Review: 'Justified' - 'The Man Behind the Curtain': Eviction notice
Quarles and Raylan circle each other as the season reaches its mid-point
Neal McDonough as Robert Quarles in "Justified."
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A review of tonight's "Justified" coming up just as soon as I swallow a peanut the wrong way...
"Trust me: you don't want to know the stick." -Quarles
"The Man Behind the Curtain" was the midpoint of season 3, and as such, it perhaps shouldn't be surprising that it didn't bother with any standalone stories. Instead, it moved a lot of chess pieces around the board for the season's second half. Those are necessary sometimes, particularly with as many villains and storylines we have this season, and it helped that the hour also told us so much about our well-dressed new friend from Detroit.
Whether or not Quarles is the eponymous man behind the curtain (it could just as easily be Sammy's father, who doesn't appear here but motivates much of the action), we know a whole lot more now than we did before. We know that, contrary to how he portrayed himself to Wynn and Arnett back in the season premiere, he's not in Kentucky by choice. We know that he was once the favored surrogate son of the boss of Detroit (or, at least, we know that this is what he's told himself). And we know that our normally buttoned-down man has a serious problem maintaining his temper around male escorts. (Might this perhaps explain the poor bastard who was tied up in the bedroom of that house? Based on Wynn's line about how he can't paint over blood stains, I fear we may have seen the last of that guy.)
And as Quarles is trying various moves involving Sammy, Sheriff Napier, Boyd, Raylan and Gary (who didn't travel nearly far enough from Lexington when Raylan told him to), we're also reminded that Raylan has his own problems with self-control. Raylan can be super-cool under most circumstances, but it's easy to do that when he's usually in control of most situations as the fastest gun and smartest guy in the room. Take that control away and spring surprises on him — whether it's Boyd and Arlo setting up an oxy clinic at Aunt Helen's house or Quarles popping by the dive bar that's become Raylan's new home — and he stops thinking clearly. He oversteps his bounds, burns bridges with colleagues(*), overestimates his "mad ninja skills" (though he does better at the track than he did at the restaurant), and I'm still not sure he entirely realizes just what a threat Quarles can be to him.
(*) Though, to be frank, if I was Tim, I'd have stopped doing favors for Raylan a long time ago. Way too one-sided a relationship.
But sometimes your hero has to stumble before he can rise, and things are set up very interestingly for the season's second half — especially since we see Boyd and Limehouse each carefully plotting their own moves while Raylan and Quarles are struggling to keep their tempers in check.
Some other thoughts:
* An abundance of notable guest stars in this one, starting with the return of friend of the blog Jim Beaver (who contributed all summer on our "Deadwood" season 1 discussion) as Shelby, the security guard from the mine whom Boyd now intends to run for sheriff against Napier. And speaking of which, Napier's played by David Andrews, another Yost alum (he played Frank Borman in "From the Earth to the Moon" and had a cameo in the "Band of Brothers" finale). As Sammy, we've got Max Perlich, still best known to me for his sometimes-successful role on "Homicide" as videographer J.H. Brodie. And finally, we have What's Alan Watching?-approved podcaster Stephen Tobolowsky as the FBI agent not pleased with Raylan's intrusion into his business. Tobolowsky, like Beaver, is yet another "Deadwood" alum, as Yost continues his unofficial contest with Kurt Sutter to see who can employ more members of the "Deadwood" cast.
* Okay, at this point there's no ambiguity about Arlo's senility — unless he's playing an incredibly complex long con that seems beyond what we know of his criminal skills — and I'm glad that, thus far, Raylan doesn't care one whit about that. Arlo's given him no reason to be concerned for his father's welfare for more than 40 years, so why should Raylan now?
* Not sure if it was an intentional Pacino homage or not, but I had to chuckle when Limehouse's voice randomly went up in volume at the end of the sentence about how they have a situation. Given that Mykelti Williamson is laughing in the background of that scene I linked to, I'm guessing it was.
What did everybody else think?
Alan Sepinwall may be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupAlex T.
February 29, 2012 at 12:02AM EST Reply to CommentA very Quarles-centric episode, which I do not mind at all cuz I find that naughty little Carpetbagger so damn entertaining. He makes me crack up and then makes me cower in fear.
debbie
February 29, 2012 at 12:13AM EST Reply to CommentThe hat is back! Loved the Tim/Raylan stuff but i would be so over Raylan if I were Tim. Why cant we have Rachel and Tim in the same episode?? Hope they arent being paid by the line.
Even tho Raylan kicked Boyd in the nuts tonight, it will be those 2 who string up Quarles. Looking forward to it!
February 29, 2012 at 12:17AM EST Reply to CommentI can't help chuckling every time Tim gives Raylan shit. I read several recaps of this show, so I don't want to give credit to the wrong reviewer, but I believe it was Alan who mentioned how refreshing it is to see a show like this acknowledge how big a pain in the ass a hero like Raylan would be in the workplace. The exasperation shown towards our hero by nearly every other employee of that office is very entertaining and one of the small things that make this show so enjoyable on so many levels.
Timm S I think that's the thing, though: Raylan is not THE hero, just OUR hero. There's little doubt he's a pain in the ass to work with, and that Tim/Art/Rachel all bitch to their significant other(s) about what a terrible Marshall he is, how they are constantly doing extra because of him, etc. In fact, I don't know of anyone who's said he's a good Marshall. He's been called a good lawman, or that he has good instincts, but he's not good at his job. Naturally, we think everything he does is charming and right because he's our protagonist, and he's not Vic Mackey.
February 29, 2012 at 5:25PM ESTHis fellow Marshalls are right to give him shit, and plenty of it.
Jim S
February 29, 2012 at 12:19AM EST Reply to CommentHome run episode. It's interesting to see Neal McDonough's performance evolve over the episodes. From so, so slick, but now we're seeing the cracks, but he's still playing a long game. Going after Raylan via the sheriff. Then Boyd plays back with his own candidates.
We're seeing, as you said chess moves. And that's so much more satisfying than just violence. McDonough's really stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. I never thought they'd be able to replace Mags, but they have.
fresser28 I dunno. McDonough reminds me increasingly of William Shatner as the season progresses. He's not really scary, just Denny-Crane-ish. Denny Crane with a bad temper.
February 29, 2012 at 2:36AM ESTI miss Mags. The closest we have to her this year is Limehouse, but no cigar.
p. You know, I never would have thought of it, but now that you say so, McDonough's Quarles does seem like a (possibly more sinister) Denny Crane.
March 1, 2012 at 2:02AM ESTsajid anwar
February 29, 2012 at 12:30AM EST Reply to CommentWonderful episode. I've been enjoying this season but was starting to get a bit restless as chess pieces were slowly moving across the board. But it looks like things are finally going to pick up.
JLR
February 29, 2012 at 12:31AM EST Reply to CommentOkay, so my English is not perfect, so it takes me a few watches before I catch the full dialogue (or the dvd release so can read subtitles).
So, can someone clarify why is Quarles and Dufy in Oklahoma? What is going with Winona's ex?
Midnight Quarles is a cannibal. He's planning to eat Winona's ex.
February 29, 2012 at 1:09AM ESTaforkosh Using a DVR is a godsend for that situation. Subtitles when I need them and I can play back scenes to catch the full explanations.
February 29, 2012 at 3:11AM ESTBob Nice job, people, answering his question. JLR, Quarles is finding out how much of a threat Ralyan is, and my guess is, that he's going to kidnap Winona's ex to force Winona to make Raylan help free him and this sets a trap where Quarles hopes to kill Raylan. That's a guess.
February 29, 2012 at 4:32AM ESTfraying Paging Alan. Alan to the white courtesy phone.
February 29, 2012 at 2:25PM ESTsepinwall For the love of... NO TALKING ABOUT THE PREVIEWS, people. How many times do I have to say this? Just deleted another comment.
February 29, 2012 at 2:28PM ESTchuchundra
February 29, 2012 at 12:41AM EST Reply to CommentKind of a meh episode for me. There were a lot of chess pieces getting shoved around the board in a fairly crude manner: Quarles trying to bribe Raylan, Quarles walking into the Sheriff's office with a case full of money, The Sheriff leaning on Boyd, Raylan serving the eviction notice, etc. Most of the conversations seemed rather blunt and to the point, as opposed to the languid, circuitous verbal fencing matches that I'm used to and enjoy so much.
Still, a meh episode of Justified is pretty awesome. And let me just say, Yost better not be teasing us with Jim Beaver. If Beaver isn't the sheriff of Harlan County by season's end, I'm going to be sorely pissed.
VisionOn I concur.
February 29, 2012 at 4:10AM ESTJim Beaver for sheriff!
the minister Jim Beaver for President.
February 29, 2012 at 5:44PM EST--Paid for by BeaverPAC 2012.
Caren
February 29, 2012 at 1:05AM EST Reply to CommentWhomever bags Ian McShane on their show first, wins. If Yost gets him, I'm going to declare Deadwood back on the air.
Terrific episode. I didn't think any scene between Raylan and Boyd could be topped, but the Raylan/Quarles scene at the bar was fantastic.
cgeye Sammy's dad, anyone?
February 29, 2012 at 4:13AM ESTSally Mac Sammy's Dad as Swearengen would be worthy, but probably too goo to be true
February 29, 2012 at 12:49PM ESTed w They just cast Sammy's dad. I won't spoil, not sure what the rule is on casting news around here. But he's an interesting veteran actor who in the right role is capable of impressing.
February 29, 2012 at 1:16PM ESTsallyrover Ian McShane deserves a whole season of "big bad," and I am willing to wait for that! I am sad though that the producers of "Life" are no longer in the running for "tv producers who use the most 'Deadwood' actors" though!
February 29, 2012 at 3:09PM ESTJon Weisman
February 29, 2012 at 1:09AM EST Reply to CommentLoved seeing Max Perlich back. I still think of Brodie from time to time.
John
February 29, 2012 at 3:29AM EST Reply to CommentSpeaking of Deadwood alumni ...every time someone goes to visit Limehouse, I can't help hoping to see Mister Wu tending the hogs.
led Some of the greatest scenes in television history (my version of it) involved Al and Wu's trying to speak to each other. So damn racist and yet so not racist: Al and Wu=the original bromance
February 29, 2012 at 4:13AM ESTnath
February 29, 2012 at 4:36AM EST Reply to CommentThis is why I hate previews. Unless I'm mistaken, there was a pretty large spoiler immediately after the episode ended. Even if you turned off the episode as soon as the preview started, you probably still saw it.
Truck I like the thrill of the gamble that goes with watching shows on FX or AMC. Sometimes you hit mute precisely at the end of an episode, but every once in a while you get insecure and wait and end up having all the key scenes from the next episode ruined in 5 seconds flat.
February 29, 2012 at 5:48AM EST
February 29, 2012 at 7:58AM ESTsepinwall I just deleted the offending comment (too late for some, unfortunately). Let me remind you guys again, NO TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE PREVIEWS.
February 29, 2012 at 8:04AM ESTr1pvanw1nkl3 FX puts a commercial break before the previews so they're fairly easy to avoid.
February 29, 2012 at 11:13AM ESTgraemeburk
February 29, 2012 at 9:11AM EST Reply to CommentHere's an interesting thought: Quarles could be the unnamed man behind everything at the end of Terriers: played by Neal McDonough, family man, has an ugly proclivity for which there are photographs... hmmm...
the minister Man, I dunno bout that...
February 29, 2012 at 5:51PM ESTbut geebus, poor Neal better skew hard or he's gonna be typecast into playing 100%gay reprobates before long.
Come to think of it, doesn't speak well for Justified that he's the first gay I recall from the show.
Jamie
February 29, 2012 at 9:46AM EST Reply to CommentNot only were there appearances by Deadwood and Homicide alums, but I thought it was funny that Raylon found himself in the stables of the Santa Anita race track, the same location for Luck.
Hollywoodaholic Right. A long way from Louisville.
February 29, 2012 at 12:16PM ESTsallyrover I thought the same! The Santa Anita track has the most distinctive (and some of the best!) linoleum in California, and the round barn is also a dead give away. If you are in CA. or will be, the FREE "Seabisquit" tour they do on the weekends there during race season is a lot of fun, and will make watching "Luck" even more interesting!
February 29, 2012 at 3:14PM ESTDannyboy Which is interesting because Keeneland, in Lexington, is a really distinctive looking track too. The sales and the meets are still a big deal locally. Unless they said they were in Louisville, which I might have missed. If you're from Kentucky you just learn to ignore the show's often suspect Kentucky/Lexington geography.
February 29, 2012 at 10:40PM ESTFran
February 29, 2012 at 10:54AM EST Reply to CommentI think Raylan totally gets what a threat Quarles is. I swear I can see his Spidey-sense tingling with every run-in with the guy. It's like he can control himself during the conversation, but right afterwards, he looks as though he's been restraining himself the whole time from stomping on Quarles like a cockroach. That was my impression, anyway.
Dezbot Raylan looked a little rattled to me when Quarles commented that now he knows where Raylan lives. It's that temper of Raylan's that's keeping him from taking a more accurate stock of Quarles' depths of depravity, IMHO.
March 2, 2012 at 6:54PM ESTed w
February 29, 2012 at 11:39AM EST Reply to CommentA mediocre episode and overall a B season, as opposed to last year's A. I did like seeing Gary again, and the scenes with Raylan's dad were interesting and very well acted by Raymond J. Barry, but they've made a number of mistakes this year.
Too many villains, too many pointless Boyd scenes just to keep him on screen, Raylan seems more pathetic every season, and the Carpetbagger is one dimensional and it's not an interesting dimension - Wynn Duffy was more charismatic in his "yeah, Gary, you do" line than Quarles was all episode up to that. And overall the series has become too male dominated (which is not about feminism but about not being boring).
I'm disappointed they aren't using Dickie more. Jeremy Davies is such a fantastic actor and if they gave him more episodes in which he was front and center, he would be their best shot at another supporting actor nomination.
A shame about the scenes with Tim (though very well acted by Jacob Pitts) - I used to like him and Raylan seeming like buddies. They made a good team early last season.
the minister You might wanna refrain from giving a grade till the end of the semester there, Stand By Me.
February 29, 2012 at 5:54PM ESTed w It's not a novel, it's a tv show.
February 29, 2012 at 8:02PM ESTMadel It's a highly serialized drama - not unlike a novel published in sections (à la Dickens).
March 1, 2012 at 2:50PM ESTAnyway, I disagree with virtually all of your opinions expressed above:
1) I think the season has been exellent;
2) I don't there are too many villains (in fact, I think Quarles is the only real 'villain' - others, like Limehouse, are just new characters in and around Harlan who will likely be around in future seasons);
3) I don't think any of Boyd's scenes are 'pointless' - he is the homegrown twisted doppelganger to our homegrown twisted antihero - and Goggins' acting is just superb - probably best in show;
4) I don't think Raylan seems more pathetic at all each season - in fact, he just seems more human;
5) and, well, the other stuff, too.
SaveFarris
February 29, 2012 at 2:22PM EST Reply to CommentSeems like a good a place as any: RIP Buck Compton.
fraying
February 29, 2012 at 2:34PM EST Reply to CommentI loved the episode and the season so far, but I'm disappointed in Yost and co falling into the "Depraved Homosexual" trope.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DepravedHomosexual
Quarles was doing just fine in being a scary dude on his own. Adding the bit about male escorts made the character more of a cliche than he was before.
Bob Agreed. And Raylan making a bit of a homophobic comment was unpleasant, if not unrealistic.
March 2, 2012 at 2:32AM ESTfresser28 This screams "writer's room consensus" to me - as if making Quarles a gay psycho was edgier and more surprising than making him, say, the sort of psycho who gets off on sexually torturing and murdering women. Let's face it, that's the run of the mill trope for most TV procedurals.
March 2, 2012 at 3:19AM ESTBoth the usual trope and its inversion are distasteful, but I suppose even Justified isn't exempt from some stinkers.
joel Afraid I have to agree. Definitely the most groan-worthy revelation about a character this season so far. I was assuming it would turn out that the guy in the room was a lackluster employee and Quarles was re-educating him on the finer points of his job. Oh well.
March 2, 2012 at 12:40PM ESTJohnston So if Quarles was just a women murdering psycho, it would have been fine, but since he's a "gay" murdering psycho, it's "distasteful."
March 5, 2012 at 12:38AM ESTwhit It may be the difference between his being exiled and not being exiled.
March 5, 2012 at 1:06PM ESTNoelephant I don't normally subscribe to knee-jerk homo liberal B.S.--but I totally agree here, this season of Justified was mean-spirited, deeply homophobic AND misogynistic (and probably racist too), and--the biggest sin of all--had no narrative shape and made very little sense. Obviously, the creative team decided that the best follow up to Mags being the central organizing figure of Season 2 was to have more villains for Season 3 than they knew what to do with. They were disgusting characters with no narrative, thematic, characterological or relational purpose; i.e., a collection of hateful, sadistic freaks for the sake of having a collection of hateful, sadistic freaks. Also, if you watched closely, you would note that Quarles' sexual proclivities made no real sense, and were obviously conceived and written by a bunch of straight men. E.g., what could Quarles have POSSIBLY done with a boy chained to a toilet in a tiny bathroom? Especially since we see him later, still chained, but clean and unharmed. I know this sounds like nit-picking, but there is no illogic to any of the heterosexual couplings, most of which are lavishly filmed with great care, specificity, and erotic energy. Instead, they are using cheap signifiers for "sicko faggot" without actually thinking any of it through, like a sicko faggot writer/director (like me) would. And it's not like they couldn't have done their homework and found out about actual gay S&M/B&D sex--consensual or not. And hustlers/rent boys are NOT helpless, pathetic, needy, abused, vulnerable, victims--they couldn't actually DO their job successfully if they were!!! But the creators didn't care. Portraying sicko homos is fine, but for god's sake, do your research, and at least make an effort to give them nuance and complexity. Oh yeah, and I loved the way Limehouse's signifier for "evil" was crooked teeth. If the man was so fabulously wealthy and powerful, would he not get them fixed? It's crap like this that makes for toxic TV.
May 30, 2012 at 7:22PM ESTNotMyDayJob
February 29, 2012 at 2:45PM EST Reply to CommentNeal McDonough is an ace in any hand, and Quarles interactions with both Raylan and the sheriff this week, as well as with Boyd last week, prove as much out in spades. The show's choice to unveil Quarles motivations as dysfunctions forged to a deadly blade in the furnace of a difficult father/son dynamic provides an excellent mirror for Raylan and Arlo's relationship as it informs Raylan's often self-destructive fits of petulant temper. And speaking of Raylan, Tim Olyphant does his best work when tapping into otherwise unplumbed depths in a very, very deep well of mad acting chops to rise up to the task of portraying a man in conflict with himself and his own better angels and interests ... something that can also be truly said about his outstanding and under-appreciated work as Seth Bullock in Deadwood.
Madel Very good points. I'll even go a step further and say that the acting in Justified - from regulars Olyphant, Goggins, Searcy, Barry, Carter, etc, to the newcomers McDonough and Williamson, and also to many of the single episode guest stars - is the best of any FX show - and certainly ranks among the very best of currently active television productions.
March 1, 2012 at 5:51PM ESTTimm S
February 29, 2012 at 5:36PM EST Reply to CommentMax Perlich: "Stay cool, Willie C....stay cool forever."
He'll always be Birdie's second driver in BEAUTIFUL GIRLS to me. And that's probably enough.
Oh, and fantastic episode, all the way around. The Quarles reveals just make him creepier.
Raylan is ostracizing himself with all of his coworkers just when he needs more backup than ever.
Boyd is in over his head, as expressed through Limehouse's Bubba Teeth (tm).
And Arlo is up a crazy creek. I did rather enjoy him and Ava sniping at each other. She's so...damn...sexy.
Love this show, wanna watch it all the time.
the minister
February 29, 2012 at 6:05PM EST Reply to Comment(*) Though, to be frank, if I was Tim, I'd have stopped doing favors for Raylan a long time ago. Way too one-sided a relationship.
--Alan
==========
To be franker, Raylan is a first-class douchebag.
Still, as noted above, he's our douchebag & he means well(ish.)
the minister Or to quote Firefly:
February 29, 2012 at 6:07PM ESTMal: Mercy is the mark of a great man.
[stab]
Mal: guess I'm just a good one.
[stab]
Mal: well, I'm all right.
Jay Cjay
March 1, 2012 at 12:57AM EST Reply to CommentCould be wrong I guess, but I don't see "The Man Behind the Curtain" as referring to anyone but Quarles. Much of the episode was focused on his backstory, that term was used to refer to him a few episodes back, and it wouldn't make sense to name an episode for a character that's only mentioned in it a couple of times (Tonin Sr.)
david kern
March 1, 2012 at 2:06AM EST Reply to CommentSo do we know what happened with Dickie Bennett? He disappeared in the organ harvesting episode. Expecting him to pop up again soon - or am i forgetting something?
robbeck He's back in prison.
March 1, 2012 at 2:57AM ESTLinda
March 1, 2012 at 2:07PM EST Reply to CommentI love that they did not take Raylan into the "bottle" and a fight. He overcame that and is dealing slowly but quietly with the being dumped (again) by Winona. And since we learned that everyone knew before Raylan...maybe Tim is cutting him some slack with all Raylan has gone thru. Raylan is delving into his work as a lawman to handle his missing personal life.
dinkousa
March 1, 2012 at 5:01PM EST Reply to CommentI never get tired of seeing Boyd on screen. Could someone explain, Boyd's "after the war" prose? Here is what I heard:
What did folks use to say after the war?
Carpetbaggers pouring into Appalachia
Looking like they are were some old testament __?
Looking to take what little bit we had left
They said that...
Hell is empty and all the devils are here
Madel You got it all except for "...old testament scourge."
March 1, 2012 at 5:36PM ESTGoggins is really great in this role - I would certainly watch a spinoff show with him as the lead - a backwoods crime boss.
dinkousa Thanks Madel. Time to open Wikipedia. I'm sure it will be a fascinating explanation.
March 1, 2012 at 5:47PM ESTEGold "the war" is the Civil War, which of course the South lost. Afterward, some Northerners went South to try to make money, and they were known in the South as Carpetbaggers. They had a reputation for treating all Southerners, black and white, rich and poor, as if they were stupid -- and for trying to cheat them. Carpetbaggers were probably more hated than Abe Lincoln by white Southerners and were certainly distrusted by many blacks. Ganging up against a Carpetbagger was said to be one of the few events that would bring Southerners together across race and class, which is saying a lot because the number of lynchings of blacks in the South that started around the same time is unimaginable. When Limehouse lectures the younger generation about the need to protect the relative freedom they have in the holler, he is likely referring to numerous lynchings he witnessed or knew of as a boy and even young man. The lynchings continued fairly regularly until the late 1960s, even later in some parts. I wish the show would explain that history through Limehouse. Too many people these days think it never happened or downplay its intensity. The other interesting thing about this history is that Appalachia was quite diverse in its support of the war. There were a signicant number of Appalachians who sided with the North or just wanted to stay out of the damn thing. They saw it as the plantation owners battle. This has often been used in fictional narrative to make Appalachia the kinder, gentler South vis a vis African Americans, but of course it's not true.
March 2, 2012 at 8:48AM ESTTurkish
March 3, 2012 at 11:14PM EST Reply to CommentSpotty season for me so far. Raylan is losing his edge and doesn't seem to be paying attention to the REAL threat Quarles poses to him: planting the seed that he's dirty. I think Raylan will be trying to clean that up long after This season ends. The bubble Raylan operates in makes it rather easy for it to seem like he's on the take. I wonder if the scenes with him and Tim were laying groundwork to really show how little his coworkers think of him and the way he CHOOSES to marshal. They always seems to be cleaning up after him and I'm sure a lot of folks in that branch are wondering how he ALWAYS seems to be in the middle of things.
I also wouldn't be surprised if we don't see more from Charlie (?), the guy that ran off with the money from the evidence archives. Could that tie into more fuel for the suspicion of Raylan being dirty?
Muh Quarles isn't planting seeds, he's just mistaken. Now maybe that will play into something, but for right now it doesn't seem like it. As for the guy who ran off with the money, in the EW interview about the episode, Yost said they don't plan to see him again.
March 4, 2012 at 2:02PM EST