Taking Stock, Justified “Collateral” 

Alrighty then. We’re 77 episodes down, one to go, and I have no clue at all where the remaining 48 minutes and change will take us, but let’s look at where we stand after “Collateral.”

Boyd

After he carjacks a motorist and gets an earful of what a local legend (and terrible person) he’s revered to be, Boyd kills his commandeered chauffeur and then puts two slugs in Bob. He heads into the dark woods, in pursuit of Ava and the money and instead comes across Raylan, who’s looking for him and Ava. More on that below. He also takes a timeout to go shoot Zachariah, who blows himself up  but doesn’t quite take out Boyd in the process.

Raylan

Raylan abandons his badge and his shield and takes off with Bob’s Crown Victoria. He winds up in the woods, where he bequeaths Arlo’s house to Cope (Tom Proctor, who we last saw in season four’s “Kin”), one of the locals and a distant relation of his mother, who Arlo had double-crossed, and then he heads up to Zachariah, who rages at him that it’s both his and Boyd’s fault that Ava’s in the mess she is. Raylan warns Zachariah that Boyd will be along next, and then he leaves. When night falls, he faces off with Boyd and hilariously spots him because his “teeth glow in the dark.”

They fire off a few retorts and shots at each other until Boyd tells Raylan he might want to check on Bob. He scoots off in the darkness and Raylan heads down to Bob, who’s badly wounded and bleeding out. He drives him into town until he calls ahead to a hospital that he has an officer involved shooting (which will thrill Bob if he survives), and watches as they wheel Bob in to try to save his life. Then he’s arrested.

Ava

She has a Class A meltdown when she hears on the radio that Boyd is loose, so she parts ways with Zachariah and heads down the mountain with a backpack of some of the money until Bob happens upon her and handcuffs her. When Boyd shows up, she frantically kicks herself loose from the car, only to be arrested by Markham’s officers.

Markham

He’s still hell-bent on getting his money. He says his goodbyes to Katherine’s body and then goes to see and threaten Loretta, who’s had to deal with Boon shooting her maybe-boyfriend. He finishes off the kid and says he’ll kill her unless she gives up Boyd. Unruffled, she offers to be his new partner instead.

Wynn

He walks free, much to Vazquez’s disgust, and then meets up with a contact (Big Love‘s Audrey Wasilewski), whom he pays with Katherine’s diamonds (called it!), concealed in a tube of toothpaste, while placing an order for a rehabbed dog groomer van because he expects to have several duffel bags–so he’s on the hunt for the cash, too. When Vazquez asks him who killed his boss, he tells him he has no idea.

Tim

He takes a break from the manhunt to return to the office with Earl and relays the details of Vazquez’s own hissy fit to Art, who’s out looking for Raylan. Vazquez is pissed because the Marshals couched the search for Raylan as a Marshal in danger instead of as a fugitive so he calls in the Feds.

Art

It looks like he’s in charge again–we don’t see Rachel at all. He heads out to the field to find Raylan himself–making good on his promise to Raylan at the end of the last episode.

Now what?

And that’s where we leave everybody. We wind down with Raylan and Ava in a custody of sorts and Boyd on the run. We’ll have to see if Loretta can save Ava’s life since Markham is having her delivered to her place. Ava did make a phone call to somebody we haven’t seen yet (Limehouse?).

We’ve had Raylan and Boyd in close proximity a few times this season, but tonight’s the only episode where they actually shot at each other. With his home and job surrendered, Boyd is the absolutely last thing Raylan has to wrap up in Harlan. Can he do it? And if so, will that really close the door for him?

The lost leader of his concern for Ava is still a gray area. He wants to keep her out of prison, but Vazquez has already told him that’s a no go, so she’s only escaping that fate if Raylan actually helps her escape. And that’s not the best start to whatever it is he hopes to find with Winona and their daughter in Florida.

It’s a strange time warp that six seasons of thirteen episodes have felt longer than six 22-episode seasons. We’ve covered a lot of ground. I’d love to know how much time it’s actually been for these characters. I’m glad we got them. It’s been a hell of a ride.

Justified‘s series finale airs next Tuesday at 10/9c on FX. You can catch “Collateral” again overnight tonight and during the week. As of right now, there is no marathon scheduled ahead of the last episode (dammit).