THIS WEEK ON Justified: Guy walks into a Bar

This week we open up Justified with a few deputies trying to plant some drugs inside Shelby’s pick-up.   This election business is turning nasty.   When one of the deputies threatens to shoot down dear ol’ Shelby, he spins a tale about having liver cancer.   I suppose I’d be less willing to draw down on a man with a close expiration date.   Shelby sends them packing with a scolding and heads over to Boyd’s for advice and a drink.   We’re in the home stretch of season three; let’s see how the final few innings play out.

Boyd wants Shelby under guard incase Napier goes after Shelby again.   Boyd figures by taking a proactive approach, he can head Napier off at the pass.   He puts his head together with Limehouse and locates Napier’s sister.   He wants every bit of leverage he can get.

Limehouse has a bit of an issue with Boyd.   Boyd isn’t putting as much money into Limehouse’s pockets as either of them would like.   However, in interest of playing both sides, Limehouse provides Boyd with access to the county clerk.

Raylan isn’t a happy man these days.   First his baby momma drops him and now Dickie Bennett is scheduled for release.   Raylan is looking for a reason to keep him behind bars.   Judge Reardon tells Raylan that he can’t help, but sends hit looking for the ADA in charge of the case to fight it.

Boyd quickly makes good on his promise to visit Napier’s sister Hannah.   In true creepy fashion he’s waiting for her in her own house as she gets home.   Initially she thinks Boyd is there to harm her to get to the Sherriff.   Boyd informs her that he has other plans for her.   Seems like there’s a bit of hillbilly intrigue afoot.

Vazquez tells Raylan that they have nothing to use against Dickie to keep him behind bars.   Raylan is obvious displeased at the notion that the man who killed Helen will be walking free.   Meanwhile Boyd and Johnny are in the family bar running the campaign when they find out that Dickie is scheduled for release.   Word travels fast.   Dickie’s got some pretty mean enemies, how sure is he that he even wants out.

Raylan turns to an old Bennett gun hand named Jed.   Jed’s been in prison since the end of season two and has been keeping his particular institution stocked full of Pepsi Max (Richard Speight jr. is the Pepsi Max guy).   Raylan wants to use anything Jed can give him to put Dickie away.   Jed tells Raylan of an old family debt and sends Raylan after his grandmother.

Raylan uses his charms to butter up an old lady.   Before he can get two words out, the old woman sends Raylan out for two milkshakes.   The woman channels the spirit of Tim and dumps one of the shakes out on Raylan’s lap.   I guess that’s why she wanted two.   Raylan’s hit another dead end.

Raylan and Art ask Vazquez for more time before Dickie is released.   They even go so far as to shuffle Dickie around the prison to make sure his release is delayed.   Vazquez puts his foot down and states that they are all one step away from being sued.   Vazquez tells Raylan that if he wants Dickie to stay in stir he should take the stand and testify.   Raylan however is not a fan of court.   Apparently he doesn’t do so well.

Back at the Crowder bar then find out that Napier won the election.   Boyd should look more depressed.   We jump over to Napier’s office as he and Quarles are talking about a game plan for the Oxy clinics.   Quarles needs to be at ground level to pull off his plan.   He tells Napier to move his shit to the small office down the hall and find Quarles a dummy title so he can stay.   Before Napier can voice his objections, the County Clerk comes in and informs Napier than because his sister works for the clerk’s office, Napier is ineligible to run for office.   Looks like Shelby is in the driver’s seat at the sheriff’s office for the foreseeable future.

Quarles knows he’s been beaten.   He packs up his little map and walks out.   Boyd is waiting for Quarles outside the sheriff’s office to gloat.   He allows Quarles to leave with his life.

Quarles gets back to Duffy’s trailer and starts popping pills.   This is where the episode and the season take a left turn.   Shit starts getting weird.   A young 20-something kid shoves a gun in the face of Quarles and starts yelling about justice for a man Quarles made disappear.   The kid, Donovan, believes that Quarles killed one Brady Hughes.   Quarles tells the kid about his unpleasant childhood.   Quarles tells about how his father used to pimp him out for drug money.   We then find out that Quarles killed his own father at the age of 14 and joined the Detroit organized crime family.   The scene ends with a creepy embrace of the two.

Raylan’s long day is at an end.   He is trying to come up with a compelling statement to give in court that will keep the judge from letting Dickie go.   While getting advice from the cougar of a bartender Lindsey, Quarles stumbles in.   He is noticeably intoxicated.   Raylan tells Quarles to hit the dusty trail.   Quarles starts running his mouth and threatens to drop Raylan.   Raylan isn’t in a mood to bullshit, so he dismisses everyone from the bar and calls Quarles out.   Before the two can throw down, Lindsey pulls out a shotgun and forces Quarles and Duffy to leave.   Faced with an early night, Raylan and Lindsey pass the time by rubbing their parts together.

Raylan steps up to testify.   Earlier when Raylan said he wasn’t good at giving statements in court are proven very, very true.   Raylan takes Lindsey’s advice and cuts the bullshit.   He encourages the release of Dickie knowing that he is going to be scooped up by the police or be given a heavy dose of street justice.   Raylan figures that this way there is no lawsuit and he might lead them to Maggs’ money.

One particular fellow who is not pleased at Dickie’s release is Limehouse.   When last the two met, Limehouse knew Dickie was on the lamb and though he could pull a fast one over on Dickie by cheating him.   This go around Dickie won’t have the law breathing down his neck.   Given time, Dickie may find out that Limehouse has all of his money.   Limehouse operates on reputation.   If it gets out that he tried to cheat a client, he could lose everything.

Quarles falls completely down the rabbit hole.   He does a lot of coke and starts going all Dafoe’s Green Goblin in the mirrors around the hotel room.   As the episode closes, Quarles strips and enters the bathroom of his hotel room.   It appears he’s captured another young man and is about to let off some steam.

Wow … this was a weird one.   I think I like the direction the season is headed.   It is pretty much about the deconstruction of Quarles.   Remember how confident, how cocksure, how arrogant Quarles was at the start of the season?   It seems like his whole foundation has come crashing down.   This is all I ask out of a TV show.   Keep me guessing, but show me exactly what I want to see all the time while making all of your characters believable, flawed, and perfect.   That’s not too much to ask, right?   With three more episodes to go in the season the fuse has been lit, now all we have to do is wait for the fireworks.