‘Justified’ Review: “The Bird Has Flown”

‘Justified’ season 4 flies the coop its fourth episode of the year “The Bird Has Flown,” as Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant)’ and Rachel look to track down the wayward Lindsey and her bruiser ex-husband Randall (Robert Baker), while Boyd and Ava deal with the dilemma of letting Ellen May back into their organization.

Last week’s ‘Justified’ episode “Truth and Consequences” saw Raylan and the Marshals investigating the mysterious Drew Thompson’s widow, while Raylan dealt with Lindsey’s ex-husband and Boyd engaged in a deadly stand-off with the charismatic Preacher Billy (Joseph Mazzello), so what will the latest episode of ‘Justified’ bring? Will Raylan be the one to uncover “Waldo Truth,” or will the fractured church come to take his attention as well?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘Justified’ season 4 episode 4 “The Bird Has Flown!”

Raylan sifts through his cluttered apartment in the wake of Lindsey’s looting, dismissing the idea that she wasn’t a willing participant, and lamenting that he thought she liked him. Meanwhile, Lindsey and Randall pay a visit to the sketchy Hoppus at another one of his parties, Randall laying down the money and demanding that Hoppus call his connections to make him a fight promoter. With a little rough coercion, Hoppus agrees to make it happen by tomorrow.

As Boyd celebrates the return of his business following Preacher Billy’s death (yes, death), Ellen May drops by the bar humbly looking to take back her old job. She offers to start at the bottom to get back in her good graces, but Ava worries that Ellen May’s recklessness and knowledge of Delroy’s murder could make her a liability. Boyd cautions against any rash action, but reasons they should track down Cassie St. Cyr to see if Ellen May confessed anything.

The next morning, Raylan and Rachel happen upon the aftermath of Hoppus’ party, with Lindsey or Randall nowhere to be found. Finding Hoppus involved with two women, Raylan puts the squeeze on the man (literally, sheesh), until he reveals that Randall wanted to become a fight manager. Of Chickens. Raylan seems none-too-pleased with the turn, while Rachel presses him to know how much money Lindsey got away with.

Elsewhere in a convenience store, Lindsey distracts the cashier with flirtatious talk of photography, while Randall steals a bottle of champagne. Minutes later, the two toast in the car to the fulfillment of Randall’s dreams, before Randall’s jealousy gets the better of him and he can’t help driving back toward the convenience store.

Cassie St. Cyr enters Sheriff Shelby’s office, as the man warns her that Boyd Crowder and his men might still seek some retribution from her, even after her brother’s death. Shelby offers to help her if she has anything specific she can testify against, though Boyd’s usual rap of whore-mongering, drug-pushing and bribery won’t cut it. Cassie leaves in disgust, as Shelby reveals he had Boyd on speakerphone listening in to see if Ellen May confessed to Delroy’s murder. Ava still fears Ellen May might prove a liability, but Boyd offers a compromise of shipping her off to live a cleaner life with his cousin Lonnie.

While Randall beats on the cashier, Lindsey attempts to call Raylan from a payphone, only to have it go to voicemail. Meanwhile, Raylan and Rachel continue following the trail by investigating a local cockfighting farm, until Raylan hears the partial voicemail from Lindsey. The pair head to the scene of the beaten cashier, who reveals from a stretcher that Lindsey mentioned something about photographing horses nearby.

Ellen May protests the notion of being sent away and leaving her hometown, but Ava advises her to look at it as being set free, no longer bound to a life of drugs and prostitution. Meanwhile, Rachel offers up a special shotgun to Raylan, who readies to pursue Randall and Lindsey.

Raylan catches up to the pair, menacingly placing his shotgun on the hood of his car as he taunts Randall that Lindsey enjoys the flirtatious part of their grifting operation a bit too much. Randall charges, but Raylan puts him down with blasts from the shotgun, revealed to be loaded with beanbags. Lindsey admits she never meant to hurt Raylan, but before he can ask for his money Randall tackles him to the ground beginning a full-on brawl. Randall easily takes the upper hand, but Lindsey breaks things up by shooting both with the beanbag gun. Exhausted, she hits Randall multiple times in the chest, before finally knocking him out. Before departing, she points Raylan toward his money in their van, as he weakly groans that he knew she liked him.

With Lindsey gone and Randall handcuffed to the van, Raylan opens the van to find his money had already been exchanged for chickens. In between asking Raylan to admit Lindsey was worth the trouble, and convincing him of the money in chickens, Raylan shoots Randall once more with the beanbag gun.

As Ellen May prepares to leave with Colton, the former hooker makes one last appeal to Ava, speaking loudly enough about keeping her mouth shut to unnerve Ava once more. Meanwhile, Raylan heads home, thanking Rachel over the phone for her assistance, and reasoning the universe didn’t’ want him to have the ill-gotten money.

Colton and Ellen May drive toward Alabama, until Ava calls Colton’s phone with a message. Colton relays that Ava offered her the chance to come home after all, delighting the young girl. Back home, Boyd assures Ava that Ellen May’s death will be quick, as Colton and the girl pull into a gas station. Colton instructs Ellen May to fill up while he uses the bathroom, secretly readying his gun, and steadying his nerves with drugs. When he exits the bathroom he finds the car abandoned, and Ellen May long gone. Roll those credits!

We have to admit to a fair bit of surprise that Preacher Billy actually died from his wounds last week, as we figured the church would take a larger part in the season. Sure, we likely haven't seen the last of his sister Cassie, but we expected a bit more drama from the predicament, more perhaps once Raylan became inevitably involved. We were glad to have a bit of revolution to Randall and Lindsey however, even if it makes the episode something of a side-quest. Hopefully, "The Bird Has Flown" will prove only the close of act 1, with more heightened drama to go on as 'Justified' season 4 continues.

What say you?  What did you think about ‘Justified’s latest effort “The Bird Has Flown” Stay tuned for our coverage of the new season, and join us next week for another all-new ‘Justified’ episode recap of “Kin” on FX!