‘Justified’ Recap: “Watching the Detectives”

‘Justified’ Season 3 draws out of its eighth episode of the year as Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) finds himself accused of the murder of Gary Hawkins (William Ragsdale), while the FBI launch an investigation of their own, and Quarles continues making power plays around town.

Last week’s ‘Justified’ “The Man Behind the Curtain” saw both Boyd and Quarles looking to put a sheriff in their pocket to aid their criminal enterprises, while the FBI followed crime boss son Sammy Tonin, so what will the latest episode bring?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘Justified’ “Watching the Detectives!”

Good ol’ Sammy Tonin goes through with Quarles’ plan to leak information about Raylan supposedly being dirty, and while Raylan sits pensively at a bar, Quarles, Wynn Duffy and a third man drive out to Winona’s former home.  They drag out poor Gary from the trunk, and ask him to deliver a message to Raylan Givens.  What message, you ask?  Click, click, BOOM! They later find themselves greeted by Mr. Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson), who supposedly likes to back the winning side in the Harlan county battle for Sheriff.

The next morning Raylan’s bartender landlord mentions that he noticed someone messing with Raylan’s trunk, before Raylan gets called to the scene of Gary’s murder, where Harlan PD eye him suspiciously as Winona’s ex.  Shady FBI agent Barkley (Stephen Tobolowsky) petitions former investigator David Vazquez (Rick Gomez) for a look at Raylan’s history, as Art calls Raylan into his office to explain the investigation into Gary’s murder, and allow Raylan a chance to break the bad news to Winona.  Who cares?  It’s just Gary!

Of course the bullet from Gary happens to have a fingerprint match for Raylan (they used the bullet Raylan menacingly tossed at Wynn Duffy), which puts Raylan in a heap of trouble to explain himself.  The investigation gets to the point of bringing in both Duffy and Quarles for investigation, but they deny any connection to Gary, and cleverly assert that Raylan might have some drinking / anger issues.  You don’t say…

Meanwhile across town, Sheriff Napier nearly goes up in flames when his car explodes, and he brings in Boyd Crowder for an attempted assassination.  Of course, the Sheriff took Boyd in solely for the purpose of staging a very public (and damaging) perp walk to discredit him (really?  That’s all you came up with to discredit Boyd Crowder?)  Back in the office, Raylan and the deputies bring Winona up to speed on Gary’s involvement in the pair of hitmen that nearly killed them last season, and after giving them the OK to search his vehicle and property, Raylan realizes someone might have planted evidence in his trunk.  Before he can get to it however, Barkley and Vasquez come in with their own investigation into Raylan’s supposedly dirty nature.

Interviewing Raylan, the pair dig into his past association with Boyd (neglecting their tendency to shoot at one another), but stop short of answering what tipped them off to Raylan’s credibility in the first place.  Raylan manages to slip away from the interrogation long enough to see the other police going through his car (finding nothing, phew!), while Winona finds the planted murder weapon in her kitchen’s refrigerator.  While Barkley fumes about Raylan’s supposed disappearance, Winona hands Raylan the murder weapon to dispose of, and drives off asking him not to come searching for her anymore.  Good grief, that woman is cold.

Across town Tanner waits in Sheriff Napier’s office, revealing that the Sheriff plotted to have his own car blown up as a ruse, while back at Raylan’s office the FBI agrees to suspend the investigation, given that Barkley won’t reveal the source of his tip to Vasquez.  We wish there were a less dirty-sounding way to say that.

At the stables, Sammy Tonin relays to Quarles that the investigation into Raylan didn’t stick as they’d hoped, and Quarles furiously pulls his derringer on the mob boss’s son, only stopping for fear of what his father might do.  Raylan pays a visit to Duffy as he paints over Quarles’ bloody bedroom, brushing off comments of Raylan planting that murder weapon somewhere of his own choosing, while across town a visibly agitated Quarles drives listening to a Baptist preacher, and even popping mysterious pills.  He then arrives at his destination, pulling into Mr. Limehouse’s camp to talk about backing the winning side.  Oh Neal McDonough, you do creepy so very well.

Sigh, pour one out for ol’ Gary Hawkins, ya’ll.  ‘Justified' may have been renewed for a fourth season, but you sir have been left in the dust!  And with Winona gone once more, how else can we test the anger boundaries of Raylan Givens with only five episodes remaining? Will the third season finish out with at least a few more body bags?

Give us your thoughts on the latest ‘Justified’ or just who you think is next after “Watching the Detectives” in the comments section below, and keep checking back for the latest gun-slinging action of ‘Justified’!