Some Lingering Thoughts On Justified 2x11

[redbrunja]

First of all, I absolutely loved Winona and Rachel talking smack about Gary over breakfast. Both of the actresses did an amazing job with very little. That should be an expanded scene where we get to hear more about Rachel's ex-boyfriend horror stories.

On the subject of Gary, I am really troubled by Raylan not telling Winona that her soon-to-be-ex-husband tried to have her killed. I totally understand his motivations but I can't help but feel that that is the kind of information that a woman needs to know, even if it will tear her apart. I can't articulate it better than that but I guess I feel that someone should know how badly they can misjudge a person.

To continue with choices Raylan made that I don't agree with, leaving Winona and Rachel and Tim all asleep in their beds while he goes off to confront Duffy was a bad move. What if there had been another hitter? You could have texted Tim or Rachel from the road.

And finally, the thing I'm really, really worried about: I am terrified that Boyd his going to break is word to Ava, either regarding the hookers (less likely but possible) or the telling her everything (disturbingly possible). Boyd has a habit of either breaking his promises (remember him sincerely telling both Ava and Raylan his outlaw ways were behind him? remember how he had a deal with Mags about staying out of the weed business in Bennet county?) and even though there are usually extenuating circumstances... I'm worried. When Ava says, "I don't want you to keep anything from me," and Boyd goes, "as you please," I can't help but think, that isn't exactly saying he won't keep things from you....

Basically, Boyd Crowder, DON'T FUCK THIS UP. ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU SAVE YOUR OUT-SMARTING-PEOPLE TENDENCIES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AVA AND TREAT THAT GIRL RIGHT AND POSSIBLY BLOW SHIT UP.

I may be a little too invested in this ship. Which may be genetic. My mother after watching 2x04: They need to get a dog. They need to get a dog and fix up that house and have babies. Me: PREACHING TO THE FREAKING CHOIR.

Comments

[mollivanders.livejournal.com]

I think, given Helen's passing of the torch to Ava, we can expect Ava to keep a tight leash on Boyd's activities (her knowledge of them, at least). I doubt he'll be able to do much without her knowing about it and letting him know she knows about.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

That's true, and we have seen that before. And knowing that Ava knows about what he's doing will make him less likely to lie about it the rare times she doesn't know....

Did that make sense?

[mollivanders.livejournal.com]

Yes, it did :)

[norgbelulah.livejournal.com]

Boyd has a habit of either breaking his promises (remember him sincerely telling both Ava and Raylan his outlaw ways were behind him? remember how he had a deal with Mags about staying out of the weed business in Bennet county?) and even though there are usually extenuating circumstances... I'm worried.

The thing about Boyd and promises is that i think he really does mean to keep them when he makes them, it's just that when he sees the opportunity to break them and the circumstances surrounding the breaking of promises could help him, he has no qualms about breaking his word. Things are different, why should he act like they aren't?

I think he really thought that his outlaw ways were behind him, and he did actually mean to leave Ava's house when he was preparing to for serious break his word that he wouldn't do anything criminal. The deal with the Bennetts was made moot when Dickie messed up the agreement. If Mags doesn't have control over her son, no deal she makes with Boyd regarding him will hold.

That doesn't mean I'm not worried Boyd will mess things up with Ava. Youre' right, "as you please" is definitely not, "Of course, Ava, I will never lie to you."

He's definitely the kind of guy to keep secrets, even when Ava has asked him not to; either for his idea of her protection or to keep cray criminal activities on the down low. HOWEVER, hopefully the lesson of Aunt Helen's death will stick with these two and Boyd will realize KEEPING SECRETS GETS PEOPLE KILLED.

Also, HELL YES, BOYD, BLOW SOME SHIT UP!

[elizchris.livejournal.com]

I think you're spot on in your assessment of Boyd. Given a situation where he's faced with an ugly decision, I could totally see him concealing things from Ava. If he could rationalize the decision as something he'd doing to protect her, his agreement with her would go out the window.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Absolutely.

Which would set up another variation of the dynamic Ava had with her husband, where she settles for him not hitting her/not being honest with her all the time because he is sometimes and that is one of the last things I want for her.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Oh, I totally agree that Boyd believed his outlaw ways were behind him, and it is reassuring to remember that Boyd did leave Ava's house when it was clear they weren't. But even though I understand why Boyd is making the choices he's making, I can still see a pattern that could really hurt Ava, and I don't want that to happen.

HOWEVER, hopefully the lesson of Aunt Helen's death will stick with these two and Boyd will realize KEEPING SECRETS GETS PEOPLE KILLED.

*crosses fingers*

[elizchris.livejournal.com]

I really like how Justified uses Raylan and Boyd as foils without really calling attention to the fact that it does so. Some folks are speculating that Raylan let Gary go expecting that Gary wouldn't be up to the task of getting out of the country before Duffy catches up to him.

That's a dark and interesting spin, but my suspicion is that Raylan is being straightforwardly and wrongheadedly protective of Winona. He's got some serious mother hen tendencies based on Winona's season 1 description of him nagging, his post bank robbery distress that Winona resisted the robber, and the fact that he convinced her at one point to learn to shoot. It's admirable that Raylan turns his concern about Winona's safety towards getting her capable of protecting herself, but that means he sees her as vulnerable. As frustrating as it is, I feel like it's in character.

The aspect of this that I really like, though, is how Southern it feels to me. Several of my male friends who are lifelong Atlanta residents have the quality of sexism through chivalry. They don't think women are less capable then men on an intellectual level, but protective behavior towards women has been so deeply ingrained in them that they sometimes treat the women in their lives as if those ladies are less than capable. Since this mostly runs to opening doors and picking up the check, the repercussions aren't huge. However, that pattern shows in both Raylan and Boyd's behavior towards women.

Raylan's behavior towards Ava (trying to convince her to leave Kentucky, taking her to Winona, and more recently trying to get her to kick Boyd out) seems to come from this same protective place, though overall he's less protective of Ava than he is of Winona. Boyd similarly breaks his word to Ava with the excuse that he's trying to save her house.

I'm worried about both boys. Where are you Wednesday?

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

but my suspicion is that Raylan is being straightforwardly and wrongheadedly protective of Winona. He's got some serious mother hen tendencies based on Winona's season 1 description of him nagging, his post bank robbery distress that Winona resisted the robber, and the fact that he convinced her at one point to learn to shoot. It's admirable that Raylan turns his concern about Winona's safety towards getting her capable of protecting herself, but that means he sees her as vulnerable. As frustrating as it is, I feel like it's in character.

I agree and I think you're right about it reading as authentically Southern. One of the things I like about this show, in fact, is that it's characters have realistic flaws. What's interesting about Raylan not telling Winona is that I had to really think about why I felt his actions were wrong; frankly, I would easily see myself doing something similar but I would hate it if someone didn't tell me information like that.

I'm worried about both boys. Where are you Wednesday?

On pins and needles waiting to watch Justified.

[shiegra.livejournal.com]

I love Raylan, but I was furious about that plot development. It was supremely condescending and he didn't even remotely have the right to make that choice for her. It's hard to describe exactly how I feel about it - it's almost as if I don't quite castigate the character for it, but I'd castigate the writing for allowing him to get away with it, you know? I hope it comes back and bites him in the ass later. She nearly died and she needed to know.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

It was supremely condescending and he didn't even remotely have the right to make that choice for her. It's hard to describe exactly how I feel about it - it's almost as if I don't quite castigate the character for it, but I'd castigate the writing for allowing him to get away with it, you know?

I know exactly what you mean. Often I am furious not that a character did something wrong, but that the writers seem unaware that what said character did was out of line. With this, I feel like the writers thought he was making an okay choice, and I'm frustrated that I doubt we'll ever seen Winona learn that Gary planned her death, much less that Raylan hid that from her.