Justified rewatch: 1x04 and 1x05

[gwyn]

1.4 Long in the Tooth
Original Air Date: April 6, 2010
Written by: Chris Provenzano
Directed by: Adam Arkin



Raylan, Rachel, and the mob compete to capture a fugitive, Roland Pike, who'd previously escaped Raylan's custody, as they race to the Mexican border.


1.5 The Lord of War and Thunder
Original Air Date: April 13, 2010
Written by: Gary Lennon
Directed by: Jon Avnet



Raylan must pick sides and interrupt a surveillance job when his estranged father goes to war with a drug runner.

Please share your thoughts and reactions in comments.

Comments

[mackiemesser]

1.4: That bit with the hat is honestly one of my favorite moments in the series.

[gwyn]

It sets such a great tone in their relationship--first that she calls him on his privilege about it, and then that she tries to sneak in a try-on and doesn't even flinch when he asks her how it fits. Pure gold.

[mackiemesser]

It can also be read as a metaphor for their character: Raylan is willing to cross a lot of lines and so the hat fits him; Rachel tries on the hat and has a couple of moments that go up to the edge, but ultimately decides that it doesn't fit and she's not willing to break the rules like he does.

[devilc]

Long in the Tooth still makes me laugh every time I see it. The actor playing Mr. Jones milked that role for every cent.

[gwyn]

It's one of my fave episodes, maybe my favorite of S1 after the pilot. There's just such a great history with Raylan and Rollie, and the whole business with Mr. Jones was dramedy gold. The story was amazing, Raylan having an old fashioned standoff in the "street" at the end...the stuff with Hermey...I just love that episode.

Long in the Tooth

[gwyn]

This is my favorite episode of season one, I think, after the pilot, which is in a class by itself. I just love Rollie, and the story with the mob, and all the stuff that lays the groundwork for the relationship with Rachel. "You mean the little gay dude?" and Raylan's devilish grin crack me up. As terrible as it was that Rollie died, at least he went out with two people talking to him who cared about him.

There's a little moment of acting in this that I just love--normally, shows never want to have even a second of air in them, and people react quickly to things that in real life, they wouldn't. Voice mail greetings are short and responses instantaneous, people don't pause when they're collecting thoughts, etc. And I love that when Art turns the screen around to Raylan to show him who the dentist is, Raylan just looks at it for a full beat, letting it run through his head, before he says "Rollie Pike" in recognition. That was just brilliant, and I <3 Timothy Olyphant so much.

Lord of War and Thunder

[gwyn]

Man, I hate Arlo. Like, I haaaaate him so much I can hardly stand to see him on screen, except that usually someone I do like is on screen with him. It makes no sense to me why Helen would marry him and defend him to Raylan. But I did love the introduction of her, and the way Raylan talks about her (she taught him how to talk to girls and how to eat in a nice restaurant!).

Raylan with a baseball bat will never not be extremely hot. He is so in command in that scene, being all conversational and friendly, but swinging that bat around like it's an extension of his arm. Love the colloquial "tummies" instead of bellies or something more traditionally macho.

Long in the Tooth

[hafital]

I can't help but think of Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but it mostly adds to the experience haha.

I am totally squeamish about dentists and tooth pulling and could have done without that whole scene at the start of the episode with Rollie pulling that a-hole's teeth. on the other hand, he was an a-hole.

Agree 1000% about the metaphor of the hat and how it shows not only how Raylan and Rachel are, but who they are to each other.

I find this episode a little sad, though -- what with Rollie just wanting to be a good dentist.