"Where Waldo?" On Justified

Article first published as TV Review: Justified - "Where's Waldo?" on Blogcritics.

FX's Justified continues its second season this week with "Where's Waldo?" Art (Nick Searcy) is drawn into the mystery of Waldo Truth, whose name and bag are found in Arlo's (Raymond J. Barr) wall. When Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) realizes that Arlo killed a man in prison just because he overheard Raylan talking about the bag, the Marshalls decide that they need to pay Waldo's family a visit.

The tale of Waldo Truth, and his connection to Justified's characters, seems to be the main storyline this season. By the end of "Where's Waldo?" we know that Arlo probably helped cover up a fake death, and, for some reason, Art is interested in the case, which he seems to already know a little about. This is a deeper plot that first realized, with connections to the past of main players. It is a ripe fruit to pick.

Justified is sort of a cop series, but it's much more about people than action. The show has always taken the time to let the actors really dig into their characters, and present complicated individuals with convoluted relationships. While law enforcement types will probably figure out what crimes have been committed and who has committed them in the end, that's not really the point of the episode.

A great example of this is when Raylan, Art, and Tim (Jacob Pitts) go to confront Waldo's family. At first, they meet up with punk kid Milo (Ethan Jamieson, The Hunger Games), who just deserves to be smacked so hard! Then, they talk to the matriarch of the family (Beth Grant, No Country for Old Men, Jericho). Instead of getting the information that they need and leaving, the scene lingers, letting the personalities clash in delicious ways.

The reason Justified can get away with this is because they are able to cast such fantastic guest stars. No one who saw it has forgotten what Margo Martindale did in season two. I don't know if Beth Grant is being set up for a similar run, but she will most definitely be back, probably multiple times, and her bits this week are intriguing.

Besides the guests, though, watching Raylan, Art, and Tim is fun in and of itself. They aren't often working as a team on the show, but when they do, it's always superb. When one of the Truths tells them to get off their property in 10 seconds, and then five, Tim ribs Raylan that his line is being stolen. When Milo calls the Marshalls perverts, and then Raylan has to relieve the kid of his gun, the reactions among the various feds are great. These details are what keep viewers tuning in week after week.

I also love the increased story for Art. We know that he is nearing retirement age now, and he's out in the field in "Where's Waldo?" to prove he's still fit enough to run his department. This is a man who has pride, who is not ready to be put out to pasture yet, and who thinks that only he can handle his cavalcade of unhinged deputies. The scene where he talks about his people, listing their issues without naming their names, is a particular favorite of mine in this episode, catching you up with some of the more minor characters' stories, while also showing us something about Art.

The retirement plot isn't laid out overtly, but rather, Justified gives you the pieces and the viewer is supposed to put them together. There is no line where Art talks about his motivations, and his possible pending resignation from the unit is just briefly mentioned a couple of times. Yet, Searcy conveys a lot that doesn't need to be put into words.

Bottom line, it's not smart to play on your phone while watching Justified. You're going to miss something.

Across town, Boyd (Walton Goggins) makes a move against preacher man Billy St. Cyr (Joseph Mazzello, The Pacific, Jurassic Park), only to learn that the real threat comes from Billy's sister, Cassie (Lindsay Pulsipher, Hatfields & McCoys, True Blood). We are just beginning to get a glimpse of the religious fanatics. Billy seems sincere, so it's probably Cassie who is up to no good. We have not seen enough to figure out what she might want, though, and as Boyd is doing, it's wise to bide one's time and keep an eye on her, for now.

Besides, Boyd has other troubles when he finds drugs being dealt in his territory. It doesn't take long for the Dixie Mafia to come after their dealer who Boyd has taken hostage, and they send Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns) to be their voice.

Wynn is a fantastic character, one whom Justified keeps finding ways to bring back. This latest tiff shows that Wynn is definitely a bad-ass again, his superior from last season no longer keeping him down and scaring the crap out of him. It is a bit thrilling to witness a villain returned to glory, even when we know it will only make trouble for the good guys.

Wynn's method of dealing with the situation is awesome, but it's a shame that he kind of shuts down Boyd. Boyd wants continued involvement with Wynn's employers, which would be nice for fans of the series, as it gives Wynn an excuse to return on a recurring basis. After Wynn refuses Boyd's offer, we're left in the dark about how he might be back next. However, there's the distinct impression that he will be, and sooner, rather than later.

I like that Boyd has Colt (Ron Eldard, Blind Justice, Super 8) working for him now. As great as Johnny (David Meunier) and Ava (Joelle Carter) may be as characters, they are not all that threatening, and with Boyd getting into plenty of scuffles, he needs a strong right-hand man to keep power. Colt is definitely that guy, violent and a little insane.

The only thing I'm not crazy about on this side of the series is the larger presence of Ellen May (Abby Miller) so far this season. It is likely because I'm not a fan of the character, and so I don't relish her extra screen time. She is definitely a pawn in the game, so she may just be held up to be expendable. However, while she is still alive, I'm getting a little annoyed about seeing her so much.

The other side trip in "Where's Waldo?" involves a man named Randall (Robert Baker, Grey's Anatomy). He has a brief encounter early in the hour with Raylan, and then the episode continues to follow him, even though he is no longer interacting with anyone familiar. It is kind of odd, but it's a good way to pique interest, teasing us with the certainty that Randall is important, but not revealing why until the end of the installment. I kind of wish that they'd kept the mystery going longer, but it's still a cool way to handle things.

"Where's Waldo?" doesn't have a ton of action, but a few key scenes, as well as stellar acting (as usual) make it a fine installment. Two episodes in, and already I'm hungry for more, wanting to know the rest of the story that the show will patiently spin out bit by bit over the next couple of months. Justified is a very well-made show, and with episodes like this, it's easy to see why.

Justified airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

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"If/Then" introduces an entirely new Grey's Anatomy

On this week's episode of ABC's Grey's Anatomy, "If/Then," Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) wonders what her world would be like if her mother, Ellis (Kate Burton), didn't get Alzheimer's, and if Richard (James Pickens Jr.) left Adele (Loretta Devine) for Ellis all those years ago, thus raising Meredith as his own daughter. So during the hour, her world is seen drastically different than in the normal run of the show. Ellis is Chief at the hospital. Meredith is happy, bright, and cheerful, wearing pink, and best friends with April (Sarah Drew). She is also engaged to Alex (Justin Chambers).

But it's far from an ideal life. Meredith feels suffocated under the high pressure that her mother exerts. And she's not the only one. Alex can't help but stray with April, which crushes Meredith when she finds out. Ellis is not sympathetic. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) is so why that she gets fired for not speaking up at a critical moment. Derek (Patrick Dempsey) is still married to a pregnant Addison (Kate Walsh), but miserable, especially when he learns that the baby isn't his. Callie (Sara Ramirez) is pressured into cardio and marries Owen (Kevin McKidd), with whom she has several children. Meredith doesn't even know her half sister Lexie (Chyler Leigh), who is a coked up criminal. And Cristina (Sandra Oh) is shunned by all after the Burke incident.

"If/Then" is a classic "be careful what you wish for" episode. Meredith thinks that her life would be better with a more nurturing upbringing, but in truth, the obstacles she overcomes shape her into the great woman and surgeon that she is today. Why the others have to be miserable, too...? Well, that is just to make fans glad that everything is the way it is in "reality." Though, to be fair, if Ellis would have become Chief, things would definitely be quite a bit different at Seattle Grace. Just maybe not so different as they are shown in this episode. The message is clear: everyone is better off the way things are.

But are they really? After all, the beloved characters go through a number of dark, drama-filled experiences in the "real" world. Sure, Callie is happier married to Arizona (Jessica Capshaw), and Lexie has a much better existence when not living as a junky, but that doesn't mean that everyone's paths are easy, and that they all get happy endings. Which leads one to think, what if this different world were the series? It can easily be imagined as such, with the characters dealing with separate, but equally engrossing, challenges. Perhaps Ellis may have stifled the cast as the star, but perhaps not. The others would all still get their angsty stories, just in a different way. So really, either world is an acceptable one for Grey's Anatomy to explore.

Which does not mean the universe as it is in "If/Then" should be revisited. Grey's has chosen the series it wants to be, and it's too late to change that now. "If/Then" is just a fun little side trip to show another version of things, if different paths had been taken. In that, it's an amusing, welcome little experiment, but certainly not all that important in the overall arcs of the series.

The ending of "If/Then" seeks to restore balance. Despite everything that happens differently, Meredith eventually stands up to her mother. She also finds friendship in Cristina. Derek wakes up and realizes that he is completely unhappy, and should try to change things. Callie has a sweet moment with Arizona. Mark (Eric Dane) shows up at the hospital carrying Lexie, their lives intertwined. In this, the writers want viewers to believe that these people are destined to be together. It's a naive, and probably unrealistic, view of existence, but for a television series, it's a fitting ending.

Now, anticipation build up to get back to the normal timeline. After all, there is still much drama to work out there. Can Cristina and Owen's marriage be saved? Will Mark ever be back with Lexie? And, as heartless as it sounds, at least the not-so-great character of Charles (Robert Baker) is no longer around.

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

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