FX's Justified - Episode 5.11 The Toll
A shooting close to home forces Raylan and Boyd to decide which lines they're willing to cross.
Season five of Justified has been a big year for Art. He was on the last stretch of his career as a lawman and managed to catch the biggest fish of his career - Theo Tonin. Then, he learned about the hand Raylan had in the death of Nicky Augustine. That created this schism between the two that has largely been dealt with by not having the two interact a lot. That meant Raylan was out in the field a lot more than he was in the office hanging out with Art, Tim and Rachel. And then, when he and Raylan did interact, they resulted in a black eye or Raylan asking to be transferred. Now, they have this new complication and need to protect Alison from the Crowes and Art winds up getting shot and in critical care. I don't expect that character to be written out that way. But he also spends most of the episode unconscious and hooked up to a ventilator. Leaving Raylan to fully deal with the repercussions of what he brought about himself. Why was he not where he was supposed to be? That's the question that Art's wife poses to him and the one he only somewhat starts to answer by hour's end. He can only try to catch the person responsible for the shooting. But ultimately, all he really can do is stand guard over Art and hope that he wakes up.Elsewhere, Boyd meets with Wynn Duffy and his new pal Katherine Hall to try and present him with a reason on why he should continue this partnership. Boyd is right in saying that it's entirely the Crowe's fault that they are in this predicament. But it may not be his fault, but it is his problem. Why shouldn't Wynn just severe all ties to Boyd and strike up a new deal with Picker and the Mexicans. The gang get an interesting interruption when Rachel comes busting through the door to arrest Picker for Art's attempted murder. But they soon get to pick up the pieces a little bit later - which end with Boyd once again making himself as the only viable option for Wynn to take. He does so by eliminating Picker in the grandest way possible - by blowing him up!
The shaky dynamic between Boyd, Wynn and Katherine is the entrance into Harlan's criminal enterprise that is really interesting. The Crowes simply haven't been anywhere close to that level of intrigue. It wouldn't be that annoying but the show continues to create these other supporting villainous characters who would have been much better season-long villains. The brothers were a lot of fun; Johnny Crowder and Hot Rod had their moments; and now, there's Catherine who proves herself to be a fun capable and complex woman within just a few scenes. That scene with David Vasquez is really telling about her character and her history in one that's interesting and layered. The Crowes all remain a collection of muddled characteristics. Was the season really building up for Kendal to take the fall for his Uncle Darryl? Not really. That's just such an odd and contradictory thing for that character. And yet, I don't care about it because I just want that family off the screen.
Some more thoughts:
- "The Toll" was written by Benjamin Cavell and directed by John Avnet.
- So many characters talk about what Theo Tonin does in this episode. If only, Adam Arkin could have made another return appearance.
- This season has also had a lot of recurring character deaths. And yet, Picker's was probably the best so far because it came out of no where and truly made you jump.
- I love the reveal that Rachel is the new Interim Chief of the department. That was a very smart decision. But then, if Art's only choices were her, Tim or Raylan, that really is the only great option.
- Also, Ava got some ice cream.
