‘Justified,’ Season 2, Episode 1, ‘The Moonshine War’

By Chris Simmons

Raylan Givens is back, and Harlan, Kentucky is still the same hellhole he’s determined to clean up, in the 2nd season premiere of “Justified,” “The Moonshine War”.

We’re treated to a brief recap of last season’s finale, where Raylan, Boyd Crowder and his sister-in-law (and Raylan’s squeeze #1) Ava barely survive a shootout with the two assassins sent by the Miami drug cartel to kill Raylan (remember, Bo Crowder was shot and presumed dead). The aftermath breaks down like this: Bo is really dead, Boyd goes after the female assassin, with Raylan trailing him. Raylan intervenes just before Boyd’s about to kill her, takes the woman to the head of the cartel, and with the timely arrival of Dan Grant, his former boss, Raylan negotiates his “freedom” from retribution. Grant then offers Raylan his old job back, but he’s offended that current boss Art seems determined to get rid of him.

Since Raylan is stubborn like that, he beelines right back to Harlan, effectively choosing to remain in the hellhole of a backwoods, in-bred town. Art buries him with paperwork concerning the incident. But a welcome respite comes via Deputy Marshal Brooks (with more screen time this episode than the entire first season!), who wants Raylan to accompany her to a place called Rabbit Holler to apprehend Jimmy Earl Dean, a thick-headed child molester with his eye on Loretta McCreedy, 14 year-old daughter of a man who has an illegal marijuana farm. Unbeknownst to the Marshals at the moment, Jimmy Earl is working for the Bennetts, led by matronly Maggs, who runs a little grocery store, just a cover for her weed growing business (and some moonshine on the side).

Maggs and her sons corner the market on their illegal activities, and don’t take kindly to the elder McCreedy’s actions. Two of her sons, skinny, gimpy Dickie (the brains) and Doyle, who comes off as amiable and forward-thinking, shoot McCreedy and force him to further injure himself with a bear trap. Meanwhile, Raylan and Brooks encounter Maggs, who admits Jimmy Earl works for her, but claims not to have known about his proclivities. Raylan knows Maggs from way back, and though unfailingly polite, is wary of the matriarch. Similarly, he and Doyle are civil, but later on, after re-making the acquaintance of the third Bennett brother, sadistic Coover (don’t’cha love those wild backwoods names?), Raylan and Brooks bring their guard way, way up.

Not smart enough to know when he may have dodged a bullet, Jimmy Earl brazenly kidnaps young Loretta, aiming to have his way with the underage girl. Raylan and Brooks track Jimmy down at a gas station, and Raylan douses the lunkhead with gasoline, then tells him that he’d be a fool if he pulls the trigger of his gun. They apprehend him without further incident, which undoubtedly pleases Art. Maybe this time, Raylan won’t have much need for his firearm. Heh, heh…

Meanwhile, Maggs and Dickie bring a peace offering to McCreedy, a special batch of her “apple pie” moonshine. But as McCreedy drinks, he starts feeling poorly. Maggs admits that she’s poisoned the shine, and as McCreedy painfully dies, she tells him that she plans to raise Loretta as her own, the least she can do since she’s killed the girl’s daddy to send a message as who is the alpha female in Rabbit Holler.

Finally, Boyd resurfaces, apparently scoring himself a job as a dynamite rigger. Knowing Boyd as we do, there’s undoubtedly an ulterior motive to his actions. But that is a story for another week. Time to pose the questions: what did you think of the JUSTIFIED season premiere? Aren’t you just glad it’s back, like me?? Can’t wait to compare notes…and see you back here next week!