 --- The sixth and final season of Justified --- See the first season of Justified for background information on Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens and the home of his youth... Harlan County (a hopelessly impoverished, backwoods coal-mining community in southeastern Kentucky). Storyline: The sixth and final season focuses on... Disc 1 of the Justified The Complete Sixth Season Blu-ray 6.01 Fate's Right Hand - Dewey Crowe gets released from jail based on some technicality just after Raylan Givens returns from Mexico. While there, Raylan tracked down a Mexican police officer who can testify he saw Dewey Crowe witness Boyd Crowder kill Johnny Crowder in Mexico in the previous season. In order to continue to build a racketeering case against Boyd Crowder, Raylan decides to follow Dewey Crowe. In one instance, Dewey agrees to drive a truck for Boyd, and Raylan observes Dewey drive through a state police road block. After Dewey crashes, Raylan discovers Dewey does not have any drugs with him that he was carrying for Boyd. In tandem, Boyd robs safe deposit boxes from a bank. Later, Boyd's crew expresses frustration that the safety deposit boxes do not have cash in them. Instead, there is a mysterious ledger in one of the boxes. Boyd kills Dewey at the end of the episode as Dewey consistently gets out of jail or trouble with the law, arousing Boyd's suspicions that he can't trust Dewey. After Boyd shoots Dewey, the episode ends with Boyd observing Ava in a sinister way while she is sleeping. Ava agreed to be an informant for Raylan in the previous season in order to get out of jail. 6.02 Cash Game - Raylan sets out to find out more about the mysterious group buying up land in Harlan, Boyd tries to make a profit off the ledger from the bank heist, and Ava is stuck in the middle of everything. -- Raylan's investigation brings him into conflict with a paramilitary outfit. 6.03 Noblesse Oblige - Boyd makes the uncomfortable discovery that the man he is trying to rob is very dangerous, and Raylan tries to put the squeeze on Boyd's explosives supplier. -- Raylan follows a trail of illegal explosives in an attempt to pin Boyd, who discovers he's run afoul of a dangerous new player in town. 6.04 The Trash and the Snake - Raylan and Boyd separately find out why Avery Markham is buying up all the land in Harlan, as well as the consequences if you don't cooperate. Meanwhile, Katherine Hale pays an unexpected visit to Ava. -- Raylan declares war on the deadly men who are forcing Harlan's most valuable real estate to change hands, while Boyd and Duffy seek out a crackpot safecracker to help do their dirty work. 6.05 Sounding - Ava tries to find a way to escape from everything, Boyd decides to stay in Harlan and compete with Avery Markham, and Katherine Hale and Wynn Duffy come up with a plan to see if Ava is an informant. -- When Ava makes a drastic decision, Raylan turns to an old friend for help. A suspicious Duffy looks into Ava's release from prison. 6.06 Alive Day - Boyd finds a way to keep tabs on Ava while he works in the mine with Ava's Uncle Zachariah, And Ty orders a reluctant Choo-Choo to tie up loose ends after he kills Calhoun Schreier. -- Raylan investigates a murder that has sown discord in Markham's camp. Boyd's latest heist forces him to revisit his mining days. 6.07 The Hunt - Raylan takes a break from the case to take a visit from Winona and their daughter, Boyd takes Ava to his cabin to confront her about her loyalty, and Ty is on the run without any help after the shootout with the marshals. -- A visit from his baby daughter threatens to pull Raylan away from the hunt for a dangerous fugitive. Boyd, having learned that Ava's been lying to him, takes her on a hunting trip that she may never come back from. 6.08 Dark as a Dungeon - Raylan begins to break his ties to Harlan as he pursues a new lead and makes a new alliance to take down Boyd. Meanwhile, a desperate Ty comes to Boyd and Ava with a proposition. -- A visit from his baby daughter threatens to pull Raylan away from the hunt for a dangerous fugitive. Boyd, having learned that Ava's been lying to him, takes her on a hunting trip that she may never come back from. 6.09 Burned - Ava must decide who to trust. Avery Markham's plans for Harlan are derailed by a new bid for power. Boyd gets closer to his dream of riches, but an unexpected betrayal causes him to question Ava's loyalty. -- Raylan and Boyd each test Ava's loyalty, and Markham's plans to win over Harlan go awry. 6.10 Trust - With Avery Markham and Wynn Duffy's help, Raylan sets up a trap for Boyd. But Ava informs Raylan that he didn't take the bait and offers up a new route to put Boyd away for good. -- Raylan puts more pressure on his CIs, Boyd makes a move on Markham's money, and Ava finds herself caught in the crossfire again. 6.11 Fugitive Number One - Raylan goes after Ava after she shoots Boyd and steals the ten million dollars, but Art calls him off the chase. Meanwhile, Avery sets out to kill Boyd, and Katherine sets out to kill Wynn. -- Raylan and the Marshals scramble to deal with a crisis that threatens all of their careers. Duffy, Mike, and Katherine question the meaning of loyalty. 6.12 Collateral - Ava and Zachariah prepare to flee with Zachariah planning to ambush Boyd, who survives being shot at and Zachariah ultimately blowing himself up with dynamite, in an attempt to kill Boyd. Markham has Loretta kidnapped and Boon kills Loretta's boyfriend. Loretta switches sides to Markham after he once again threatens her if she does not sell her land. Ava is captured by corrupt cops working for Markham and Boyd is located by Raylan and Constable Bob, who is fatally wounded by Boyd. Raylan tries to kill Boyd but is stopped by local sheriff deputies, who take him back to Lexington for questioning about Ava's escape. 6.13 The Promise - In the series finale, Boyd and Raylan race to rescue Ava from Markham; Boyd reaches her first and kills Markham. Raylan confronts Boyd before he can kill Ava; Boyd surrenders but announces that he will not stop until Ava and Raylan are dead. Raylan grabs Markham's gun and gives it to Boyd, demanding they settle their differences in a duel so that Raylan can legally kill Boyd without repercussion. Boyd refuses, noting that Raylan has snapped and accuses him of being willing to throw away his chance to be a father for petty vengeance. Raylan relents and Boyd is taken into custody, with Raylan taking Ava in his car back to jail. However, Raylan and Ava are ambushed by Boon (who is holding Loretta hostage) and forces a quick draw gunfight that leaves Boon dead and Raylan alive, as his hat protected him from a bullet that ultimately grazed his head. Ava uses the chaos of the gunfight to escape in Raylan's car. Raylan leaves Harlan, having completed his mission to bring Boyd to justice. Four years later: Raylan and Winonna have separated again and Raylan gets a tip that Ava has been spotted in California, having traded the location of Markham's money to Wynn Duffy in exchange for Duffy helping her flee the state. Ava begs to not be taken to jail and reveals her son (whose father is Boyd) to Raylan. Fearing that Boyd would try and get out of prison, so he can corrupt his child, Raylan agrees to keep Ava's location a secret. Raylan then visits Boyd (once again, a born again Christian) in prison to present fake evidence that Ava died shortly after Boyd's arrest in a car wreck. Before leaving him, Raylan is asked why he delivered the news personally to Boyd. Boyd asks if it is due to their shared bond of being former miners, "We dug coal together", to which Raylan responds, "That's right." This was the Series Finale Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, June 4, 2015 Justified, Creator Graham Yost's tight, character-driven show born of the late Author Elmore Leonard's short story Fire in the Hole, never did quite ascend to the absolute top of the TV heap, always seeming to fall into the top of that second tier behind its higher rated and more widely beloved contemporaries like Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad. But maybe it should have. Since day one, even with a few stumbles here and there and a couple of jaunts away from the core characters to introduce and play with some outsiders coming in (which, admittedly, gave rise to what is, arguably, the series' best season, season two), the show has been a consistent performer and a shining example of broad engaging arcs and tidy little side tidbits mixed with easy and deep characterization done right. Considering the combination of Leonard's source material, Yost's vision, quality scripts, and the lead cast's superb performances, there's never been a major misfire and only a few sputters along the way in a show that critics and fans alike should fondly remember in the years to come as a truly great show with as much to offer as any other. Minor spoilers follow. Season six sees the show not necessarily return to its roots -- the core has always been there -- but perhaps nurture them in a way that it hasn't in some time or emphasize them in a way that reinforces the show's finest qualities. As with other seasons, there's a fair bit of new blended in with the old, both in the way of new characters and the dynamics they introduce to the Harlan scene and new branches of character growth that expand them but ultimately reinforce the core stems that have guided their journeys since day one. At the center, as it should be, is Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) whose pursuit of Harlan's most wanted criminal Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) continues. In the middle is Ava (Joelle Carter), once a love interest to both men and, freshly released from prison, tasked by Raylan with clandestinely informing on Boyd's criminal activities. Raylan's hoping to mop up his Harlan duties and return home to Winona (Natalie Zea) and his daughter Willa. But matters are complicated as Boyd returns to his roots, leaving behind extracurricular criminal activities and, with the support of Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns) and Katherine Hale (Mary Steenburgen), turns back to what he does best: stealing money. Some of the new players on the scene include Avery Markham (Sam Elliott) who has big plans for a new drug empire in Harlan. Working the scheme on the ground are Ty Walker (Garret Dillahunt), an ex-special forces operative who is trolling Harlan's property owners and isn't too keen on taking "no" for an answer; hit man Boon (Jonathan Tucker); and several lower-level thugs. There are plenty of things to take away from Justified's final season, perhaps none so important as the very firm, very deliberate, yet naturally occurring sense of self the show displays. The final season is by no means perfect -- it's a bit slow in spots as it builds up towards the finale and the newer dynamics introduced throughout the season feel a little stale -- but there's a certain assuredness to it, a deep understanding of its core and a deliberate, yet effortless, push to accentuate what it does best and build both the larger, sweeping, full-series narrative and character arcs as well as the more immediate plot lines towards the inevitable final ending that in no way disappoints and, in fact, demonstrates a keen sense of character growth and dramatic understanding of the show's strengths, where it's been, where it is, and where the audience can envision the characters when the final episode's credits roll. That's really what any program needs from its final episodes, a true understanding of what's gotten it to where it is and a journey to the end that doesn't merely satisfy the show's base requirements but cements its legacy and does so with an honesty that's true to the form while also acknowledging the journey and embodying the special qualities that made it uniquely entertaining and so very well rounded. Beyond everything else that season six gets right -- the fully satisfying character arcs, the final resolutions, the deep understanding of where the show has been and where the characters needed to go -- it remains Olyphant who continues to make the show a truly rousing success. He doesn't simply work with the material he's given, he lives and breathes it, he effortlessly falls into character and demonstrates an uncanny grasp of both the overreaching exterior details and subtle interior characteristics alike that make his Ryalan Givens one of the most completely formed characters in television history. From the way he wears the hat to the way he commands his character's most overt confidence and his most intimate emotions, he shapes the character fully and convincingly in every scene, with the slow-burn journey along his arc resolving throughout the season. Both Olyphant and the writers show a command of the character that allows him to remain largely the same Raylan Givens audiences have come to love throughout the series but slowly evolve through the process, an arc that's clearly delineated from the series' first episode to its last and captured with incredible subtlety along the way. Olyphant's co-stars are often just as mesmerizing, particularly Walton Goggins who essentially forced his way into a greater role from the opening episode forward, transforming into one of the most well-rounded and expertly performed villains that TV has seen in some time. He solidifies the character early in season six by doing something that's been almost expected for some time but still comes as a surprise, both in the poetry of how it's done and the coldness with which he does it. Season six sees a number of strong, easy performances, but it's certainly the show's longtime adversaries who shine brightest, just as it should be. Justified's run hasn't been quite so storied as some of its top-rated contemporaries, but it's a standout nonetheless that has enjoyed quite possibly the perfect performance from its lead. It's a term that gets bandied about quite a bit, but Raylan Givens is a role Timothy Olyphant was born to play, and from his mastery of the character's broad strokes to his most inconspicuous subtleties alike, he's elevated Justified from interesting premise to top-end television. Season six offers more of the same but with greater attention on its foundational principles and broader character development. The writers and performers both have carefully taken the show to a place that satisfies not only the season but the broader arc that runs throughout the program while maintaining its core, honing its evolutionary spirit, and cementing its legacy as one of the finer character dramas in recent television history. It's a shame to see it go, but it ends on a perfect note that should satisfy longtime fans who have long appreciated the finer points of the show's -- read, the characters' -- evolution from "Fire in the Hole" to "The Promise." Justified deserved a better send-off on Blu-ray. "Adequate" best describes it in a vacuum, and "letdown" is probably the more likely response in the real world. It's almost a miracle that Blu-ray buyers are getting a 1080p picture considering all the other corners cut in this release. With lossy-only audio and a disappointingly brief collection of extras, it's hard to recommend a purchase on principle, at least not until it hits the bargain bin. The show is fantastic and the picture quality doesn't disappoint. Wait for a sale or, perhaps, a complete series collection that rectifies the concerns, though fans would rightly view a pricier set with an improved sixth season as an even greater slap in the face. Cast Notes: Timothy Olyphant [pronounced "Ol-uh-fint"] (Raylan Givens [79 episodes, 2010-2015]), Nick Searcy (Art Mullen [78 episodes, 2010-2015]), Joelle Carter (Ava Crowder [78 episodes, 2010-2015]), Jacob Pitts (Tim Gutterson [78 episodes, 2010-2015]), Erica Tazel (Rachel Brooks [78 episodes, 2010-2015]), Walton Goggins (Boyd Crowder [74 episodes, 2010-2015]), Natalie Zea (Winona Hawkins [49 episodes, 2010-2015]), Jere Burns (Wynn Duffy [46 episodes, 2010-2015]), David Meunier (Johnny Crowder [37 episodes, 2010-2014]), Jonathan Kowalsky (Mike [32 episodes, 2011-2015]), Rick Gomez (ADA David Vasquez [23 episodes, 2010-2015]), Raymond J. Barry (Arlo Givens [23 episodes, 2010-2015]), Jesse Luken (Jimmy [23 episodes, 2012-2014]), Damon Herriman (Dewey Crowe [22 episodes, 2010-2015]), Jeremy Davies (Dickie Bennett [20 episodes, 2011-2015]), Justin Welborn (Carl [19 episodes, 2014-2015]), Mykelti Williamson (Ellstin Limehouse [18 episodes, 2012-2015]), Kaitlyn Dever (Loretta McCready [17 episodes, 2011-2015]), Abby Miller (Ellen May [16 episodes, 2011-2015]), Jim Beaver (Sheriff Shelby Parlow [14 episodes, 2011-2013]), William Gregory Lee (Nick Mooney [14 episodes, 2011-2014]), Mel Fair (Nelson Dunlop [14 episodes, 2010-2015]), Michael Rapaport (Daryl Crowe Jr. [13 episodes, 2014]), Demetrius Grosse (Errol [13 episodes, 2012-2015]), Mary Steenburgen (Katherine Hale [13 episodes, 2014-2015]), William Ragsdale (Gary Hawkins [13 episodes, 2010-2012]), Ron Eldard (Colton 'Colt' Rhodes [12 episodes, 2013]), Neal McDonough (Robert Quarles [12 episodes, 2012]), Sam Elliott (Avery Markham [12 episodes, 2015]), Peter Murnik (Trooper Tom Bergen [11 episodes, 2011-2012]), Joseph Lyle Taylor (Doyle Bennett [11 episodes, 2011]), Margo Martindale (Mags Bennett [10 episodes, 2011]), Linda Gehringer (Helen Givens [10 episodes, 2010-2012]), Jacob Lofland (Kendal Crowe [10 episodes, 2014]), Alicia Witt (Wendy Crowe [10 episodes, 2014]), Ryan Dorsey (Earl [10 episodes, 2015]). IMDb Rating (02/11/17): 8.6/10 from 66,834 users
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