Justified “Fate’s Right Hand” 

Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead

I already feel like this show is going for broke and I like it. While a lot of us felt a little (or a lot) disappointed with season 5 – myself included – I’ve always been and will always be a fan of this show. Even an “off” season is still a really strong season. Bygones. Let’s focus on what goes down in tonight’s season premiere.

I think I need to talk about Dewey Crowe first. His death shocked me. Now that Boyd is back to robbing banks, I thought the overt danger of his old life would go away. I mean, robbing banks is dangerous but it’s different than dealing/smuggling drugs. But Boyd’s made a lot of enemies and has done a lot of pretty horrible things, so I guess he’s always going to be looking over his should in some respects. Was he right to suspect Dewey’s motives? Absolutely. The thing I love and hate about Dewey is that he’s always looking out for number one (and he’s always pretty amusing while he’s doing it). He’ll double cross you in a heartbeat if he thinks he can get something out of it. But Boyd seemed to be giving Dewey another chance. Dewey acknowledged that he’s made a mistake; he just wanted back in. He wanted the good ol’ days.

Maybe Dewey shouldn’t have assumed the reappearance of his turtledog totem meant he should try to reconcile with Boyd. That “bitch” Abigail didn’t lose it, she threw it away. So it’s only fitting that Dewey’s turtledog would lead him to ruin. I mean, Dewey played his part well when Boyd needed a distraction. Raylan and Tim went after Dewey, when they should’ve been following Boyd. But the minute he outlives his usefulness, Boyd takes care of that little problem. RIP, Dewey Crowe. You will be missed.

If you’re wondering what this means for Ava, I’m with you. Boyd knows she’s acting strange. He thinks it’s because of the time she had to spend in jail because of him and he probably thinks she’s still smarting about the fact that he couldn’t get her out faster and/or protect her while she was in there – not like he promised to. But Boyd’s been in jail, he gets her attitude.

We know she’s nervous because she’s working as Raylan’s CI. At the end of last season, I expressed doubts about Ava doing this job. I knew she did what she had to do to save her own life, but she loves Boyd. No matter what she’s doing right now, I still thinks she loves him. And when Raylan asks if Boyd’s making big purchases or big plans, she deflects. It should be hard for her to turn on him considering everything they’ve been through. I’m still not even convinced she’ll do it. I think these two people are meant for each other. Ava’s eyes have been opened to the realities of the world, but I really can’t imagine she’ll ever find another man like Boyd. That’s probably not a good thing, but I think it’s the truth.

And Boyd was doing what he could to get her out of jail. He just didn’t do it fast enough. At the end of the day, Ava knows how to take care of herself. She took care of Bowman and that’s how Raylan knows she can get him what he needs on Boyd. Raylan’s a little too quick, in my opinion, to threaten Ava with a return to jail but I understand that if Boyd isn’t telling her about his misdeeds that she’s not nearly as valuable as she needs to be and should be for the RICO case. Ava’s wise to be wary, especially since the vibe Boyd was giving me as he watched her sleep was creepy, not protective.

Other highlights

I like the way Raylan questions Aguilar. Yes, he technically kidnapped him and transported him into another country. But, as always, Raylan gets results. Most of the time I really don’t care how that happens and I love watching him give anyone and everyone attitude.

We meet Garret Dillahunt in this episode. He seems to be a city slicker who’s up to no good. He offers Raylan cash for his property and land, which is for sale, but Raylan turns him down flat. I’m curious what he’s up to and who he’s connected with in town.

It’s oddly comforting for me to see Raylan visit Art during his convalescence. I love that Raylan offers Art booze, which he eventually ends up sampling. I also love that Raylan is asking Art for his advice. We know Raylan’s an impatient man. He needs Art’s reassurances about doing this right and by the book. After all, there’s a possibility Raylan will end up in Florida without a badge and gun and only be able to see his daughter on visiting day at the state pen.

Questions

Dewey’s death is a definitely setback. How are they going to get the evidence they need on Boyd? Now if Ava doesn’t deliver, they really will have nothing.

Is it weird that a small, tiny part of me wants Boyd to get away with it? I’d never want to run into a character like Boyd Crowder in real life, but getting to know him over these past five seasons has made me care about him. I’m invested. I know he needs to pay for his crimes, but part of me likes to imagine he’ll get his happily ever after with Ava in the foreign country of their choosing.

When will be see Mary Steenburgen’s Katherine Hale again? She’s the one who wanted to get that ledger, so it must be incredibly important. Boyd’s crew thought they were stealing money and are very disappointed when it becomes clear that wasn’t what they were after. Will they trust him the next time he needs their services? And if you don’t already know, Sam Elliott has joined the cast this season. I cannot wait to see him on my TV screen.

Justified airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on FX.