makes me wonder why Winona (Natalie Zea) seems to have found sudden peace with Raylan’s profession. Even though she says the sweetest thing to him by telling him she’ll never feel the same about anyone else, I can’t help feeling like she’s ready to high-tail it out of town. But, despite the foreboding feeling when Raylan sees a note on the kitchen table, my immediate thoughts aren’t Winona has run away but something may have happened to her. I could be wrong but I truly hope she’s been kidnapped rather than run off. Sounds terrible, but at least if she’s been taken there’s a chance Raylan can get her back. If she’s run away, then I’ll be pissed and my thoughts of her will be justified (no pun intended).

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 cast member Joelle Carter on Twitter: @Joelle_Carter.

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.