Kill the Messenger (Justified)
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| "Kill the Messenger" | |
|---|---|
| Justified episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 6 |
| Directed by | Don Kurt |
| Written by | Ingrid Escajeda |
| Featured music | Steve Porcaro |
| Cinematography by | Francis Kenny |
| Editing by | Eric L. Beason |
| Original air date | February 11, 2014 |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Kill the Messenger" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the American Neo-Western[1] television series Justified. It is the 58th overall episode of the series and was written by co-producer Ingrid Escajeda and directed by executive producer Don Kurt. It originally aired on FX on February 11, 2014.
The series is based on Elmore Leonard's stories about the character Raylan Givens, particularly "Fire in the Hole", which serves as the basis for the episode. The series follows Raylan Givens, a tough deputy U.S. Marshal enforcing his own brand of justice. The series revolves around the inhabitants and culture in the Appalachian Mountains area of eastern Kentucky, specifically Harlan County where many of the main characters grew up. In the episode, an attack on Alison sends Raylan to Harlan in search of payback, while Boyd scrambles to arrange protection for Ava.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.33 million household viewers and gained a 0.8 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, although critics expressed frustration with the episode's pace and lack of direction for the season.
After his confession, Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) approaches a disappointed Art (Nick Searcy) at a bar. Art punches him in the face and leaves the bar. Meanwhile, Ava (Joelle Carter) is transferred to a women's prison and placed in a solitary cell.
Boyd (Walton Goggins) visits former partner Gunnar Swift (Branton Box) to ask for his family help in protecting Ava in prison, as Swift's sister is in the same facility. That night, Alison (Amy Smart) visits the Crowes for a mandatory check-up on Kendal (Jacob Lofland). The Crowes mock her relationship with Raylan. Danny (A. J. Buckley) intimidates her, and after she leaves, rear-ends her car and drives her off the highway. Back at Audrey's, Danny tells Darryl (Michael Rapaport) that the vanished Jean-Baptiste had badmouthed him and spoke of leaving Kentucky, and Kendal nervously backs him up.
Danny and Dewey (Damon Herriman) confront Carl (Justin Welborn) at Boyd's bar. Carl refuses to disclose Boyd's location, and after a struggle they knock him out, intending to ransom him to Boyd. Raylan and Rachel (Erica Tazel) visit the Crowes, looking for Danny, following Alison's crash. Danny and Dewey hide behind the door, ready to attack until Wendy (Alicia Witt) convinces Raylan to leave. Ava is now released into general population. Swift betrays Boyd for having abandoned his white supremacist roots, and his sister and her gang attack Ava, hacking off some of her hair.
After making a deal with Korean gangsters, Boyd learns of Ava's attack. He and Jimmy (Jesse Luken), trying to find Carl, call his phone and Dewey answers. However, poor reception prevents Boyd from realizing Dewey has kidnapped Carl. Meanwhile, Raylan and Rachel discover Danny with a bound and beaten Carl at the cabin, while Dewey runs off. Before Raylan can take Danny into custody, Carl claims that he and Danny are having a consensual sadomasochistic encounter, so Raylan and Rachel let Carl go and leave without Danny.
In the car afterwards, Raylan refuses to discuss his and Art's conflict with Rachel, who realizes it may just be worse than she was thinking. Boyd, Carl and Jimmy confront the Crowes at Audrey's, and Boyd offers to pay them to help him deal with Swift at his warehouse for the betrayal, with Daryl brutally attacking him. Boyd later calls Hot Rod (Mickey Jones) to discuss their business. Hot Rod gives him a coded message and Boyd realizes that Johnny is holding him hostage. Boyd later visits Daryl and offers him another job: he wants Daryl to kill Johnny.
Production
Development
In January 2014, it was reported that the sixth episode of the fifth season would be titled "Kill the Messenger", and was to be directed by executive producer Don Kurt and written by co-producer Ingrid Escajeda.[2] The episode was originally titled "Shoot the Messenger".[3]
Writing
Regarding the opening scene, series developer Graham Yost said, "we had scripted this scene where essentially nothing is said and Art punches him, and Don thought of the bar door being open and the rain coming down. Other scenes were gonna be in the teaser, and then our feeling was just no, this is such an important scene let's just make it the entirety of the teaser. There was a Willie Nelson song that we had that we just couldn’t afford. Our crack music people, [music supervisor] Greg Sill and [music editor] Lisa Arpino found another song and it just somehow worked."[4]
Yost also revealed that Jean Baptiste's death wasn't planned at the moment of writing the episode so the original plan was having him in the episode. He further explained, "that scene between Darryl, Kendal, and Danny talking about Jean-Baptiste was something that was shot after the rest of the episode was shot."[4]
