We open with Raylan bragging to a now visibly pregnant Winona about the successful conclusion of the Drew Thompson case. Winona could not be less interested; she just wants to know whether Raylan could please sign and return the papers she sent him a week ago that secure their baby’s future if anything happens to either one of them. That’s not ominous at all.
Raylan walks in to the applause of the entire Marshal team and asks them to quiet down as he realizes that Winona’s told him their baby is a girl. Awww! I think Raylan and I are both glad the Givens line won’t have the opportunity to carry on its twisted father-son relationships into another generation.
Raylan endures the good-natured ribbing of our favorite fellow Marshals: Art Mullen is surprised that Raylan didn’t enjoy the applause and wonders if it’s just that Raylan isn’t used to positive attention. Rachel comments that maybe Raylan will chop his long greasy locks (yes, please!) and Tim says something laconic but funny before Art brings out the red folder of Raylan’s upcoming suspension.
Meanwhile, ADA Vasquez, who’s in the conference room with Drew Thompson beckons over Art and Raylan. Drew, who’s en route to SuperMax, won’t talk to the Feds unless they guarantee Ellen May’s safety. Though I applaud Drew’s burst of humanity for the sweet and hapless Ellen May, Art and Raylan just see it as a huge pain in their asses; they tell Drew he can talk to them or he can hang out with the genpop and see how long it takes Theo Tonin to have him killed.
Poor Ellen May is locked into a room at Limehouse’s Home for Abused White Ladies, where she is probably safer than anywhere else at the moment. Limehouse walks in and she asks him if it’s time for Ava and Boyd to kill her; Limehouse reiterates that he’s not going to let that happen, and Ellen May says that even if he lets her go, she’ll probably end up dead anyway. There’s nothing she can do about her inevitable fate.
At Audrey’s, Boyd has gathered his forces (Jimmy, Colton, and Ava.) They debate which of their numerous problems is most critical: Ellen May; the angry Detroit mobsters; or the treachery of Johnny Crowder. Boyd finally tells everyone to be quiet and give him a moment alone with Ava. For Boyd, Ava’s safety and freedom are paramount, so he’s decided that they need to solve their Ellen May problem first. Ava objects that they don’t have the money Limehouse is demanding, but Boyd is thinking less of paying Limehouse and more of punishing Limehouse for reneging on his original deal with Boyd.
In Art’s office, Raylan and Art debate Drew’s mystifying attachment to Ellen May. Raylan asks to go get Ellen May, saying that Art can suspend him a day later. In fact, Art can suspend him just before the baby’s born and add some extra days. Art points out that “suspendees don’t get to choose when they’re suspended” because that’s called a vacation and tells Raylan to go home or maybe hang out with Winona (and sign those papers?); Art will send Tim and Rachel to get Ellen May. Raylan reiterates his desire to finish what he started.
Johnny is interrupted in his getaway preparations at the Crowder bar by Nicky, Picker, and a couple of other Detroit mobsters. Nicky tells Johnny that there’s still a way to make things right with Detroit and thus avoid Boyd’s upcoming revenge. Theo still has a mole on the inside (even though Nicky already killed the FBI guy) and knows that Drew won’t talk if Ellen May isn’t protected. Detroit wants Ellen May now too. Poor Ellen May is more important to more people who want to kill her than she ever has been in her life.
Johnny calls Limehouse who claims to have no idea what Johnny is talking about. Moreover, Limehouse wants nothing to do with the Detroit mob, because the last time he got involved with them, Quarles lost an arm and Limehouse lost all his savings. He tells Johnny never to call him again.
Johnny is sure this means Boyd has already made a side-deal with Limehouse, but in fact, Boyd is plotting a raid on Noble’s Holler. The plan is to tell Limehouse that Boyd has booby-trapped three houses in the holler, and unless he hands over Ellen May, Jimmy will blow them up. Boyd’s phone rings with a call from Johnny’s cell; it’s Nicky, who offers Boyd a new deal, saying that he’ll pay the $300K to Limehouse and hand over Johnny to Boyd.
Boyd’s group walks in to the Crowder bar, guns at the ready, to face the Detroit guys also with guns at the ready. Nicky defuses the situation, telling Boyd that “it’s everybody wins day at Johnny’s Bar except Johnny.” Boyd insists that Nicky apologize to Ava for the things he said to her, which he does quite politely.
Nicky puts a briefcase of money on the table and after a bit of back and forth explains why they need Ellen May. Ava rightly sees that the plan isn’t going to work unless she carries it out, since Limehouse hates white people in general and Boyd in particular. She’ll take the money to Limehouse and bring Ellen May back while Boyd remains as Nick’s hostage.
Apparently Art gave in to Raylan’s incessant demands because he, Tim, and Rachel approach Limehouse’s restaurant. Limehouse makes a couple of offensive comments to Rachel, calling her “little sister” and “Aunt Jemima” taking orders from white guys. Then he asks who Tim is, and Rachel says that Tim is there to back her up if she has to put her boot up Limehouse’s ass. I really hope Rachel gets to do that someday!
Limehouse tells Raylan that Ellen May isn’t in the holler anymore, if she ever was. The Marshals call in the staties to search the entirety of Noble’s Holler; Raylan leaves Tim to stand guard while he and Rachel head off to Harlan to pin down Boyd Crowder.
Meanwhile, Ava arrives at Limehouse’s joint, guided through the back way. Ava shows Limehouse the money she’s brought and wants Ellen May in return; Limehouse tells her that he got into the whole mess (I think he means “ransom money”) trying to preserve Noble’s Holler, but after all that went down with Quarles, he’s had to sell off land that was part of the settlement since Emancipation. Ava again offers Limehouse the money, saying that it will help rebuild the Holler, and Limehouse tells Ava that he won’t hand Ellen May over to be killed and deep down, Ava should know better too. In any case, Ellen May is gone.
Ava calls Boyd, sure that Limehouse is telling the truth about Ellen May’s departure. Boyd suggests checking her previous known associates; he sends Ava to Cassie’s church (with Colton as backup) and brings Picker and Nicky with him to see Nicky Cush, Ellen May’s ex-pimp whom Boyd threatened with a power drill a couple of episodes ago.
Alas, Ellen May is every bit as challenged as Boyd believes because she’s gone straight for Nicky Cush’s place. She pleads with him to help her by giving her his car and telling Boyd that she stole the key. In the middle of their conversation, Boyd pulls up outside, telling Nicky Augustine that Cush is not best described as “stable.” Indeed, Cush ambushes them with an assault rifle while wearing body armor. Boyd reminds Cush of a bank robbery in which the suspects, who wore body armor, made one dumb mistake. “They ran out of bullets,” Cush says proudly, just before Boyd shoots him in the foot. “They didn’t armor their feet, asshole” was the correct answer.
Raylan and Rachel arrive at the Crowder bar where they find Jimmy, two Detroit henchpersons, and a tied-up Johnny. Raylan incapacitates Jimmy and then tells him to call Boyd but, speak of the Devil, Boyd calls first. Raylan tells Jimmy to put the phone on speaker so he hears Boyd telling Jimmy that Ellen May is probably at Cassie’s church. Raylan tells Boyd that he and Detroit can get lost, and leaves Rachel to decide whether she’ll free Johnny or leave him there for the Detroit guys. I can’t help it, I kind of like Johnny, so I hope Rachel decided on the “free Johnny” plan!
Meanwhile, Ellen May makes her confession to Cassie. Whoever cast Abby Miller as Ellen May was a genius, because she’s so good at this heartbreaking innocence, even after everything Ellen May’s been through. It makes you understand why Colton had to work up the nerve to murder her, and why Drew keeps protecting her. Ellen May tells Cassie that she prayed for a sign from God, knowing that she wasn’t worthy, and then Limehouse let her go, so she knew she had to tell Cassie about how she helped cover up Delroy’s murder.
Ava walks in with a gun just as Ellen May is ending her confession, and Ellen May tells Ava that she forgives Ava and suggests that Ava could find peace in God too. Ava doesn’t buy it, saying that she’s always found peace doing whatever her heart told her was the right thing, and that it wasn’t God, but people making choices “all down the line” that kept Ellen May alive to this point. Cassie tells Ava that she’ll have to kill Cassie too if she chooses to kill Ellen May. At this point, Colton arrives, asking whether this is what Boyd wants Ava to do.
Ava calls Boyd to say she can’t kill Ellen May (or Cassie.) Phew! Boyd calls Colton, ordering him to do the deed, and he starts to move the girls away from Ava. This gives Marshal Tim time to arrive and save the day. (At the rate the population of this tent is growing, they should go ahead and have a revival meeting!)
Colt and Tim have a standoff, with Tim telling Colt repeatedly to drop his gun. Colt reaches into his pocket for a cigarette and Tim asks him if he killed Mark. Colt tells Tim that Mark’s death was collateral damage, but most of Mark died in Kandahar anyway; Tim doesn’t buy Colt’s lazy excuse, and says he’s only concerned about the part of Mark that Colt murdered, telling Colt again to put his weapon on the ground. Colt takes a last draw of his cigarette and raises his weapon, causing Tim to shoot him. Adieu, young Gerard Depardieu! Tim takes Colt’s folded Ray-Bans just as Raylan pulls up.
Raylan collects Ellen May to take her back to Lexington; Ellen May asks if she can see Drew, just as a Harlan sheriff arrives and asks Raylan if he was involved in the shooting. He looks bemused when Raylan says he has nothing to do with it.
Tim and Cassie have another heart to heart, wherein Cassie confesses that her brother was the true believer, not her. She’s been praying that Tim’s bullet would find Boyd Crowder’s heart. (I don’t think that’s the way it’s going to work, because Raylan is clearly the one meant to finally kill Boyd. Not till the very last episode of the series, though, please!)
Ava tells Boyd she’s sorry about his friend’s death; Boyd tells her that he respects her and her decision on every level, but that they have to get rid of Delroy’s body. Boyd asks Ava if she believes in him, and the answer for this crazy, mixed-up criminal-but-awesome couple is, of course, YES!
Speaking of mixed-up and criminals, Ellen May and Drew share an emotional reunion and a big hug with Raylan as a jaded chaperone.
With one innocent party out of jeopardy, it’s time to throw another one in! Winona supervises the assembly of a glider that has mysteriously been sent to her. She thinks it’s from Raylan, but when the guy assembling the chair turns, it’s Picker, who asks whether she’s having a boy or a girl. He sees himself out and Winona settles in to the comfortable chair and relaxes, unlike everyone in the audience!
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Regina Thorne is an avid reader of just about everything, an aspiring writer, a lover of old movies and current TV shows, and a hopeless romantic.
OMG the ending had me so tense. I was waiting for that glider to blow.