S06.E13: The Promise

[90 Day Pinochet]

Considering that I organized my travel plans so that I could soak in some Kentucky sites and atmosphere (see: bourbon) over the weekend before the finale, I am definitely in the tank (and the bag apparently) for this show. So, while I may have been a little harder on some of the fan servicey elements of this finale if this was another show, Yost and crew earned the excess in this finale and I was more than happy to receive them.

 

Also, while I was surprised about how nearly everything went down (except Duffy) and only sometimes for the better, that last scene was perfection and it is still killing me.

Edited April 15, 2015 by 90 Day Pinochet

[DuckyinKy]

It's driving us crazy and turning on closed captioning didn't help one bit - what correctional facility did Boyd say he was at when he asked Raylan why he drove so far to deliver the news?

[thuganomics85]

Well, damn.  I didn't predict a lot of it, but it was close to a perfect ending.

 

Obvious bit is that I'm surprised, but thrilled, that all of the regulars made it out alive.  Raylan.  Ava.  Art.  Tim.  Rachel.  And even freaking Boyd Crowder.  I thought for sure this series would end in his death, but nope, they totally played me.  And I loved it!  Unlike Tommy Bucks, Boyd did not give Raylan the satisfaction by drawing on him, and Raylan did not cross the line and murder him, because that's just not him.  Instead, Boyd is locked up; probably for good; but alive.  A fitting end for him. And, of course, he's totally back to his preaching ways.  Really, I think that is a great ending for Boyd.

 

And Raylan made it Florida after-all, and actually seems to be a solid father (sure, he might spoil her a bit, but still!)  Not all perfect: Winona apparently moved on with this character played by Jason Gedrick (another Boomtown alumni!), but they seem to be on good terms.  Bittersweet, but I'm glad Raylan seems to be on better footing.

 

Ava gets as close as a happy ending as she can.  And even has a son.  She seemed happy, and I'm glad for her.  There were several times I thought she was done for, but nope, she truly was a survivor.  Which leads to:

 

Wynn Fucking Duffy!  Hell yeah!  Not only did he survive, he apparently got all the money after Ava gave him to location, and is apparently hiding somewhere in Fiji.  The world's greatest cockroach, indeed!  It's just too bad Mikey couldn't be around to see it.  

 

Glad we got final moments with Art, Tim, and Rachel.  I thought all of their final interactions with Raylan worked for the characters.

 

As for ones who didn't make it: glad Avery finally got taken down.  Sam Elliot better get an Emmy nomination for being one of the scariest bastards out there (and hopefully he'll regrow that stache, or I'll always be terrified by him.)  Boone getting a bullet to his chest, and the last thing he sees is Loretta kicking the gun away, is certainly a fitting end for that creep.

 

That final scene: "We dug coal together."  Yep, that hit hard.  Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins are just amazing. 

 

So, yeah, I'm happy.  As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the best final seasons of any show.  Thank you Graham Yost, the rest of the writers, and the cast and crew, for making this show special.  Major love to Elmore Leonard (RIP), for creating a character like Raylan Givens.  Really can't wait to see what these guys do next.  I know Goggins has a HBO show at least, but hopefully Olyphant will be showing back up soon.  And as I said before, there has to be something out there that can use Jacob Pitts and his epic snark.

[Artsda]

What a wonderful finale. So fitting an end for all the characters. 

 

They all left Harlan alive. I loved when You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive started playing, with how much time was left in the episode I knew something was going to happen soon.  So glad despite them all leaving alive, they played it, it needed to play. 

 

Raylan and Winonna not making it work 4 years in the future and her with another husband that Raylan didn't like? LOL With his watching her walking away I figure they were already cheating together again or that it was coming soon. That's just how they are, they are like magnets with their circle. 

 

THAT was Jason Gedrick? Holy, he looks unrecognizable to how I remember him from Desperate Housewives or The Last Don. 

 

Even Wynn made it and is living it up in Fiji. 

 

Ava's got the next generation of Crowder male, Raylan got a daughter. That's a spinoff waiting to happen. lol

 

The showdown with Boyd and Raylan, with Ava in the background was just perfect. Then neither of them shooting the other, the final scene being the 2 of them with the call back to them digging coal. Just perfect!

Edited April 15, 2015 by Artsda

[Dowel Jones]

Everybody thinks Wynn made it out with the money, but ain't nobody seen nor heard from Bob.

[CaptainCranky]

Anyone remember this.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIqDKhWmP3k

[Anela]

Mum couldn't believe that Winona chose that other man over Raylan. I had no idea that it was Jason Gedrick. 

Dad couldn't believe they killed Sam Elliott.

 

I'm glad they all got out alive. Even Wynn. (and I loved the description on his dog grooming trailer - LOL!) I was hoping there wouldn't be a huge number of bodies, on what I've seen as a show that balances the lightheartedness and the darkness really well. 

Loved Boyd, preaching. I wish they'd gone down the road of he and Ava living a normal life, but that went out the window as soon as she was arrested. And I wonder if he would have been bored by a new, stable life. 

[mattie0808]

Even with it spoiled in the previews...

 

...and with the unbearable tension of the scene...

 

...my mother and I totally BURST OUT LAUGHING at Boyd's "Goddamn, Raylan, YOUR TIMING SUCKS!"

 

Man, what am I going to do without this show?

Edited April 15, 2015 by mattie0808

[miss carousel]

Liked it a lot, think it was a very satisfying series ending. And I was braced to be disappointed just because so many final episodes are disappointing.<br /><br />I'm happy with who died and who didn't. I think Boone was a lame ass character and I'm relieved he didn't get much screen time. I'm glad Wynn got away. I imagine he let Ava have a little of the money. When they showed Raylon at her door I figured she was going to have a kid. They even foreshadowed that a bit in one episode. It does explain a lot of her desperation and actions. I don't really believe that Boyd believed Raylon about her being dead. The we dug coal together line was perfect a call back to the beginning. I'm going to miss the show but glad it went out gracefully and fulfilling.

[loki567]

Everybody thinks Wynn made it out with the money, but ain't nobody seen nor heard from Bob.

 

Yost said in interview that Bob definitely survived. And apparently they wanted to do a scene with Quarles but couldn't make it work.

[dohe]

There are several moments to discuss in this amazing series finale. I will post about them but first I will start with the showdown between Raylan and Boon*, a character crucial to the ending and one who worked so well that, probably more than any character in Justified's history, he created hatred towards him and therefore a genuine fear of him coming out on top.

At this point of the episode there were two probable reasons that Raylan would not die. The first was that there was more than 15 minutes left in the running time. The second was that this has always felt like a series where the hero does not die.

Raylan, having rejected his darker side by not shooting Boyd, has finally come to peace with his demons and is driving away from Harlan as he takes Ava to Lexington. The audience is aware that Boon is still alive and he has Loretta. I also understand part of Boon's confrontation with Raylan were shown in the promo - one reason I avoid promo's changing the channel immediately at the conclusion of an episode. Regardless we would know this showdown is coming just as it must come after Raylan either captures or kills Boyd. Boyd is the primary antagonist of the series for Raylan. Boon fits another classic role, one derived not only from the history of men such as Jack McCall, Robert Ford, John Selman, etc. who killed famous outlaws and/or gunslingers but from film/tv. From the ending of Henry King's masterly The Gunfighter to the ending Brian DePalma's Carlito's Way to even it's most extreme form in the death of Omar on The Wire, a legendary figure surviving his most significant clashes only to die at the hands of an upstart is a tradition. That the mythic figure falls at the hands of someone beneath him - often shot when not looking - after overcoming everything else is not new.

However Justified is too original to strictly follow this narrative. It isn't just that Raylan is not a criminal like many of those other cases. He is, for all his flaws, still the hero of the storyline. It is that Boon is as gifted as Raylan. He may even be quicker on the draw and more accurate. Boon is not cowardly. He is not shooting anyone in the back. He seeks out the confrontation but he wants the confrontation on equal terms. Raylan recognizes, for the first time, someone who may be quicker and better with a gun. Olyphant is fantastic as he shows someone who realizes that Boon could end up killing him. His look is not one of confidence. It is Boon who is supremely confident. Instead Raylan's look is of a rapidly increading knowledge of his mortality and a strong determination.

One of the comments against Boon is how a character should not be introduced late with some declaring why not Walker as the final antagonist. However, Walker was never set up as a rival who had the potential to kill Raylan. He was instead shown to be someone who, as Raylan pointed out, was in over his head. Garrett Dillahunt is a tremendous actor but Jonathan Tucker's Boon was a far, far more fitting conclusion. The cocky upstart who admires Raylan while wanting to kill him. The threat to society as Raylan is the protector. This was best demonstrated in scenes with Loretta. Raylan's paternal relationship with Loretta being in sharp contrast to Boon's creepy, personal space invading imitation of a gentleman. Boon was a character who created revulsion and such a character triumphing over Raylan made the knowledge of a confrontation that much more nervewracking.

As Ava and Loretta both duck down, Raylan and Boon face each other. We then get a long shot. The ripples of water in the background are the only thing not perfectly still. There is no edit as both fire. Both draw at around the same rate and both hit the other one. Raylan's collapse is complete while Boon kneels then falls forward. It is Boon we stay on. His face registers shock. This is a man who was so supremely confident he never figured death figured in the equation. As he tries to follow one more shot, echoing his boss against Boyd, Loretta, her face covered with worry for Raylan, steps on Boon's gun hand. As Loretta walks towards Raylan she sees a bullet hole in his hat. It is then that Raylan moves and we realize what happened. Boon thought too much of himself. He went for the head just as he told Loretta he does. Raylan went for the chest. Raylan's experience wins out over Boon's bravado. That and luck as the way Raylan puts on a hat matters too.

The upstart does not kill the protagonist. While the upstart is no coward and while he may be more skilled, he is done in by hubris. It isn't quite the end of Rob Roy where Rob's grit and perseverance overcomes the far more skilled and hubris filled Cunningham. Raylan and Boon are far closer and maybe even equals in skill. However it is Raylan's intelligence that overcomes all. The hero has not only overcome the main villain. He has outlasted the upstart. His fate is to continue on.

*Jonathan Tucker's performance was phenomenal, creating hostility through his embrace of many of the worst traits of the 1870's outlaw. It is also a critical villain for the destruction of Boon is the destruction of the mythology of the showdown as an expression of manhood. Raylan refuses to kill the man he wants to in Boyd saving his humanity while Boon forces a confrontation and dies for it. The show could not be clearer here in it's intent.

Edited April 15, 2015 by dohe

[bobbyjoe]

Ava's got the next generation of Crowder male, Raylan got a daughter. That's a spinoff waiting to happen. lol

 

Exactly!  I almost thought there'd be one more flash forward:

 

Twenty Years Later.  The wedding of Willa and Zacariah.  Raylan with white hair and some cool kind of cane, Boyd crashing the wedding (or somehow paroled and officiating the wedding)... it almost writes itself...

[ruby24]

I loved it! Funnily enough, my original prediction from before the season started (that the show didn't actually want to kill off any of the main characters) came true in the end. I thought Boyd would have had to go because of all the people he killed, but this ending was perfect.

 

By the way, I totally thought little Willa and Zachariah will meet each other some day and continue the saga, lol. That's a spinoff waiting to happen. So, my question is how long has Ava known she was pregnant? That does kind of explain some of her recent actions.

 

Since Ava and probably Raylan too think that Boyd may well not be in prison forever (although I don't know he'd get out- seems like he'd be on death row for all the murders), I can imagine him finding out someday about his son.

 

I loved Raylan and Boyd's last scene. "We dug coal together." I actually choked up a tiny bit.

 

I didn't totally love the season overall but I loved the finale and the show so much that it made up for it. Sigh, I'm sad it's over.

[Raja]

 

And Boyd back to preaching, I think half the inmates in his flock are there just for the Boyd's theathricals.

Also, there were many references to the pilot, last one being "We dug coal together". I got a little emotional at that, I'll admit.

I'm gonna miss this show.

For a moment when he turned towards the cross I thought Walton Goggins was going to start stepping like Robert Duvall did in The Apostle

[cassandle]

Boy there was a lot of dust in my apartment during the last scene *sniff*.  My mind is reeling too much to be very coherent but...

 

1.  LOVE that Tim lived.

2.  Hate that Raylan started wearing Boon's hat--I thought the style looked ridiculous on him.

 

Damn I'm going to miss this show.

[catrox14]

I thought Raylan got shot in the head by that little cretin and was so upset. But then when he was in the park with his daughter, I kept thinking he was going to be killed by someone.  So glad I wrong about that. That is just the kind of tension this show causes.

 

Jeebus.  That final scene with Boyd. WTF how can it make me cry like that?? It was a perfect ending really. Raylan and Boyd. 

 

I will miss this show so much.

[justmehere]

Loved it. So glad that my worries (bloodbath among the leads) were wrong. I was so tense throughout this episode, but it couldn't have gone much better. I still kind of wanted Loretta to kill Boon without the showdown, but she had a part in his end at least.

 

--I wondered if the money was under Grubes' body in that shallow grave, but with LEOs all over the place, I'm wondering about the logistics of Wynn getting to it. Was there time before Ava took off? She took $1M with her but also told Bob there was a lot more money, which could have been a lie if Wynn already had it. Zachariah did seem to be at the cabin for stretches by himself, so maybe Wynn did come in before Boyd got there. Oh well, not a huge deal.

 

--Wynn said he needed two passports; wonder who the other one was for.

 

--I'm glad that Loretta will be all right -- no Boyd or Markham to deal with, she'll be queen of the Harlan pot trade, legal or not.

 

--I'm glad that Ava survived and has a life for herself and her son. I've generally liked her (if not all the writing for her), and I'm glad that Raylan decided not to arrest her. I'll have to go back and watch episodes to see if there are hints to her being pregnant. It does explain her desperation if she knew. I'm not clear how much time passed this season -- she can't have been too far along before the time jump.

 

--Loved Raylan getting his own treatment in the back of the police car.

 

--Loved the low-key goodbyes in the marshal's office; it felt right not to have hugs or any sentimentality, but I did like Art calling Raylan back for a last drink.

 

--Kind of glad that Raylan and Winona weren't a Happily-Ever-After couple. Co-parenting seemed the right way.

 

--Don't like Boon's hat on Raylan though.

 

I sure hope that Walton Goggins gets an Emmy for this season. (I think Timothy Olyphant is also very deserving, but this is Jon Hamm's last year on Mad Men too, and he's been nominated more; still, who knows.) In the Bennett shed, I could see and feel pain in every nerve ending when he asked Ava "Why." I was kind of ambivalent about Boyd's survival, but I am sooo glad he didn't draw on Raylan and that Raylan did the right thing. It's not a big surprise that Boyd reinvented himself again in prison -- loved the comment that he's repeating himself, going back to preaching.

 

That last scene. I think that's one of the best things I've ever seen. Boyd was so happy to see Raylan and I think vice versa too. But then, Boyd's honesty about his love for Ava in that little nod, and holding onto the conversation to ask why Raylan had come so far to tell him about her -- he was so sad and lonely. Even with all he's done, it still got me. He's where he belonged, but that doesn't stop me from feeling for him even so. I do think it was right for Raylan to lie about Ava; not sure whether Boyd believed it.

 

And then, of course, they had to say the line. I wasn't sure which one would say it; it would have been poignant either way, those last two lines. Ultimately, they made the better choice I think. I appreciated Raylan's admission that it still meant something to him, after such animosity. Such perfection to end with the two of them in that way.

 

Absolutely one of the best series finales ever after a very strong season. That's rare actually. So glad one of my favorite shows did it.

Edited April 15, 2015 by justmehere

[ruby24]

I'm not sure if Boyd believed Raylan completely either- he was skeptical and he's always been too smart not to pick up on things. I guess it's supposed to be a little ambiguous, open to a maybe, some day where Boyd does find out about Ava and his son (since Ava assumes he'll eventually get out one day, and Raylan maybe does too, deep down).

 

I want to know at what point Ava knew she was pregnant. Because I'm thinking when she wanted to leave with Boyd after they'd gotten their $100,000 she was genuine. And it was in that moment where she realized that she couldn't really be with Boyd because he chose to stay and go after the $10 million, which meant the truth was he'd never be able to stop his life of crime. It would have been interesting if he'd have made all the same decisions had he known.

Edited April 15, 2015 by ruby24

[ElectricBoogaloo]

R.I.P. Raylan's hat!

 

I am so glad that Raylan, Tim, Art, Rachel, Constable Bob, and Loretta made it out alive. I wasn't a fan of Wynona or Ava but I'm glad they didn't die either, only because the guilt over that would have been too much for Raylan. I wish Loretta had been the one to kill Boone since she was the one he kept terrorizing but I'm glad that she was there to see his death.

 

I know that Boyd is the bad guy in all this and he has done plenty of terrible things, but that pained look on his face when he asked Ava why was so sad. She was the one person who he thought would never betray him so that hurt more than anyone else who has turned on him. And I think he really did just want to understand why Ava did it. When other people turned on him, he at least understood their motivations (money, power, greed, etc) but he really couldn't understand why she would betray him when they were on the verge of getting out.

 

I have seen people have big office parties when an employee leaves so it was nice to see the casual way that Raylan left - just a few words for each person and then into the elevator listening to the chatter continue without him.

 

The last scene between Raylan and Boyd was so great. I loved how, despite everything that has happened between them over the years, they immediately fell back into their banter. They both looked very amused by each other and happy to see each other (heh, absence makes the heart grow fonder?). I don't think it was just Boyd's loneliness either (although I do have to give him credit - Boyd is the kind of person who will find a way to thrive no matter what the circumstances). The bond between them was very apparent. I think that Boyd believed the story about Ava's death as much as he is willing to accept her betraying him and disappearing (meaning that there is a part of him that will always hope she is still alive somewhere).

 

I almost thought there'd be one more flash forward:

 

Twenty Years Later.  The wedding of Willa and Zacariah.  Raylan with white hair and some cool kind of cane, Boyd crashing the wedding

I imagine that when the priest asks if anyone objects, Boyd strolls into the church and says, "Why, Raylan Givens, did you think I wouldn't find out that you've been keeping a secret from me all these years?"

[Tatler]

Mixed emotions.  It was mostly a fitting ending but I'm slightly disappointed by the 'four years later', I think I'd rather have it ended once we knew Raylan was alive.  It was inevitable that Winnona and Raylan couldn't make a go of it, but as a long-time shipper I am disappointed.  Good to see Boyd preaching and no doubt he will continue to be "Boyd" his whole life.  It was good to see a reconciliation, of sorts, between them.

 

I'm going to miss this show so much . It hasn't always been perfect, but when it was good: S1, S2, S4 and bits of S6 in particular, it has been wonderfully dark, tense, funny and shocking.  The acting has been great and I will miss the beauty of Timothy Olyphant on my screen on a regular basis.

 

Overall - it's been a great ride and one I think it will revisit via DVD in future.

[Roselle]

That was just PERFECT! Everything - every character, every resolution, every line...just amazingly well done and a credit to Yost and all others involved. Perfect.

[DrSparkles]

Alright, y'all said it all, except: godDAMN Tim O has never looked finer.

[lulee]

I thought the writers, Carter, and Fahey did a good job of establishing the bond between Ava and her uncle so even though he was new to our screens, it was believable how much he mattered to her and that she'd name her little Crowder after him, although ironic given how much he hated the Crowders. 

 

And, as there was a long tradition of characters not telling the absolute truth, I'd like to think Ava was exaggerating the meagerness of her fortune at least a bit and that Wynn only took 8 of the 10 off to Fiji.

[Archery]

Did they actually establish that Wynn went to Fiji? I thought Raylan said "they figured" he did, which would be based on the prior dialogue about him being a surf champ.

[TobinAlbers]

What's funny is in real life, Jere Burns was in Fiji surfing and they wanted him to get some film of it on a Go Pro but they couldn't get it.

 

Something else mentioned in a postmortem interview with Yost is how that scene between Ava and Raylan was a good bye for them too since if Raylan were to keep in contact or check up on Ava and Zach, it'd put them in danger. I admit I had a soft spot for Ava and Raylan so their complex relationship being front and center was great for me this season. I'm glad both seem to be happy in their lives, but sad that they couldn't keep in touch. However I bet money that if anything happens to Ava she's got it set up for her son to go Raylan and boy wouldn't that be something Raylan raising Boyd's kid.

 

Also mentioned in the postmortem was that they had tried to get Dewey in as one of the theorized getaway helpers for Ava and have Raylan confirm they found Dewey's body in the slurry but they couldn't get  the actor and they thought the mention of Dewey would've been a downer. However I think I would've liked to have seen him if only so his death is confirmed and acknowledged by Raylan and for our last image of Dewey to have been alive even if in a ‘What if’ theory posited by Raylan.

 

It's amazing how last week it didn't seem like they could wrap it up in a satisfying way and yet they did. Raylan got out alive and with his soul; Boyd ended up in prison; and Ava kind of got the life she wanted with family in her son but not completely away scott free. When she said she named her son after her Uncle because 'He was the only man that never wanted anything from her' was kind of heartbreaking but also sweet in that she did have some kind of positive male figure who went to the mat for her to the end.

[attica]

Even though I paused on the pumpkin-patch newspaper clipping, I didn't notice Rachel's name above the return address until I read the Yost post. Rachel will do well in the Pacific Northwest, away from all those Kentucky types, don't you think?

 

I would like to point out that no kid I've ever encountered would give up on a fresh ice cream cone so eagerly, with nothing else on offer besides playground equipment. Except for kids in tv and movies who need to get out of frame so grownups can talk.

 

I had ideas about how I wanted characters to wind up, most of which were unmet, but I can't say I'm bummed by what I was given.

[TigerLynx]

I love the look of shock on Markham's face when Boyd shot him, and he realized Boyd was going to finish him off.  Markham believed he was the most dangerous lethal man walking, and he was wrong.

 

When Boyd and Ava were merely arrested after the bloody shoot out with Markham, I was like, "Huh?  Really?"  But then they did the four year flash forward, and I liked where everyone ended up.

 

In a way Boyd was right about none of them every really getting out of Harlan.

 

Boyd and Raylan are survivors, but Wynn doesn't just land on his feet, he gets all the money to.

[Beadie]

I think Eva got the money somehow. She sure does not look like she mucks out a lot of stalls.<br /><br />And that's fine- I loved the ending. Never wanted to see Boyd and Raylan in some final shootout. Frenemies to the end!

[Inquisitionist]

The only thing the finale lacked was fried chicken.

[lulee]

I would like to point out that no kid I've ever encountered would give up on a fresh ice cream cone so eagerly, with nothing else on offer besides playground equipment. Except for kids in tv and movies who need to get out of frame so grownups can talk.

Heh. My older daughter would leave a vanilla cone to go off to playground equipment. Now chocolate might be another story ...

[Julie23]

I swear Walton Groggins, Timothy Olyphant and Jacob Pitts could charm the shell right off a turtles' back.

I am so glad Boyd, Rayland and Tim lived. The ending was perfect. And Wynn Duffy! The cockroach got the money? Are we to assume that? I am so going to miss this show! Everyone did a fantastic performance in the finale, even that little creep Boon was bringing the creepy that he does so well. Avery menaced, Art blustered, Tim snarked and Rachel was calm and in control.  

Not surprised, and kind of happy, that Raylan didn't end up with Wynona. And Ava living a calm and good life with her son, that also made me happy because I was so sure someone was going to kill her.

Bye, best show that has ever been on television!!

[tennisgurl]

 

Ava's got the next generation of Crowder male, Raylan got a daughter. That's a spinoff waiting to happen. lol

Justified: The Next Generation! 

[TigerLynx]

Raylan and Art at the bar with the bat was hilarious, but when Art told Raylan, "Boyd's throwing dynamite," his expression was priceless.  It so clearly conveyed, "I cannot freaking believe how insane this has all gotten.  He's crazier than you.  What is in the water in Harlan?"

 

Ava being pregnant does help fill in some of the blanks as to why she was so desperate, and made some really foolish choices.  I believe Boyd loved Ava, and I'm not sure he would have killed her.

 

Spinoff for Raylan's daughter and Boyd's son - I'm in.

[soapfaninnc]

I swear Walton Groggins, Timothy Olyphant and Jacob Pitts could charm the shell right off a turtles' back.

I am so glad Boyd, Rayland and Tim lived. The ending was perfect. And Wynn Duffy! The cockroach got the money? Are we to assume that? I am so going to miss this show! Everyone did a fantastic performance in the finale, even that little creep Boon was bringing the creepy that he does so well. Avery menaced, Art blustered, Tim snarked and Rachel was calm and in control.  

Not surprised, and kind of happy, that Raylan didn't end up with Wynona. And Ava living a calm and good life with her son, that also made me happy because I was so sure someone was going to kill her.

Bye, best show that has ever been on television!!

 

I loved that Ava wound up in the hills. It was a nod to her not wanting to leave Harlan back in Season 1 because it was home. She knows she can never go home but it looks a bit like home. Of course she would only keep a stash of money for herself and give Duffy the rest. She knew how hard it was to haul around just a million of that cash. She sure wasn't going to need to figure out how to hide nine more for years and years. 

 

They always gave us hints that Ava was like Raylan's Aunt Helen - who loved him and tried to protect him from Arlo and urged him to find life outside of Harlan. Being a loving, involved father, I have no doubt Raylan looked at that little boy and knew that he had a chance to be ok - raised outside of Harlan with no criminal family to influence him. Just like Raylan himself.  A lot of Ava's actions make sense - she was a mother protecting her baby - she had to have known she was pregnant but we weren't shown that. I knew Raylan wouldn't take her in when she said she had to show him something but he had to promise her he'd never tell Boyd and if he couldn't promise that he could take her away right then and there. He realized she was protecting something big - something she was willing to sacrifice herself for. 

 

I'm still laughing over Wynn's dog grooming van, Boyd's return to Jesus, Art and Tim's snarky lines.... 

 

I can't wait for the Season 6 DVD to come out so I can watch the whole thing -start to finish. I think I'll watch the pilot and this episode back to back. I confess that having watched the finale three times already and I find something new in every watch.

[Febgirl]

Oh wow, was this a great finale!

 I really appreciated how they "killed" Raylan and Boyd without killing them, if you get my meaning.  That last scene was just gorgeous. Bravo to Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins.

 I really didn't like Raylan most of this season.  I felt that this last episode redeemed him for me, and reminded me of why I liked him in the first place.  I loved that scene with he and his daughter at the playground.  My heart melted like that vanilla cone. 

 Also wanted to add, that I hope the kid takes after Raylan, which from what we saw, she does, because seeing Winona again reminded me of why I dislike her. Her new husband was just gross.

  And how great was it to see Boyd's Prison jumpsuit buttoned all the way up to the top?

Edited April 15, 2015 by Febgirl

[lulee]

Yost explained the episode title to TVGuide:

 

The other big thing was an idea that Tim had at the end of last season for a line on the bridge when he's making arrangements with Ava to snitch on Boyd. She would say that she was afraid, and Raylan says, "You'll be fine." I came up with the title for the final episode, and it's "The Promise," and that's the promise. The promise was to take care of Ava, and that's what he does.

[Inquisitionist]

I think I'll watch the pilot and this episode back to back.

 

On the advice of some reviewers yesterday (including Alan Sepinwall at hitfix.com) I watched the pilot before the finale.  That made the call-backs very clear and natural.  I'm so glad I figured out about 18 months ago that my amazon Prime subscription including some free video streaming, and that Justified is in that package.  I zipped through seasons 1 - 4 online just in time to watch S5 in real time.  I've since gone back and rewatched most episodes in a more leisurely fashion.  Well worth it!

[monakane]

I loved the ending with Boyd and Raylan.   I felt like they will never leave Harlan on an emotional level.  That made me sad.  These two shared more than digging coal together.  They understood each other better than anyone else could.  The both knew the trauma of growing up in Harlan.

 

Nitpicks:  I hated Raylan's new hat.  Winona's new husband made me dislike her all over again.

 

Edited April 15, 2015 by monakane

[Bannon]

I thought it was a very good, bordering on great, finale. I wasn't thrilled with the prospect of a Sergio Leone-style showdown between Raylan and Boone. Don't get me wrong; I think "Once Upon a Time in the West" is one of the best westerns ever shot, and the Eastwood vehicles are terrific, and Eastwood and Bronson were great with Leone. Those movies are 45-50 years old now, however, and I just thought The Showdown has become too cliched. What saved it for me was the quality of the acting, from all involved in the scene. Contra The Man with No Name, or Harmonica, Raylan Givens is not a lone gunfighter with little or no connection to society. He very much has people in his life that mean everything to him, and he very much is fearful that he might die. I think that scene, with Raylan's facial expressions, was the best acting Olyphant did in all six seasons. Boone, and especially Loretta, were great as well, and Ava was not off-putting. I hope Olyphant's performance is given some recognition.

 

The demise of Markham was really well written, and Elliott and Goggins knocked it out of the park. I loved that they devoted so much time to 4 years after events in Harlan, and that they had the good sense to show that Raylan Givens and Winona really aren't compatible living under the same roof. The final scene was simply wonderful.

Edited April 15, 2015 by Bannon

[RustbeltWriter]

Now that was a satisfying ending. I also liked the dedications in the credits to the citizens of Harlan and Elmore Leonard. If you haven't read his books, you're really missing out.

 

I also enjoyed Loretta saving Raylan's life. It was proof that he isn't a lone gunman and that he has friends.

Edited April 15, 2015 by RustbeltWriter

[BeatLA24]

Heh. My older daughter would leave a vanilla cone to go off to playground equipment. Now chocolate might be another story ...

I know this all too well. My youngest niece almost always leaves her ice cream to melt while she does other things.

[Bannon]

Now that was a satisfying ending. I also liked the dedications in the credits to the citizens of Harlan and Elmore Leonard. If you haven't read his books, you're really missing out.

 

I also enjoyed Loretta saving Raylan's life. It was proof that he isn't a lone gunman and that he has friends.

I think it is very hard to overstate the degree to which Elmore Leonard's source material is what made this series so good. If you watch some episodes of another Graham Yost project, "The Americans", you may get some sense of it.

[Puffaroo]

 

As Loretta walks towards Raylan she sees a bullet hole in his hat. It is then that Raylan moves and we realize what happened. Boon thought too much of himself. He went for the head just as he told Loretta he does.

 

And when he told her that, he had just aimed for her ex-boyfriend's head and missed -- so I figured that's what would happen.

 

A little bit of telegraphing aside, I thought the finale was boss.

[lulee]

Mum couldn't believe that Winona chose that other man over Raylan. I had no idea that it was Jason Gedrick. 

Dad couldn't believe they killed Sam Elliott.

 

I'm glad they all got out alive. Even Wynn. (and I loved the description on his dog grooming trailer - LOL!) I was hoping there wouldn't be a huge number of bodies, on what I've seen as a show that balances the lightheartedness and the darkness really well. 

Loved Boyd, preaching. I wish they'd gone down the road of he and Ava living a normal life, but that went out the window as soon as she was arrested. And I wonder if he would have been bored by a new, stable life. 

I hope you had a happy birthday, Anela!

[That was you who last week said that you wouldn't be able to watch live as it was your birthday, yes? no?]

[Febgirl]

Can we all also agree that Ava's flash forward hair was awful?

[Anela]

I have the whole season saved on the DVR, so I'm going to watch it again at some point. 

[TiffanyNichelle]

Can we all also agree that Ava's flash forward hair was awful?

I preferred it to the short hair which I never liked on her.

[Anela]

I hope you had a happy birthday, Anela!

[That was you who last week said that you wouldn't be able to watch live as it was your birthday, yes? no?]

Oh, I did, thank you! :) 

It actually worked out perfectly - we couldn't find anything to do, so we picked up a pizza and movies, tidied up a bit, and then ended up just watching Justified - it started as we were finally eating dinner. 

[Ohwell]

Can we all also agree that Ava's flash forward hair was awful?

Actually, I liked the flash forward Loretta Lynn hair better than the bob she was wearing before.  For some reason that bob or whatever you call it, always annoyed me.

 

I was surprised and happy to see that Raylan and Winona didn't wind up together because 1) I never liked her and 2) I just didn't think they were good together.  However, I'm happy that he's got such a good relationship with his daughter and can be friends with Winona and the lunkhead husband.

 

I'm happy for Wynn but sad for him because I know that even with all that money, he's probably still missing Mikey.

 

I think it was quite fitting for Boon--with all his posturing and mouthing off--to just be shot dead.  Like, BAM!  One shot.  Game over.  Shut up.  Dumbass.

[Bannon]

Actually, I liked the flash forward Loretta Lynn hair better than the bob she was wearing before.  For some reason that bob or whatever you call it, always annoyed me.

 

I was surprised and happy to see that Raylan and Winona didn't wind up together because 1) I never liked her and 2) I just didn't think they were good together.  However, I'm happy that he's got such a good relationship with his daughter and can be friends with Winona and the lunkhead husband.

 

I'm happy for Wynn but sad for him because I know that even with all that money, he's probably still missing Mikey.

 

I think it was quite fitting for Boon--with all his posturing and mouthing off--to just be shot dead.  Like, BAM!  One shot.  Game over.  Shut up.  Dumbass.

Oh, I agree that Boon needed to be shot dead, but i would have prefered it happening without the showdown conventions; somebody just gets tired of his mouthy bullsh*t and plugs him without fanfare. Like I said, however, the scene worked for me, because the Givens and Loretta parts were acted so well.

 

I can't see Wynn Duffy living the square life, no matter how much money he got away with. It would be too sedate for him. Guess he'll need a new henchman, who'll give him the Fijian translation of "aplex" in a Scrabble game.

Edited April 15, 2015 by Bannon