Thoughts on Justified Season 4

 **SPOILERS HEREIN!**

If I had to choose a favorite show currently on TV, it would have to be Justified. No other program right now so expertly combines elements of several different genres (western, mob drama, cop show) into such a perfectly cast and consistently entertaining package. The season-long story arcs make waiting a week between episodes a real pain, and the standalone entries are also entertaining (and often quite humorous). The saga of Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (pitch-perfectly played by Timothy Olyphant) got better and better as the series went on.

Season 4, which wrapped up tonight, added a little bit of mystery to the mix. Whereas the previous seasons established a clear conflict that built as they went on, this one never made it clear where the story was going to go. This was effective, but at the same time, it seemed like there was only enough plot for six or seven episodes, and the show had to stretch things out to get to 13. 

The mystery ignited when Raylan’s father Arlo (Raymond J. Barry), imprisoned for killing a Kentucky State Trooper in Season 3, started looking for one Drew Thompson, a fugitive who vanished 30 years prior. As things went on, we learned that Thompson crossed the Detroit mob we saw last season before he disappeared and is believed to be hiding out in Harlan County. The rest of the season follows the race between the Marshals, Detroit, and local criminals Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) and Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns) to find this figure. 

Well, “race” might actually be a little strong word, as the show sure took its sweet time to reveal the mystery, and left little in the way of major clues for viewers to try to figure it out themselves. Instead, it meandered with subplots that never really took off. The season opener “Hole in the Wall” had Joseph Mazzello as a snake-toting traveling preacher converting Boyd’s underlings in what looked to be a juicy subplot; he was gone after three episodes. Another subplot involving Raylan’s barmaid fling (Jenn Lyon) and her pit fighter husband (Robert Baker) was over before it gained any traction. Comedian Patton Oswalt’s turn as a bumbling cop never seemed like anything more than desperate comic relief. These and other elements kind of screamed, “filler,” while the subplot of Raylan’s pregnant ex-wife Winona (Natalie Zea) established in Season 3 did not advance very much. 

One new character became a regular throughout (most of) the season: Colton "Colt" Rhodes (Ron Eldard), a junkie ex-military policeman who becomes Boyd’s chief enforcer. I’m not quite sure what I think about the character. I thought Eldard was effective in the scenes he was in as a man broken by drugs and PTSD, so much that even murderous brutality didn't faze him. But then, while watching tonight, I found that I had completely forgotten about the character (he died last week and didn't appear or even get a mention). What I can say with certainty is the subplot involving hooker-on-the-run Ellen May (Abby Miller) was never as compelling as it should have been, being a major part of the plotline.

When the Drew Thompson storyline finally got cracking about halfway through the season, things got much better. The long-awaited revelation (turns out it was the gruff sheriff Shelby Parlow, played by Jim Beaver) caught me by surprise. In hindsight, it seems like one of those twists that are so obvious that I feel stupid for not guessing it, but it was still fun seeing what we thought was a minor character evolve into a major role. And the chaos in the aftermath of the reveal, as Raylan and the Marshals fought through Harlan to get Drew to safety, was quite exciting (episodes 11 and 12 “Decoy” and “Peace of Mind” should have been one long episode, like a mini action movie).

Almost lost amongst the Drew Thompson plot and various side stories was the corner turned by Boyd, one of the best and most surprising developments of the season. Boyd, who’s been at different times friend and foe to Raylan, decided it was time to give up his life of crime and start over with his ex-sister-in-law and current love Ava (Joelle Carter), but after settling a few things and getting the money to start anew. Even at his absolute worst, Boyd has always been a likeable character. This season put him squarely in the role of antihero, but without sacrificing any of his villainous charm.

Tonight’s finale “Ghosts” wrapped up the Drew Thompson/Detroit arc rather anticlimactically, like it was the appendix after a book that tells you what happened to the characters, rather than a captivating final chapter. But Boyd’s epilogue was much more affecting, as he seemed resigned to the fact that he’s stuck in his station in life, at least for now. Raylan was the same old Raylan this season (which isn’t a bad thing), but Boyd has certainly changed, and it’ll be interesting to see what becomes of the character going forward.

Despite being a little too piecemeal, Season 4 reaffirmed that Justified is one of the most entertaining hours of television today, thanks to the excellent core cast and dialogue loaded with the same energy and tension as the pistol that the show’s hero draws so skillfully. I’ll definitely be returning for Season 5.