Plot

While away from the Marshall's office because of a forced "vacation," Raylan comes to the aid of his ex-wife after she is threatened by dangerous loan collectors who are looking for her husband.

Suspended from the Marshals Service, feeling like he has nothing to lose, Raylan faces off with the gangsters who are muscling his ex-wife's new husband.—FX Publicity

Open at a bar, where Givens is getting drunk while waiting for Winona. He is currently on a "well-earned vacation" from law enforcement. Two loud drunks are getting rowdy at the end of the bar, bragging about their conquests. Givens asks them to turn down the volume. "I didn't order assholes with my whisky," he says. The three step outside -- and Givens, after putting up a good fight, ends up on the ground getting pummeled and stomped. The bartender steps outside with his pump shotgun noisily displayed, to stop the beating. Soon after, Winona appears to help her ex-husband sit up.

She drives Givens back to his hotel room -- and tells the lawman about her visit from Duffy. "He was on that list I gave you," Winona says. "If the names on that list were clean, why did you go see Gary?" She then helps Givens take off his boots before asking him to stay away from her home. Winona doesn't object when the lawman suggests that he might pay a "peaceful" visit to Duffy, though. "Are you capable of that?" she jokes.

Cut to Gary, who pays a visit to family man and former football player Toby. "I got an investment opportunity for you," Gary says. "Shopping mall." Toby smells trouble. Indeed, Gary admits that he is currently "overextended." Worse: he took some money from people he "shouldn't have." Toby offers muscle instead of money. "You know I miss being the baddest guy on the field," the former University of Kentucky and NFL player says with a grin.

Givens, meanwhile, pays a visit to Duffy and his "muscle," a former professional boxer. "If either of you go near Gary or Winona, I'll come back here and upend your entire existence," the off-duty Marshall says after some banter. After Givens leaves, Duffy tells his goon to tail Givens and then "put him in the ground."

Later, Duffy calls his boss (a Mr. Arnett), who tells Duffy to keep calm -- and to have a long, productive talk with Gary. Speak of the devil, Gary suddenly shows up with Toby. "Just get me the money," Duffy says. "All these little visits are getting pretty tiresome." Gary starts jabbering about doubling Arnett's money in 24 months while Toby out-and-out threatens. Duffy is unimpressed by either pitch. He even offers Toby a chance to back out, but the former athlete is enjoying his role as enforcer far too much. Bad decision.

Givens, in the meantime, heads back to the bar in search of his beloved cowboy hat. "Wouldn't it be easier just to go buy yourself a new hat?" the bartender asks. Sure, but when did Givens ever do "easy?"

The Marshall next pays a visit to the wise-cracking informant, Arnold Pinter, from an earlier episode, who warns Givens that Duffy is "mercurial" and Arnett has hired him. Givens knows Arnett by "reputation. In short, anyone involved with either thug is in trouble. To prove the point, we cut to Toby's home. Duffy and his goon enter -- and the latter promptly -- and brutally -- beats Toby to the ground. And then beats and stomps him some more.

Later, Duffy and his goon surprise Gary in a parking lot. Duffy orders the man to pay up. The goon punches Gary in the face and then tosses him Toby's Super Bowl ring. "By the way, next time it will be your wife," Duffy says before leaving. The goon, a former professional boxer, then returns to his home -- and finds Givens waiting. The lawman demands to know what Duffy has planned for Gary and Winona. The goon promptly calls Winona a "bitch," prompting Givens to deliver one of his patented ultimatums: "Disrespect her again and I'll put a hole in your leg." After several discharges, for emphasis, of the pistol disarmed from goon, the boxer reveals that the plan is to kidnap Winona TONIGHT in order to force Gary to pay.

Givens quickly calls Winona. "I'll be there as soon as I can," he says. Cut to Gary, who returns to Toby's house. The former player limps to the door on crutches. "You're on your own now," Toby says. Gary apologizes, swearing that the bad guys won't bother him again, and returns Toby's Super Bowl ring.

Meanwhile, Givens drives Winona to a secure location. She accuses her ex of feeling "good" about Gary's misfortune. "I ain't here to gloat," Givens says. Winona then defends her choice of man, saying she needed "a little hope" in her life.

After dropping off Winona, Givens finds Gary by the site of his failed shopping complex plot -- armed. The realtor then puts the gun to the side of his head. "If I kill myself at least Winona will get the insurance," Gary reasons. "All I'm trying to do is make things better and I keep making it worse. I'm such a freaking loser!" Givens talks the man down, urging him to deliver his "pitch" for the project. So Gary does -- pointing out where the movie theater, horse stables and stores would go. Givens is impressed, but says: "It ain't worth dying over." Gary agrees. So the pair head to Duffy's office, where Arnett waits.

Gary admits he doesn't have the money, but hands Arnett the deed for the property. Duffy is incredulous, but Arnett knows the land will be worth even more than Gary owes in a few years. "We've been laboring under the assumption that you were going to pay us with a portion of the recovered money," a fuming Duffy says. Duffy then pulls a gun, as does Arnett's body guard and the boxer.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Everyone goes down, except for Givens, Gary and Arnett. Gary takes the opportunity to tackle Duffy. Givens pulls out his cell phone. "I'm going to need some squad cars and an ambulance," he says.

So Givens drives Gary home to Winona, who embraces her man. A forlorn Givens watches from the car before driving back to the bar where we opened the episode. Sure enough, the men who beat up Givens are at the bar -- and one of them is wearing the Marshal's hat. "I ain't leaving without the hat," Givens warns. "And I'd be sober this time." After some thought, the man wisely returns the hat to Givens who exits the bar, adjusting the hat on his head.

A happy ending, indeed.