- Fresh out of prison, Boyd Crowder begins his mission to bring "religion" to the backwoods. Meanwhile Raylan starts trying to make a new case against Boyd while working as a bodyguard for a judge whose life has been threatened.
- Determined to repair the damage he's done, Raylan takes time away from his assignment bodyguarding an eccentric judge to track down an old lead.—FX Publicity
- We open in the woods, where Boyd preaches to a new church he's established. Part of his ministry involves holding a gun to Bobby Joe's head and threatening to shoot if the hillbilly doesn't quick using drugs. Suddenly, Givens saunters into the service/camp.
"I assume you're going to do what you always do: steal money and blow shit up," Givens tells his old friend/nemesis. Boyd insists he is on the righteous path. He then asks to speak to the "congregation," praying to God that Boyd might be forgiven for blowing up a "black church" with a rocket launcher and shooting his associate in the "back of the head." Furthermore, Givens tells the suddenly wary church-goers that there is a $50,000 reward for anyone who offers information that lands Boyd back in jail.
Amen.
Later, a team of cops finds a scantily clad woman sucking the poison out of a judge's groin area. The man was apparently bitten by a copperhead snake.
Cut to police HQ, where Mullen tells Givens of Judge Mike "The Hammer" Reardon. Mullen suggests looking for criminals who the judge put away -- especially those with experience handling poisonous snakes. Meanwhile, Boyd and his "congregation" come upon a meth lab in the woods. "I come in peace," Boyd says. "But if I come back here again and you're still cooking up that poison ... I hear these things blow up all the time." A regular Holy Warrior, that Boyd.
Givens visits Reardon, who reveals that he is wearing a skimpy bathing suit under his robe -- along with a gun. Indeed, the judge is an eccentric. He also believes Givens is completely justified for shooting Tommy Buck in Miami. "One less predator to come after the herd," Reardon says.
Later, Givens follows Reardon home when the judge begins to drive erratically. The judge's car crashes. Turns out there was a "failure" in the car's exhaust system, which pumped carbon monoxide into the vehicle, causing the judge to lose consciousness. "About as accidental as a snake in the bed," Givens observes.
Back at the judge's house, the pair share a drink. Givens asks if Reardon would call Ava's judge and suggest that the woman be allowed to leave the state. The judge refuses. "I'm not gonna piss in another man's sandbox," he says. Says Givens: "Fair enough."
Meanwhile, cousin Johnny pays a visit to Boyd's camp to ask about the threat to the meth lab. Turns out Bo wasn't too happy to hear of it. Boyd is unrepentant, though. Cut to Givens, who asks the clerk at a smoke shop for the whereabouts of Pastor Israel Fandi. The boy, Bunny, claims not to know -- so Givens begins dropping glass bongs on the floor. Bunny quickly relents, giving Givens the address for a Mrs. Davis. Before leaving, Givens hands the clerk a wad of cash. "I break it, I buy it," the lawman says.
Moments later, Givens is visiting Mrs. Davis, who recognizes a picture of Fandi as "Otis," a man who landscapes her yard for free. Givens is immediately suspicious. Back at the office, Givens refuses to tell Mullen where he was, calling it "personal business."
Later, Reardon takes Givens to a honkytonk go-go bar, where a shady looking young man eyes the judge from the bar. Givens catches up to the man in the bathroom, but Reardon claims not to recognize him. Reluctantly, Givens lets the smart-mouth suspect leave. Back at headquarters, Givens discovers that the man's name is Virgil, a divorced dad who got 15 years from Reardon for possession with intent to sell. Interesting.
It's soon back to "personal business," though. Givens returns to Mrs. Davis's home to find Fandi/Otis working in the backyard. "Boyd Crowder, the man who blew up your church, just got out of prison," Givens explains. "Your testimony could put him back in." Fandi refuses, guessing correctly that it was Givens whose screw up (with Ava) resulted in Boyd receiving a get-out-of-jail-free card. Later, the cowboy cop returns to the case at hand, interviewing Virgil's ex-wife, who provides him with a return address.
In the meantime, Boyd makes good on his holy threat and storms the meth lab. He drags out two of its residents before tossing a Molotov cocktail inside. BOOM! Mickey, one of the meth heads, cries out that his buddy Gil was inside. "You killed Gil!" Mickey says. Boyd appears genuinely horrified. Turns out even the Lord's work can go terribly wrong.
Back at the go-go bar, Reardon asks to use the restroom. While Givens scopes out the bathroom, Reardon gives the Marshall the slip. Moments later, Givens storms outside to find the judge with his pants down, a woman kneeling in front of him and Virgil holding a gun. "Can we agree the young lady can go?" Givens asks. Virgil refuses, demanding the judge's attention. "This is my courtroom and you're overruled!" he says. Suddenly, Reardon pulls his own gun and fires. Virgil goes down with a gunshot wound to the arm. Givens quickly disarms Reardon. He then reveals that Virgil took out a life-insurance policy on himself. The money was to go to his ex-wife and kid. "Was that the plan?" Givens asks. "Shoot the judge, make me shoot you?" It sure was.
Later, Reardon looks contemplative for the very fist time. "Thanks," the judge says. "If you didn't stop me I would've killed him." Perhaps the "Hammer" won't be so quick to judge so harshly next time.
The next day, Givens asks Ava to come see him. She does -- and Givens reveals that Reardon has agreed to talk to her judge so that she can "get out of Kentucky." Snaps Ava: "How far away do you want me?" She knows it's not just about keeping her safe -- but alleviating Givens's guilt for setting Boyd free. True enough.
Back at the office, Givens receives bad news from Mullen: the man who died in the meth-lab explosion was a confidential informant. "The last report he filed said Boyd Crowder threatened to blow the meth lab up if they didn't shut it down," Mullen explains. He then theorizes that Boyd is trying to shore-up his daddy Bo's criminal empire. Givens admits that he had visited Boyd's men and offered a $50,000 reward. He also admits to asking Fandi to testify. Mullen encourages Givens to try again.
Givens visits Fandi and reveals that he knows Fandi is planting marijuana in the yards he landscapes. "We can get a warrant, search your basement and your garage, or you can do your civic duty," Givens says. "You think you're scared of him? You have no idea what you can expect from me."
Fandi laments: "Tell me what he looks like and I'll say whatever you want me to say!" Givens is SHOCKED. He thought the pastor was holding out because he was scared of Boyd. Turns out that Fandi really didn't see the man.
Asks Fandi: "How are you going to get him?" Givens throws up his arms. "I don't know," the Marshall says. "I don't know."
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