"Justified": “Fixer” Season 1, Episode 3 Recap & Review

Television Review

"Justified": “Fixer” Season 1, Episode 3 Recap & Review

By our guest blogger, Sanela Djokovic

One would think that Deputy Givens would stumble upon his share of down time in Harlan County, Kentucky, but severe dysfunction seeps into just about every scenario, no matter how simple it may seem. Sure enough, things get messy for Givens when he is asked to handle a tip-off in the third episode of “Justified.”

Spoilers herein.

When Givens is sent to speak to a friendly snitch, he finds a bookie with a thick New York accent who shares his disdain for their state of residence--Arno Pinter. Pinter tips the Marshall’s office to an escaped convict, who despite his massive size, is easily found and already cuffed, by his wifey…to the bedposts.

The open/close case is just the beginning for Givens, who is plagued with suspicions after trying to deliver a hefty reward to Pinter. Pinter is nowhere to be found, but Givens does run into a man by the name of Travis Travers. Travers owes Pinter money, but instead of paying, he has teamed up with Pinter’s collector Curtis Mims and his girlfriend to kidnap him and steal his escape money (money he has stashed to leave Kentucky).

Givens is confused, but nevertheless on their heels. He goes to Travers’s home, where Mims has already been shot and killed. Travers misses a shot at Givens, but is accidently shot by Pinter, who has escaped with the help of his girlfriend, who has once again switched alliances. Luckily, the bullet is lodged in his bulletproof vest and he is able to take down Travers with a couple of shots. Pinter is free to go to Tahiti: “All I know is Tahiti ain’t Kentucky,” he says.

Givens, on the other hand, is far from free. Earlier, during a pool game with Ava, Givens explains how he met his ex-wife Winona and how they promised they would never come back to Kentucky. Ava sees that he hasn’t had a change of heart since he’s been home. But what Givens doesn’t know until the end of the day is that the one good thing about Harlan Country may be what keeps his there a while. Episode three and his thirst is already quenched--Givens heads over to Ava’s and gives into temptations.

While it may have been a better idea to keep the sexual tension between Raylan and Ava going for a while longer, it was good to see that side of him. We don’t know where their relationship is going or from where his connection with Ava comes, but Olyphant’s sex appeal has to be applied, because its hard to ignore and it would be an insane waste to suppress it.