“All this is on you.”

Justified has been exploring the idea of loyalty recently by delving into various relationships between characters, relationships that may not be quite as stable or strong as they seem on the surface. After all, last week’s episode ended with Ava–someone Boyd thought he could trust–shooting her former lover and escaping with $10 million, and it was an act that immediately brought the idea of betrayal into the mix (if it wasn’t there already). In “Fugitive Number One”, we see these thematic ideas at the forefront, and they serve to ramp up the tension as we move into the final two episodes of the series.

And what a glorious sight those final two episodes are shaping up to be. “Fugitive Number One” is an hour filled with incredibly tense situations, with characters who believe that they have more control than they really have: Katherine thinks she can easily handle Wynn and Mikey, Mikey thinks that Katherine will listen to his pleas, Carl thinks that Boyd will let him get his cut, and Boyd and Markham view each other as easily killable. In reality, you never know when loyalties will shift and when trust will be broken; in an environment driven by pure, gritty survival, it’s difficult to plant your roots and have them not get dug up.

Of course, as fluid as loyalties seem to be in Harlan, some loyalties still trump survival. We see that literally with Mikey when he takes 165,000 bullets in the chest, yet still finds a way to kill Katherine Hale and ensure Wynn’s safety. The fact that Duffy was “as close to family as [Mikey] ever had” was the reason Mikey betrayed him–we even see just how little Wynn knows about the guy-but it’s also the reason he defends him and saves his life. “You have to protect your partner and avenge them against something they did wrong,” he repeats back to Katherine Hale, and that’s exactly what he does afterwards. The fight scene between the two is a brutal, intense, and plain brilliant sequence that you can’t tear your eyes away from, and and the contrast between the classical music in the background and the visceral impact of the fight only adds to the intensity. It’s a truly heartbreaking scene, and the show has once again impressed me with its ability to turn a minor character’s arc into something poignant and compelling.

Even more compelling is the impending Raylan-Boyd-Ava showdown, and to make matters more complicated, Avery Markham’s now going to be out for blood. I have to give kudos to Sam Elliott for the scene in which he finds out about Katherine’s death; he doesn’t have to say anything for you to know how he feels, for you to see that his demeanor has changed considerably. Raylan’s “All this is on you” is absolutely ice cold, and it’s clear that one of the major questions the final two episodes will tackle is about accountability: who is responsible? Is anyone responsible? Who will pay the consequences?

What’s certain right now is that trust is dwindling. Art and Raylan have known each other for a very long time, but there’s now a ticking clock on their relationship. 48 hours is all Raylan has, and I can’t wait to see what happens during that time. 2 episodes left, folks.

GRADE: A-

OTHER THOUGHTS:

-That final shot of Raylan is absolutely gorgeous. Also, it’s interesting that in an episode in which Boyd dons a police uniform, Raylan takes off his badge.

– “I HATE being called Mikey!”

– “911, what is your emergency?” “I don’t know where to start.” A perfect ending to a perfect scene.

-The Raylan-dirty cop scene once again highlights how good the dialogue in this show is. I could watch that for hours.

-Damn, Boon really needs to die soon. I’m hoping Loretta’s going to be the one to take him out, because he sure is one unlikeable guy. Of course, that just goes to show you how great of a job Jonathan Tucker is doing with the character, and it’s clear that he and Timothy Olyphant play off of each other extremely well. Exhibit A: that stand-off they have when Raylan goes to talk to Markham.

-Well, so long, Grubes.

-Tim with the Lord of the Rings joke! We have two more episodes left of Tim and Rachel, and I am not satisfied with what we’ve had so far. I’ll repeat what I said last week: this is why we need a spinoff.

-I can’t believe there are only two episodes left. Goodbye, sweet dialogue.

Photo credit: FX, Justified