Justified “Long in the Tooth” Season 1, Episode 4 Television Review & Recap

Television Review & Recap

Justified “Long in the Tooth” Season 1, Episode 4

By our guest blogger, Sanela Djokovic

Sunny Los Angeles gives Deputy Givens some escape from the day-to-day when he follows up on an old target. When Givens is informed about a man wanted in California, he recognizes the ex- drug cartel money launderer, a man he let slip away.

Givens assumed that Roland Pike (Alan Ruck) would disappear to South America forever, but Pike’s stay in Panama was only long enough to get a dental degree. Since then, Pike has been bartering his dental services for food in his L.A. office, but when a non-complying patient pisses him off, he rips two of teeth from his mouth, making him a target yet again--from the police, and still yet, his former employees.

And, while Givens may be familiar with the case, Deputy Rachel Dupree (Erica Tazel) is leading it. Givens can’t help but feel offended, but Dupree also is offended--by the sense of entitlement ticked in under his supercilious cowboy hat.

Meanwhile, Pike is on the run with his receptionist Mindy, who stays withhim even after she learns of his real identity and his past : “"Don't lie anymore, OK? You'll break my heart." After trading bars of gold for cash and stealing a car, they head to a patient’s house, because they think she would know how to safely get across the border. While the patient’s father hooks them up with a contact, she calls the cops.

Givens is late, but not far behind. First, he has to deal with two of the cartel thugs that are not only after Pike, but Givens who they have an old score to settle with the Deputy. Givens is challenged by one of the thugs and we know what happens when Givens is in a duel. Someone usually gets shot... and it's rarely him.

Now, after Pike, who has killed the guide at the border after he stabbed Pike and tried to rape Mindy. After Givens arrives gunfire ensues from behind the hills and the three of them wait it out behind an broken down bus, where Pike enlightens Givens with the information that a “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” TV special inspired him to follow his true calling—dentistry. Givens tries to convince Pike to continue to wait out the gunfire, but he would rather be dead than live under witness protection and unable to practice dentistry.

The strange criminal characters “Justified” has fed us with have been entertaining and often provide a nice balance of dry comedy and gun-slinging action. And although we’re only four episodes into the season, its starting to feel a little slow-paced. It is good that the series is shedding some light on the other Deputies at the Marshall’s Office, and maybe we can invest in them too, but right now many viewers are eager to see where the real beef is at. But, patience is a virtue...right?