FX's Justified - Episode 5.08 Whistle Past the Graveyard
Raylan chases a missing Crowe, while Boyd and his new partners fight their way back across the border.
"Whistle Past the Graveyard" was effectively a piece-moving episode. This hour was moving around the various pieces for the final five episodes of the season. Allison ends the relationship with Raylan; Ava figures out a way to get heroine into the prison; and Boyd and the Crowes figure out a plan to get out of Mexico. Throw in an episodic plot involving Kendal and his "Uncle" Jack and that's basically what this episode boils down to.Now, I really enjoyed the reveal that Wendy and Jack are really Kendal's parents. Wendy and Kendal are the Crowes you are suppose to sympathize with the most. Wendy has done some bad things to help out her brother and to protect Kendal. While Kendal lives this lifestyle because it's all that he's known for his entire life. Allison gave him some luxuries earlier in the season. Then, he witnessed Danny shoot Jean Baptiste and really realized how crazy and criminal his family really is. He hopes Jack can help him. But he's also searching for that connection with a father. He's able to put two-and-two together and wants the truth from both of his parents. Jack can't deliver on that because of the trouble he always finds himself running from and the only thing Wendy can be honest about is that she has been a terrible mother. It then turns out that Raylan is the only person who will shoot straight with him - telling him to save money to leave all this craziness behind.
And that main plot was engaging and interesting. It helped add a nice layer to those three characters and their relationship to one another. Wendy bartered information about her brothers to get Raylan's help then could only give him they're in Mexico. I'm perplexed by why she didn't mentioned they're working with Boyd but that may just be her wanting to keep one last thing up her sleeve for later. The rest of the hour felt like the show just hitting the necessary plot points in order to tell the important and big story coming in the last third of the season.
Some more thoughts:
- "Whistle Past the Graveyard" was written by Chris Provenzano and directed by Peter Werner.
- Tonight is apparently Kyle Bornheimer night as he appears here as well as on tonight's episode of FOX's Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
- No mention of Art, Tim or Rachel at all. The show is actively putting some distance between Raylan and the Marshal's office this season.
- Also, no sighting of Wynn Duffy - which means Jere Burns didn't get to react to things.
