Unless I want to deal with angry comments demanding a post about “Justified,” I should probably address last night’s season finale (S2E13, “Bloody Harlan”), so consider this your open thread. I won’t divulge spoilers here — I’ll address some specifics in the comments — but I’ll acknowledge that it was a fitting and satisfying conclusion to one of the best seasons of television in recent memory (Season 2 of “Sons of Anarchy” and Season 3 of “Breaking Bad” are apt comparisons). A few stray thoughts:
- The conflict between Boyd and the Bennetts was handled brilliantly: a slow burn of rising tension until the metaphorical and literal explosion.
- The final scene between Mags and Raylan was a little too neat for me, but I enjoyed the callback.
- For every scene where the show really feels like Kentucky — Boyd’s meeting on the bridge, for example — there’s an outside shot of a hillside that is obviously located in southern California. I really wish they filmed “Justified” on location.
- As with the first season, the show closed with Brad Paisley’s “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” (video below). I might just listen to that song on repeat all day.
- Kaitlyn Dever — the actress who plays Loretta — was incredible in her final scene.
- I enjoyed the balance of concluding the big story arc while leaving a few dangling threads (Winona, Ava) for next season.
And that’s that for “Justified” until next winter. Have at it in the comments.
