Round Two: Justified

Justified: Season 1, Episode 2 “Riverbrook” (B+)

While the specific plot of this episode isn’t quite as good as last week, this is still a terrific show. What’s especially interesting about this show is the way that it spends so much time on just one scene without any cuts, dwelling instead on one event for an extended period. It makes each one all the more fascinating, and emphasizes the conversations in a great way. It’s very intriguing to see Boyd as a possibly repented man, and I’m hopeful that his appearance at the start of this episode means that actor Walton Goggins and his character will be back in future installments once he’s healed from his gunshot wound to the chest. Raylan’s commanding officer made a stellar analogy between the lawman and a kindergartener that bites someone every week. I love the way that Raylan reacts to all of these situations, especially when it comes to Ava, who continues to be a wondrous presence on this show. Winona is also wonderful, and I loved seeing her and seeing the amused look on Raylan’s face while she was yelling at him about scaring her new husband. I really like Raylan’s explanation about how he started wearing his hat: “I tried it on one time and it fit.” There are plenty of stupid, obnoxious criminals in Kentucky, but that just means there are many more interesting directions for this show to go in the future. Raylan is definitely a fantastic character to be leading the way, and this show is truly defined by him.