Justified: Trust Review

Justified's final season asks for trust, then says it's not enough. Here is our review.

“Come on, Boyd. You know Ellstin Limehouse has made a fortune being the man folks can count on in times of trouble.” – Ava Crowder

Tonight’s episode was entitled “Trust.” Viewers increasingly have to keep a scorecard on who’s doing what to who and why. Avery trusts that he’s above suspicion with Katherine. Boyd trusts that Ava has forgiven him for abandoning her in jail, and any nonsense of siding with Raylan and the FBI. The FBI trusts it will come up a Hail Mary in enough time to arrest Avery, Boyd and maybe even Katherine for good measure. Trust among the aforementioned requires a mixture of faith, bravado and will.

Crabs in a barrel hold no illusions of trust. Each one tries to climb over the slippery back of the one above, and then knocks them off the linked chain of claws. The would-be criminal masterminds in Harlan should have remembered this visual as they plotted and schemed against each other for the ten million dollar prize locked away in the antiquated safe in the pizza parlor.

Ava’s trust in Boyd has never been as strong as he’s imagined and hoped. As each chapter heading toward the series finale has unfolded, Ava’s been thinking just how much she once loved Boyd. A burning question might be: Is it possible for Ava to love Boyd and not trust him? She could still love him for the man that he was, is and wants to be, and trusting that he’ll never be the man she needs. There’s a place in her heart and soul for Raylan, the one who left her to fend for herself with Bowman and later Boyd.

Ad – content continues below

Raylan trusts his ability as an officer of the law, and thinks that’s enough to get the job done. He’s also a good judge of character more often than not, and this is a reason that there are fewer corpses in his wake. The deputy marshal enjoys watching crooks double-cross, manipulate and kill each other; it’s less work for him and the agency.

SPOILER ALERT: I’m sure Wynn Duffy didn’t feel warm and fuzzy when Mickey’s personal code got the better of him. Good assistants and sidekicks are difficult to find and maintain. Was the scene in the RV unexpected? I’d venture a “yes”. The flipside of their partnership is simply that Mickey signed on for what he thought would be honor among thieves. This had been the case up until tonight’s episode. Mickey realized he could no longer trust Wynn to make unilateral decisions that would ricochet back to him.

When the last traces of trust for Boyd left Ava’s body, there was no turning back. She assembled the remaining puzzle pieces of Dewey’s mysterious disappearance, and by episode’s end, still didn’t know if Uncle Zachariah was dead or alive.

Avery would’ve been better off taking his money and leaving town, but his greed ultimately was his undoing. He thought he could charm Loretta’s grandaunt and the two of snatch her accumulated land and burgeoning marijuana business from her.

Boyd thought his antics would be enough to get what and who he ultimately wanted, however, that wasn’t to be the case. It’s sometimes difficult to predict responses of loved ones holding grudges. Boyd made Ava his enemy unbeknownst to him. He put too much stock in trust, nostalgia and his wry smile.

The lesson in tonight’s episode is that self-preservation outweighs everything. There’s no place for love, faith or trust when fear and individual survival are in play. The thought of returning to prison was too much for Ava to bear. A life on the run with Boyd would’ve been a parallel evil. Neither were credible options for her when all was said and done. 

Ad – content continues below

Rating:

3.5 out of 5