Justified “Peace of Mind” 

I can’t believe the season is almost over. Next week is the season 4 finale and I’m just not ready. I love that the show “broke the mold” this year and decided not to go with a big bad. I think focusing on the characters we’ve come to know and (for the most part) love throughout the run of this series showed a tremendous amount of restraint as well as great skill. I love that Rachel and Tim have become more fully fleshed out – although I loved them just as much before this season as I do now. I just know them better now. I like that we continue to see what kind of man Raylan has become both because of and in spite of his (now deceased) father. But most of all, I like that things in Harlan change just as much as they stay the same – there’s always religion, corruption, booze, family, and death (and not necessarily in that order). And if the previews for the finale are any indication, things are about to go very, very wrong for Raylan. But when don’t they?

Drew Thompson’s Still Looking After Ellen May

Ellen May really needed someone looking out for her best interests and I kind of love that that person turned out to be Drew Thompson. Here was a man hiding in plain sight, trying to be a different person than the one who ran away from Theo Tonin. So when he went back for her, I’ll admit it got me right in the chest area. I liked that he was willing to take a chance on someone everyone else either underestimated or overlooked. Of course, that choice got them both in a lot of trouble but sometimes it really is the thought that counts. And as of right now, she’s safe.

When Did Limehouse Become Ava’s Conscience?

For a man who “talks out of both sides of his mouth,” Limehouse sure does speak the truth. He sees the path Ava’s choices are taking her down and he refuses to stand idly by. These two have history together. Limehouse took her in when Boyd’s brother used to beat her. Limehouse protected her from the Crowders in the past and now he’s going to protect Ava from herself. Even though he stands to make a hefty profit from handing Ellen May over to Ava, he refuses to do it. And I’ve got to respect him for that. Now maybe he’ll get back to doing right by the people of the holler and hopefully he won’t break the law doing it. I won’t hold my breath.

Colt Meets His Maker

The second Colt’s phone started ringing after Boyd and Ava’s conversation ended, I think we all knew what was coming. And Tim, thank God for him. I was a bit worried for Tim’s safety – if I’m being honest – but I think he gave Colt every opportunity to get out alive. Colt certainly had a lot of answer for. Who thinks of killing someone as collateral damage? Someone who is very damaged themselves. We saw him kill how many people without remorse or even emotion throughout the season? It was time for someone to make Colt look at his choices and decide if he could live with them. And, apparently Colt didn’t want to.

Raylan’s Family is in Trouble

Those Detroit boys just don’t know when or how to give up, do they? On the one hand you’ve got to admire their determination to get their hands on Drew. On the other hand, Winona and Raylan’s unborn daughter are in harm’s way. Of course it was always going to come down to this. Raylan should’ve taken that suspension when Art told him to. But that’s just not Raylan. He has a thing for finishing what he starts and because of that, he usually manages to put the people he loves in danger. The second we see Picker in Winona’s house, we know things aren’t going to end well. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. I’m scared for Winona and for Raylan.

Are you excited for next week’s finale? How far will Nicky Augustine go to get his hands on Drew Thompson? Can Winona and the baby survive this?

Justified‘s season 4 finale airs Tuesday, April 2nd at 10/9c on FX.