'Justified' - 'Bulletville' Recap (Season Finale)

(S01E13) "There's more than one way to kill a man: you can kill his physical body, or kill his spirit within." - Boyd Crowder

"You gonna pull the trigger or are you gonna talk me to death?" - Bo Crowder

Boyd Crowder's faith has been the most interesting and mind-twisting mystery of the season.

It's also made him the most interesting character, not just in this show but all of current television. He's a lost soul trying to find redemption for a lifetime of evil deeds and hateful actions, but he's also a conniving criminal with a penchant for causing more destruction and mayhem than a runaway car on an offshore oil rig.

Has he been just wearing the face of a devout man for some grand criminal plan, or is he truly a changed man? And if it's the answer behind "Door No. 2," does being a changed man necessarily make him a better one? The season finale gave us the answers to all of those questions and so much more.

First off, this was, without a doubt, the bloodiest episode of the entire season. And that's coming from a show that featured a yuppie twerp getting his teeth ripped out without Novocaine by an angry dentist. Incidentally, both the season finale and that episode ('Long in the Tooth') were directed by Adam Arkin, who 'Sons of Anarchy' fans will remember as the conniving Ethan Zobelle. Even though it seems like he stocked up in a Karo syrup sale at Costco, he deserves a lot of credit for helming two very enjoyable slices of television.

It's also surprising that the most violent and unnerving episode of the season could also be the most heartfelt and touching. Granted, it closed the door on a very potent storyline, but it had a lot of heart -- and not the kind that makes a surprisingly satisfying squish when you throw it like a baseball pitched against a brick wall. (Don't ask me how I know that.)

For instance, the hardest scene to watch happened early in the episode when Bo confronted his son for blowing up a very important shipment for his meth trade and he then ordered one of his goons and Boyd's old friends to beat the tar out of him. It looked painful on a visceral level, but it had an extra layer of discomfort because Boyd stood there and took it and refused to back down, even with a face full of blood. It had a lot to say about the price of redemption.

Raylan almost getting offed by his own father wasn't that big of a surprise after last week's twist ending. Raylan's reaction was. A lot of people joked early on in the season that Raylan was going to shoot some poor schlub in every episode, but no one could have predicted he would shoot Arlo, no matter how big of a backwoods pig he could become. Of course, it was only a flesh wound, but it leaves open a very interesting storyline for next season.

The impromptu partnership between Raylan and Boyd was a little predictable, and that's the worst thing I can say about this episode. It really was the perfect way to wrap up such a stellar opening season. The final showdown between them, Bo's boys and the drug cartel was action-packed and plenty bloody (that guy who took a point blank bullet to the face would have made Quentin Tarantino wince), but it also had a nice hint of sweetness and a lot of unanswered questions about what will happen at the start of season 2. Will Boyd try to regain the faith his father took from him, or resort to his old wicked ways? Will the cartel continue to hunt down Raylan? Will Raylan get together with Ava, or his ex, or both?

Either way, I'll definitely be there to see what happens.

Other Observations:
- Maybe this is laying the love on a little too thick, but Walton Goggins deserves a lot of credit for his performance in this series and should earn some kind of nomination. He took a very complex, disturbing and conflicted character and brought some real depth and meaning to it, and to think that he almost turned it down. He almost pulled the biggest Diane Chambers since, well, Shelley Long.

- Did anyone else notice that Raylan's well-fitting hat was suspiciously absent from the entire episode? What does it mean? You're asking the wrong dude. My head is too cluttered with 'Simpsons' trivia and obscure Nickelodeon show theme tunes to understand the complex symbolism of the hero's lack of protective covering. Wait a minute...