"Justified": "Blind Spot" Episode 7 Television Recap & Review

Television

"Justified": "Blind Spot" Episode 7 Television Recap & Review

By our guest blogger, Sanela Djokovic

Boundaries are crossed when Ava becomes a target in the seventh episode of “Justified.” After Johnny Crowder issues a thinly veiled threat to Ava at the hardware store, a gunman opens fire in her bedroom. Good thing for her Raylan is there to play hero, taking her to the floor and sending the inadequate gunman out the second story window. The fall hurts him, but not enough that he couldn’t run away.

The Crowder family is on top of the list of suspects. There really isn’t any doubt about it. But soon Givens and Sheriff Hunter (whose 10-year-old niece was raped by a Crowder) learn that Johnny Crowder is not the man who opened fire that night. So, Givens visits Boyd, the man suspected of ordering the hit. Boyd seems convincingly oblivious to the matters at hand (what else is new?) and turns to his preaching ways. But it is the wrong day to preach to Givens, who jumps at Boyd’s neck and starts strangling it. However, he returns late to hear what Boyd has to say and it is actually good. Boyd presents Raylan with the theory that it is not Ava that the gunman wants dead—it’s Raylan.

Boyd’s hunch is right on the money and Raylan doesn’t doubt it for a moment. An expert hit man who dreams of writing a book about his craft, the gunman that botched the job and Sheriff Hunter are all part of the Miami drug cartel’s plan to exact revenge on the Marshall. Hunter kills the hit man after learning that his orders were to kill Hunter and the gunman after the operation.

Givens is onto Hunter, but Hunter has Ava. Ava is bound and gagged and put in the car with the wounded gunman, while Raylan is forced to drive Hunter’s vehicle with a gun pointed to the back of his head. Hunter explains himself, says that the cartel offered Henry Crowder in return for Raylan’s head. Meanwhile, Ava is working to free herself, which she does with no attention from her driver. She attacks him, causing the car to swerve and crash and in turn giving Raylan the chance to disarm Hunter. Givens embraces Ava and says he is sorry, but he knows a million apologies could not compensate for the ordeal they just experienced.

One of the reasons “Justified” is such a good drama is because the drama builds, not only within a single episode, but as the season moves forward. Just when we think we know all the players, another Crowder creeps up from one jail cell or another. Like Boyd’s father, who meets his son on the inside and obviously carries a lot power. What can we learn about Boyd through his relationship with his father? And, how long can his father protect him from the angry inmates who consider him a rat? We also are seeing a lot of Raylan’s ex-wife, Winona. We know that her current marriage is going to face some obstacles soon, and we know, from her recent conversation with Ava, that her marriage to Raylan didn’t end for lack of love. How will Winona play into his work and whatever it is that’s going on with Ava. And what exactly is going on with Ava? Is he falling for her? The girl already has enough to worry about with the Crowders, but now that Raylan’s head is wanted, how will her relationship with Raylan change?

Raylan Givens sure spreads his time and his services around, but as he helps Winona, tries to save Ava, answers to an angry boss, questions an old friend (a current nemesis), fights off the monsters imposed by his father, he always goes to bed with the same question—was he justified? That’s a tough one… although we want to say yes.