Justified: Pregnant Pause

Damn you, plot summary on my cable system.

Here was the description I read as I sat down to watch last night’s episode of “Justified”: “Raylan chases a pregnant fugitive who has fallen into the hands of human trafficke” (That’s not a typo…it cut off the last word.

So as I watched Raylan and fellow marshal Tim Gutterson escort Jamie (guest star Sarah Jones, looking like Emilie de Ravin on “Lost”), their latest charge, to the gynecologist’s office, I knew she would somehow escape. That being said, the waiting room breakout was wonderfully tense, and it showed our hero once again using both his charm and smarts (getting Jess’ print on the handcuff), even as he let his fugitive momentarily get away.

It also meant that the twist involving the helpful former EMT and his more deranged friend intending to sell the Jamie’s baby (white babies mean prime coin) was also slightly spoiled. Thanks for nothing, cable plot summary! (Although there IS a small chance that it’s my own fault for reading the description in the first place.)

Fortunately, the episode’s prisoner of the week plot still delivered plenty of satisfying twist and turns. It turned out that the prisoner had actually been busted out by the prison guard who knocked Jamie up and had hired a couple of guys to kill her. (The men would make some extra coin by selling her baby on the black market.) The guard was actually pretty convincing in his steadfast denial, until Tim revealed that they knew about the many phone calls between he and Jess. (That sound was the prison guard’s wife’s heart breaking…ooh, “Prison Guard’s Wife” sounds like a country song.)

More importantly, the plot allowed Raylan to interact with a colleague at the marshal’s office (that isn’t Art) for the second week in a row. Last week, it was Rachel Brooks, this week it was Jacob Pitts’ Tim Gutterson. And it turns out that Pitts/Gutterson is kind of a badass. I’ll never look at an apricot the same way again.

The rest of the episode did a nice job of advancing and deepening plot threads introduced in the season premiere.

In a quick scene between Raylan, his bastard of a father Arlo, and Raylan’s “Aunt”, it was quickly confirmed that the Bennetts (led by Mags) are likely to step in and fill the crime family void in Harlan. It was also established that they have a bit of a history with the Givens’ men. (But who doesn’t.)

Speaking of which, I just can’t believe Boyd when he says that he’s absolutely stopped going after the Miami cartel after they deprived him of his right to kill his own daddy. I realize that when Boyd claimed he was a righteous man last season, he was telling the truth (in his own twisted way), but I just can’t believe he’d pass up a chance to kill the person who killed his dad. Then again, maybe his tender scene with Ava(?!) in the end suggests he really IS a changed man.

Finally, there’s Winona who gently applied pressure on Raylan to make a commitment to Harlan (and to her) early on for reasons that became clear in the episode’s last scene. That last scene was fantastic in so many ways, chief among them the way Winona encouraged Raylan to open up about his horrific day and her refusal to let her shut him out. (Which, it doesn’t take a genius to guess, is what led to their marriage failing.)

Also, the switch earlier from having Winona wearing Raylan’s shirt to him wearing it in the elevator in the very next shot was sly and sexy.

So what’d you think of this episode? Does Gary have absolutely any chance of getting back with Winona? Have you ever spoiled a TV show for yourself by reading the plot description beforehand? Finally, Winona is pregnant, right?