(S01E02) "I gotta ask, why the hat?" - Rachel

"I tried it on one time and it fit." - Raylen

It's been a long time since I've been itching to catch up on a show. I mean, the kind of frustrating nervousness that makes your gut ache and wish you had control over time and space.

It got even worse my TiVo decided not to record Tuesday night's episode, which means I had to wait to find out what happens next. This just made my nerves twitch and convulse more until my entire body lit up like a Christmas tree of pain, which didn't help since I'm already fighting off a killer cold.

The weirdest part? It actually feels kinda nice.

After last week's dramatic shootout with Boyd, Raylan goes to visit his ol' coal mining buddy that he just used for target practice and Boyd...opens up to him?!? His religious epiphany about the status of his life was dramatic and heartfelt (pardon the pun) but also a total shocker, at least by TV's standards. When the lead villain survives a near death experience by his protagonist, he's supposed to launch into a spittle flying rage. But here, he's not only forgiving him for shooting. He's THANKING him. How's that for innovative television?

Of course, Walton Goggins, who is scary good as Boyd, was bound to make for an interesting villain but now he's infinitely more interesting as he pours his heart to Raylan and seems to be back on the straight and narrow. It's not clear if he's even going to return as Raylan's friend or enemy, but it'll be a surprise even if this is the last we see of him. It's nice to see a show that knows how to hold its cards for once.

But that's another gun shot victim for another day and Raylen's returns to the beat, this time transporting prisoners, starting with the gator hunting redneck who used to work for Boyd. Once again, the subtle touches of the scenes really sell the show well, starting with Raylan's decision to let the prisoner drive the car and when he tries to make a run for it, Raylan's breaks his face on the steering wheel a second time. Blunt force trauma has never been this entertaining.

As the hilarity wears off, the noir takes over, thrusting Raylan into an escaped convict case that seems a little too convenient at first (he happens upon the escapees at the very moment he receives the call) but becomes more interesting as the script rolls out before our eyes. The show felt very different from the first episode. Here, we've got an actual mystery on our hands as opposed to a slowly building showdown between two former mates.

The escapee angle gives the show a purpose to exist outside of its source material while it sprinkles in other revisited tidbits like the meeting with his ex-wife and his on-again, off-again kissyface romance with Ava as they prepare to talk about Boyd's shooting. It's rare to see a show with such a compelling main storyline that can also cook up good, regular ones throughout the season. Let's hope it stays that way.