Justified – Recap & Review – Riverbrook

photo: fx

Justified
Riverbrook

Original Air Date: Mar 23, 2010

Tom R. – Sr. Staff Writer
tom@thetwocents.com

After fifteen years behind bars, escaped convict Cooper is out of touch with the changes in car alarms. As a result, the only thing he can steal is an AMC Gremlin. That, and the ensuing argument with his cohorts, is just one of the touches that make Justified such an interesting show to watch.

This could be called the first true episode of Justified, since it is not an adaptation. The writers, however, have incorporated touches like that to keep the stories true to Elmore Leonard’s style, breaking the tension with silly arguments in the face of potential danger. It is an element that rounds out every character we see, from Raylan down to the unnamed prison guard.

Raylan is on transport detail. As he picks up Dewey Crowe, he has time to visit Boyd in the infirmary. Boyd tells him that the shooting was a sign from God, with Raylan being His instrument. He claims to be pursuing a new path. As Raylan completes the transfer, he is dispatched to hunt two fugitives, Price and Cooper, musicians who escaped during a supervised concert. He finds them at a convenience store, but Cooper gets the drop on him. After chasing Price off, Cooper takes Raylan’s hat, badge, guns and car, leaving him locked in the storeroom. The hat and the car are returned.

Raylan works the case with fellow deputies Rachel and Tim, and they find out that Cooper had only three months left on his sentence. They question Cooper’s ex-wife. Once they leave, Cooper comes out of hiding and confronts Shirley and her (hopefully distant) cousin DuPree. The two have been tearing apart houses is the Riverbrook development looking for the loot from the heist that put Cooper behind bars. Cooper got wind of it, and he is just as worried that some homeowner will find the money by accident. He takes them to the house where he hid the money, but they find nothing. Outraged, DuPree shoots Cooper and leaves with Shirley.

Cooper had used a school as a landmark, but had not realized that a second school had been built while he was in prison. DuPree has used Cooper’s guidelines and located the proper house, where he holds a bickering couple hostage. Raylan and the deputies surround the house, and Shirley double-crosses DuPree for shooting Cooper. Tim takes out DuPree, and Raylan escorts the wounded Cooper back to prison, where he wonders if he and Shirley will be released at the same time.

Side notes: Winona tells Raylan that her husband Gary is still shaken from Raylan’s late night visit. Ava practically throws herself at Raylan, but he puts her aside, largely because they both face questioning about Boyd’s shooting. It looks like the show is set up for self-contained episodes with a few overlapping threads.

The most striking thing about the show is the exchange of respect between Raylan and his quarry. Even when he has the drop on Raylan, and before he sees his badge, Cooper calls him “Sir”. And Raylan calmly lays out all the options for DuPree, pushing for a surrender before Tim pulls the trigger.

Shots fired: 4. Cousin DuPree (Thanks, Steely Dan) fires two shots, Tim fires one, and Cooper fires a deliberate miss. Raylan fires nothing.

Best moment of the night was someone in the crowd yelling “Free Bird!” after the bluegrass band finishes a song. We’ve all been there. What did you think? Drop in your comments or send me a note at: tom@thetwocents.com.

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