Frank Pembleton Award - Lead in Action

The Frank Pembleton Award for the Best Lead Character in an Action
2009: James 'Sawyer' Ford (Lost)
2010: Jack Shephard (Lost)
2011: Raylan Givens (Justified)
2012: Raylan Givens (Justified)
2013: Walter White (Breaking Bad)
2014: Walter White (Breaking Bad)

2015 Results

10. Ragnar Lothbrok (Vikings) 4 points
2nd by Mags

9. Oliver Queen (Arrow) 4 points
4th by Loose, Larry

8. Phillip Jennings (The Americans) 6 points
3rd by Jaydon, Cecil

7. Matt Murdock (Daredevil) 6 points
2nd by Lenny

6. Lucas Hood (Banshee) 6 points
3rd by Loose, T-time

5. Ray Donovan (Ray Donovan) 8 points
1st by Bonz, Tippy

4. Rick Grimes (The Walking Dead) 8 points
1st by Jack

3. Jack Bauer (24) 11 points
2nd by Tippy

2. Boyd Crowder (Justified) 32 points
1st by Jaydon, Lenny

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Raylan Givens (Justified) 40 points
1st by Loose, T-time, Larry, Mags, Tyson, Cecil, Rizzo, Brady

This marks Raylan's third win in the category, the most ever for lead in action.  The previous two seasons he came in third and second, respectively.  Justified has now earned eight wins overall at the Poolies.

Winner's Breakdown
1st: Loose, T-time, Larry, Mags, Tyson, Cecil, Rizzo, Brady
2nd: Jaydon
3rd: Jack, Lenny
No Vote: Bonz, Tippy, Marsh

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

Although it has been three months since the last installment of The Quiet Pool Perspective Power Rankings, they will keep the Bi-Monthly moniker, because I am simply shifting everything back one month.  August, October, December, February, April, and June works better anyway.  There's that, and there's the fact that I was way too busy moving and starting a new job to post anything at the start of July.  I still don't have time to say a lot, but I do have some new rankings for y'all so take a look...

Rank. Show (Last Time, Highest Ranking) green=moving up, red=moving down

10. Fringe (10, 10) Fridays on FOX
They get one final season to wrap things up in a pretty little bow.  I have no doubt that half the viewers will love the ending, and half will hate it.

9. Sons of Anarchy (9, 3) Tuesdays on FX
Last season was an improvement on season three's hiccup, but not a huge one.  It seems they may never return to the greatness of season two.

8. Curb Your Enthusiasm (5, 1) Sundays on HBO
The former number one takes a big dip after the most recent lackluster season had some time to settle in.  With no new season in the near future, it should stay here for a while.

7. Game of Thrones (4, 2) Sundays on HBO
There was just a lot of clunky story telling in season two.  They need to cut characters and storylines, or add episodes.  There was much too much glancing over arcs.

6. Happy Endings (8, 6) Tuesdays on ABC
The best comedy you aren't watching.  The male actors are hilarious but that's to be expected.  It's the fact that there are three funny ladies in the main cast that sets it apart from the rest.

5. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (7, 5) Thursdays on FX
It's going to be tough to compete with its most recent season, but I have a feeling these guys are just in a bit of a zone.  How will they make Mac being skinny again funny?

4. Breaking Bad (6, 2) Sundays on AMC
The start to this season has probably been the best ever.  With a ton of Walt/Jesse action, we have been lucky.  Hopefully they can continue the excitement throughout the eight eps.

3. Homeland (3, 3) Sundays on Showtime
I have the season two premiered queued up on my computer, and I couldn't be more excited about it.  Bring on the suspense!

2. Community (2, 2) Thursdays on NBC
It's probably going to go downhill fast without Dan Harmon at the helm, but with the cast that they have, I have no doubt it will still be funny.

1. Justified (1, 1) Tuesdays on FX
It's been a while now since Justified hasn't been the best show on television.  Somewhere in the middle of season two Justified became the gold standard.

The Frank Pembleton Award- Lead in Action

Named For: Frank Pembleton (Homicide)
Awarded To: The best lead character in an action series
2009 Winner: James 'Sawyer' Ford (Lost)
2010 Winner: Jack Shephard (Lost)
2011 Winner: Raylan Givens (Justified)

10. Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock) 1 point
5th by Matt

9. Clay Morrow (Sons of Anarchy) 5 points
2nd by Rizzo

8. Chuck Bartowski (Chuck) 5 points
3rd by Jack, 5th by Me

7. Jimmy Darmody (Boardwalk Empire) 7 points
2nd by Cecil

6. Peter Bishop (Fringe) 8 points
3rd by T-time, 3rd by Me

5. Nick Brody (Homeland) 11 points
2nd by Bonz

4. Walter Bishop (Fringe) 14 points
1st by T-time, 2nd by Me

3. Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones) 30 points
1st by Cecil, 4th by Me

2. Walter White (Breaking Bad) 31 points
1st by Jaydon, Rizzo, Larry, Matt, and Bonz

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Raylan Givens (Justified) 32 points
1st by Tyson, Mags, and Jack, 1st by Me

This is Raylan Givens's third nomination and second straight win for best lead character in an action series.  Coinciding with Larry David's win of the Cory Matthews Award, Poolie voter Mags is here to talk about the two honorees.

_____________________________

As the suave, handsome, southern gentleman on FX’s Justified, Raylan Givens is known for his quick trigger and smooth demeanor.  Playing himself on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David is infamous for his hilarious tendency to argue inane points to no end, as well as his complete lack of swagger. I would find it difficult to find two other characters which display such stark contrast.

Raylan is the preeminent modern man with a mix of traditional confederate values. He is able to talk his way through or around any situation and does it with an unmatched level of charm and swagger. That a man can wear skinny jeans, plaid shirts and cowboy boots/hat in 2012 and not look like a complete ass says enough about him. Add to that the fact that every woman south of the Mason-Dixon Line wants to sleep with him, and you know the guy is verified.

Juxtapose Raylan with Larry David. The short, bald, bespectacled goon dresses poorly and has a penchant for annoying those around him. Larry will debate any point with anyone at any time, and also harbors extreme prejudice to anyone not just like him. Despite this, he is responsible for what may be the funniest show on television.

Congratulations to Raylan on his winning The Frank Pembleton Award For Best Lead Character in an Action Series. The same goes to Larry for The Cory Matthews Award For Best Lead Character in a Comedy Series. Despite their differences, both are certainly deserving of their respective Poolies.

by Kyle Magnus

The Desmond Hume Award- Supporting in Action

Named For: Desmond Hume (Lost)
Awarded To: The best supporting character in an action series
2009 Winner: Tony Almeida (24)
2010 Winner: Desmond Hume (Lost)
2011 Winner: Boyd Crowder (Justified)

10. John Casey (Chuck) 3 points
4th by Jack

9. Owen Slater (Boardwalk Empire) 4 points
2nd by Jaydon

8. Jason Stackhouse (True Blood) 4 points
3rd by Tyson

7. Theon Greyjoy (Game of Thrones) 5 points
4th by T-time, 4th by Me

6. Emmet Cole (The River) 6 points
2nd by T-time, 5th by Me

5. Morgan Grimes (Chuck) 10 points
3rd by Jack, 2nd by Me

4. Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad) 20 points
1st by Rizzo

3. Robert Quarles (Justified) 22 points
1st by Cecil, 1st by Me

2. Gus Fring (Breaking Bad) 32 points
1st by Jaydon, Larry, and Bonz

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Boyd Crowder (Justified) 37 points
1st by Tyson, T-time, Matt, Mags, and Jack, 3rd by Me

This is Boyd Crowder's second nomination and second straight win for best supporting character in an action series.  Here to discuss what makes Boyd such a great character is Poolie voter, CJ.

____________________________

A character with many layers and the perfect foil for Raylan, Boyd is the criminal you can’t help but respect and even admire. Boyd’s evolution as a character has been an enjoyable one, from a reckless killer to a calculated figure trying to live his own life. Possibly at his best this season having to deal with Quarles and Limehouse while still figuring out how to exact his revenge on Dickie. Boyd defends what he cares about, what he considers his; Ava, Harlan County and in some cases his “best friend” Raylan. A man with a code who anyone should want on their side, Boyd Crowder is a character so key to the Justified storyline, it’s hard to imagine the show if he had been killed off as originally intended.

by Cecil Alleyne

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

It is that time again, and with the Fourth Annual Poolies only a month away, the most recent installment of the Quiet Pool Bi-Monthly Television Power Rankings could not be any more relevant.  As always, these rankings take into account current success or failure, as well as those achievements or defeats that occurred far in the past.  We now move onto those ranked 10 through 1.

Rank. Show (Last Time, Highest Ranking) green=moving up, red=moving down

10. Fringe (12, 10) Fridays on FOX
The show may have lost a bit of steam with the story starting season four, but things have more than picked up as of late, including a fantastic guest performance by Henry Ian Cusick a couple weeks ago.  The fact that Fringe got picked up for a fifth and final season next year makes me very excited that they are going to be able to end things the way they want to.

9. Sons of Anarchy (8, 3) Tuesdays on FX
The gang won't return until this fall, but the news that Jimmy Smits is going to be on as a guest star only has me more excited than usual for Sons of Anarchy to come back.  Smits was fantastic in his run on Dexter, so I have no doubt he will bring some major entertainment to this FX staple.

8. Happy Endings (9, 8) Wednesdays on ABC
Now that the gang has finished up their second season, I can't stress enough the fact that you need to catch up on Happy Endings.  It seriously has something for everyone, and for me, every single one of those somethings is gold.

Come get some with Jane, Max, and Brad on Happy Endings

7. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (7, 7) Thursdays on FX
The more I think back on this past season of It's Always Sunny, the more I realize how great it was.  All three of the main dudes had fantastic years, and even Dee, who I normally don't enjoy all that much, had some great moments in her.  The finale alone kept this show in the top ten.

6. Breaking Bad (6, 2) Sundays on AMC
How much longer can this series go on?  It has to be coming to an end sooner rather than later, and I can't wait to see how they decide to carve out the finality of this epic tale.  Will there be a new big bad in the mix, or will the Walt/Hank showdown finally come to the forefront?

5. Curb Your Enthusiasm (5, 1) Sundays on HBO
A sub-par season overall, with a number of fantastic individual efforts, Curb stays put based on its great legacy in the comedy world.  When will LD decide to make another season?  And will it compare to the best that this series has had to offer?

4. Game of Thrones (2, 2) Sundays on HBO
Thrones takes a slight dip, because unlike what I heard about the beginning of season two, this is starting slower than season one did.  I honestly think that this show would greatly benefit from a 14-17 episode season.  Sometimes it feels like they are just glancing over moments instead of digging deep.  Why not take advantage of the source material, and make each book two seasons of 10 episodes even?

3. Homeland (3, 3) Sundays on Showtime
September 30, that is when Homeland returns, and we can't wait.  The trailer is out, and it has me all excited.  How will Carrie get things done after all that happened at the end of the first season?  What about Brody?  Nazir?  The mole?  There are a lot of questions to be answered.

2. Community (4, 2) Thursdays on NBC
The NBC comedy jumps up to its highest ranking ever at the Quiet Pool.  A number of great episodes in a row will do that for a series, and between the war ep, the Blade ep, the Law & Order ep, and more, Community has had that in spades.

1. Justified (1, 1) Tuesdays on FX
The champ remains.  Justified has been number one for a long time now, and a season that backed up its stellar sophomore campaign should keep it here for a good while longer.  The question now becomes, "can they do it again?"  And "will they ever run out of steam?"

Justified 313 Review- It Wasn't Me, It Was The Two-Armed Man

Boyd- "Well I guess we best both sleep with one eye open."

Limehouse- "I always do."

Justified certainly knows how to pull off a good tragedy. Between the downward spiral and eventual horrific death of Robert Quarles, and the somewhat sad quasi father-son triangle that led to Arlo blatantly choosing Boyd over Raylan, "Slaughterhouse" was a fitting end to the third season of Justified.

Robert Quarles should go down as one of the most interesting and entertaining villains in TV history, and Neal McDonough should receive any and all accolades that are up for grabs this year. His portrayal of the Detroit mobster was riveting all season long, and that was no different in the season finale.

Quarles almost looked content seconds before his arm was chopped off.
The last we had seen Bobby, we thought he had killed Trooper Tom, but we later found out that wasn't true at all. After fleeing the scene at Boyd's bar, Quarles just wanted to get out of Kentucky alive, and make it home to Detroit without a target on his back. That was going to take $500,000 for Theo Tonin, and I doubt that would have even stopped the boss from shooting Quarles when he made it back up north.

McDonough was fantastic throughout Bobby's adventure in attaining the money. First in his hopped up twitchy moments with the Christian family in the van, and then with how his cool customer attitude when seeing Raylan made me die laughing, this was a nice final run for the character. I mean the subtlety in which Quarles asked for Raylan's gun and phone after being turned down ibuprofen was pure genius.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified season finale, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 313 - "Slaughterhouse"
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Justified 312 Review- I Love It When A Plan Almost Comes Together

Arlo- "You're gonna bench me while Dickie Bennett sits out there eating all our pretzels?"

It may have seemed like Ellstin Limehouse was too busy cutting up pigs to know what was going on in Kentucky recently, and it definitely seemed like his right hand man Errol had decided to rise up against the boss last week, but "Coalition" proved that it was all part of the good butcher's master plan.

Given how many temporary alliances came together and fell apart over the course of the hour, this episode of Justified should have been titled the plural, "Coalitions."

Dickie and Errol were seemingly teamed up, who then joined with Boyd to rob the bank. Boyd, meanwhile, was also aligned with Wynn Duffy to take out Quarles. Duffy was already siding with Quarles and Theo Tonin, and Quarles also made a deal with Limehouse.

Everyone was scrapping to get their share of Mags's and/or Tonin's money, and nearly everyone failed. The most intriguing coalition of them all, though, had to be Raylan Givens and Ellstin Limehouse teaming up to get rid of Dickie and keep Mags' money in a safe place.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 312 - "Coalition"
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Justified 311 Review- What A Dick!

Raylan- "Art I've got a daddy."

Art- "Yeah, I've met your daddy."

Raylan- "Fair enough, continue."

There have now been 11 installments of Justified's third season, and "Measures" certainly didn't fail to live up the excitement of the first 10.

Between the misadventures of Robert Quarles, Dickie Bennett beginning his attempt on Limehouse's money, and the buddy cop escapades of Raylan and Art, there was a lot to enjoy in the antepenultimate episode of the season.

Neal McDonough continues to impress me week after week in his playing of Quarles.  This time around it was the way he portrayed the Detroit mobster knocking over (or attempting to as was the case of the second incident) those pair of drug dealers that got me all tingly inside.

The mostly confident, well dressed man we have come to know, showing up for drugs with a stupid grin, acting nervous, and shaking all around, was absolutely joyous to watch.  What Quarles did next might have just been an embarrassment of riches for the audience.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 311 - "Measures"
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Justified 310 Review- Somebody's Poisoned the Waterhole

Quarles- "He slipped the hillbilly rug right out from under my feet."

Raylan- "I'm just gonna file that under who gives a shit?"

"Guy Walks into a Bar," tells a U.S. Marshal he is going to kill him, prepares for a duel, and then says "night, night" with his hand as if he had drawn a face on it. That entire scene in the bar, combined with the rest of what was going on with Robert Quarles, was absolutely fascinating.

The character has lost his mind, and Neal McDonough continued to do a fantastic job portraying this mad man in this week's Justified. It all started to turn in the wrong direction for Quarles two weeks ago when his plan to take Raylan down fell apart.

The downward spiral continued when Napier was disqualified from running for office. Quarles had already stolen the sheriff's office, and was ready to run the shit out of Harlan County, but Boyd outmaneuvered him, and the Detroit man silently walked away from the situation.

It was as if he knew it was all over. Watching him slowly chew on pill after pill in almost a curled up ball in his trailer was sad. Hearing the story of his childhood, however, was much worse. When that kid pulled on him, I knew a Robert Quarles speech was coming, but I never expected what actually came out of his mouth.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 310 - "Guy Walks Into a Bar"
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Justified 309 Review- Mine Your Business

Boyd- "Well Mr. Napier I'd like to think that if I was behind an attempt on your life, at the very least I would've messed up your hair."

Since there were so many interesting and entertaining events during "Loose Ends," I was surprised at my own reaction when it ended.  I wasn't amazed, which has been my feeling following a number of Justified episodes during this middle stretch of the third season.

It's been great, but during the majority of season two and the first three or four episodes this year, Justified was indescribably awesome.  That level of quality is hard to achieve in back to back seasons.

"Loose Ends" was very good though.  Ava's rise, Boyd's speech, everything to do with the land mine, and Raylan wrestling with Limehouse about Quarles were all fantastic in their own right, but it seemed more like an episode that was setting the scene for episodes down the road than an hour of pure entertainment in and of itself.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Ava's rise to power has been brewing for quite some time now.  Ever since she decided that she was okay with Boyd's ways, and we could tell she was willing to get involved herself, it was obvious that at some point she would take an even larger role in the criminal activity.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 309 - "Loose Ends"
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Justified 308 Review- Rock and a Hard Place

Art (to Raylan)- "Having you in this office is gonna give me a stroke."

Each season of Justified has been so outstanding because the writers find different ways to make each episode interesting in its own way.

Whether it's a thrill-a-minute shootout, a game of chess filled with impressive speeches, or in the case of "Watching the Detectives," a simultaneous look into the problems of Raylan's past and certain problems of his future, Justified always entertains.

It was fun watching the onslaught of issues Raylan Givens had to endure during the hour, but it was even more impressive knowing that Robert Quarles was almost entirely responsible for it all.

First, he had Tonin make that phone call - which they knew was being overheard by the FBI - saying that Raylan is dirty, and in bed with Boyd Crowder. Then he straight up murdered Gary on his own front lawn, making the smart decision to use the bullet Raylan had tossed at Duffy earlier in the season. It was a pretty great plan to get Deputy Givens out of the way.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 308 - "Watching the Detectives"
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Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

It's time for the March Power Rankings Top 10...

Place. Show (Last Time) red=moving down, green=moving up

10. Mad Men (9) Sundays on AMC
The long wait is almost over.  Mad Men returns in March.

9. Happy Endings (11) Wednesdays on ABC
If this show keeps climbing the way it has, Happy Endings might find its way into the top five by the end of the year.

8. Sons of Anarchy (8) Tuesdays on FX
Kurt Sutter is announcing new characters.  I wish one of them was replacing a dead Clay Morrow. Oh well.

7. It's Always Sunny (7) Thursdays on FX
Can the next season compete with the genius they put forth this fall?

6. Breaking Bad (5) Sundays on AMC
If you only count the second half of the season, Breaking Bad would be a top three show.  Don't forget the boring first half of the season.

5. Curb Your Enthusiasm (3) Sundays on HBO
The weaker episodes of the season are starting to make their way into my memory.

4. Community (6) Thursdays on NBC
Who's excited to see Troy and Abed back togetherrrrrrr?

3. Homeland (4) Sundays on Showtime
Will season two be able to build on the greatness of the first?

2. Game of Thrones (2) Sundays on HBO
Less than a month away until Game of Thrones is back!  Winter is still coming!  It's always coming!

1. Justified (1) Tuesdays on FX
Has this season disappointed?  Nope.

Justified 307 Review- Robert Quarrels

Quarles- "I'm just gonna put a smile on my face, and eat a nice plate of steaming shit...unsalted."

"The Man Behind The Curtain" marked the midway point of Justified's third season, and what a first half it has been.

This week's installment might not have matched the bar set by some of the episodes that came before it, but it succeeded in moving many pieces around before we head down the back stretch of the season.

There may not have been an exciting episodic story, but the eponymous Robert Quarles made up for that with sheer intrigue. We learned so much new information about him, both in actual history, as well as in what he is like after watching put his hand in all of those different honey jars.

Quarles is investigating Raylan, he is trying to figure out Boyd's deal, he's bribing the sheriff, he's handling his pseudo brother Sammy, and by the end of the hour, he is paying a visit to Gary Hawkins in Tulsa.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 307 - "The Man Behind the Curtain"
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Justified 306 Review- Oxy Morons

Arlo: Sneak up on a man like that; good way to get yourself shot.

Raylan: By you in your boxer shorts there? I think I got the drop on you this time, Arlo.

This was the first time in season three's early run that I wasn't jumping up and down with excitement during and after an episode of Justified.  That's not to say that "When the Guns Come Out" wasn't still great, because it was.

It was filled with a shotgun shootout, a fight on a moving trailer, and plenty of great moments that began to move a number of the pieces around on this gigantic hillbilly chess board, so it was definitely a satisfying hour.

As is usually the case with Justified, let's start by talking about these great villains.  Both Quarles and Limehouse had their own moment to chew up the screen while exemplifying what their respective character is all about.  Oh, and it goes without saying at this point, but McDonough and Williamson were once again wonderful.

Quarles is a man who enjoys being the bad guy.  It's fun for him, so when Winn told him that Raylan busted up their oxy clinic, he just laughed, took a puff on his cigar, and said that it was "awesome."  The guy enjoys this part of it.  Quarles set out to learn more about the Marshal who was onto him, so finding out that he and Boyd work together, and that Raylan's dad is part of Boyd's crew, was just another step in the right direction for this carpetbagger's fun game of life.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 306 - "When The Guns Come Out"
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Justified 305 Review- The Cadillac of Beans

Dewey- "These are the end times for Dewey Crowe."

The bad guys turned on each other two weeks ago in "Harlan Roulette," and it happened once again in "Thick as Mud" when Layla shot Lance before getting gunned down herself by a tranquilized Raylan laying in a bath tub.

In no way is Justified returning to the Elmore Leonard school of writing for villains too much, but if even if the series continued to use this style over and over again, it would be okay. It's extremely entertaining.

Call me gullible, but I'm surprised every time.  ust as it was revealed - obviously or otherwise - that the two nurses were working together, one knocks off the other with a bullet to the back? That doesn't seem normal, so when it happens, I'm taken back by it, and excited to see what will happen next.

This week, in an unsurprising event, Raylan saved himself from the crazy woman by shooting her in the chest through the body of her victim. It might not have been the most bad ass move Raylan has ever done, but everyone was certainly shocked that it actually worked. Including Raylan.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 305 - "Thick As Mud"
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Justified Exclusive- Erica Tazel On Understanding Rachel Brooks

Through 30 episodes of Justified, we're all still getting to know Deputy Marshal Rachel Brooks. The same can be said for the woman behind the badge, Erica Tazel, who learned of her character's Tennessee upbringing only a few days before shooting last week's "The Devil You Know."

Just as Mr. Limehouse did, the audience learned during the hour that Rachel is a southern girl hailing from Hendersonville, Tennessee. Tazel is also from what many consider the south, "born and raised in Dallas," she told me over the phone late last week, which helps the actress "draw on the rhythms" of her family.

"Any time I feel like I'm getting away from that," Tazel continued, "all I have to do is have a five-minute conversation with somebody from home and I'm like - oh yeah, there it is."

The viewers gained more of an understanding of where Rachel comes from last week, but it was in "Cut Ties" - when Rachel hid in the attic and took out the intruder with a single shot - that we learned more about why Art Mullen refers to her as his best Marshal.

To read the rest of my exclusive with Erica Tazel of Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 304 Review- Each Our Own Devil

Boyd- "Don't you know, you're jumping out of the frying pan into the fire?"

Better "The Devil You Know" than the devil you don't. The episode title of Justified's fourth chapter of the year took on a bit of a literal meaning as Boyd's right-hand man, Devil, attempted to make waves within Harlan County corruption before meeting his untimely death.

As is usually the case, the popular idiom also took on its figurative meaning in a couple of fashions over the course of the hour. The most prevalent being Devil himself choosing to side with the devil he didn't know - Mr. Quarles - over the devil he had known forever, Boyd Crowder.

Devil probably would have been better off sticking with the low pay of the Crowder clan. If he just kept on doing what he has done over the years, it is pretty safe to say that Boyd never would have harmed him. He's straightforward that way.

Devil's attempt at defecting to the devil he didn't know was exactly what got him in trouble. Who is to say what would have happened if he had made it out of Boyd's grasps safely, and ended up working for Quarles? Would he have had a similar fate? Most likely, but he didn't know that. Again, he doesn't know Quarles the way we do.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 304 - "The Devil You Know"
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Quiet Poolcast- Fringe and Justified

In hopes of turning this into a weekly thing over at TV Fanatic, I got together with T-Time to practice a podcast this weekend. We discussed the recent happenings on Fringe and Justified, before delving into a few other shows with The Name Game and The Power Rankings.

Here's a timeline of the podcast so that you can skip by shows you don't watch.

Fringe: 0:00 - 12:00
Justified: 12:10 - 20:30
The Name Game
Chuck: 21:20 - 22:50
Suburgatory: 22:50 - 24:30
Once Upon a Time: 24:35 - 25:45
Treme: 25:45 - 27:10
The Office: 27:15 - 28:00
The Power Rankings
Game of Thrones: 29:20 - 31:05

Listen Here

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Justified 303 Review- Cutthroat Pawn

Fogle- "You like old friends or something?"

Wade- "Well I set him up for Dickie Bennett, strung him up in a tree. I don't know, is that a friend?"

What Justified has become so wonderful at recently is not only mixing serialization with episodic stories so well, but also creating episodic plots that - in and of themselves - are integral to the seasonal arc.

That was never more evident than in "Harlan Roulette."

Wade Messer, who we were reminded hung Raylan up a tree last season*, worked for the pawn shop owning Glen Fogle... who worked for our beloved Winn Duffy... who in one way or another is involved with the all kinds of crazy Mr. Quarles, who we met in the season premiere.

(*Both Wade asking Fogle if hanging Raylan up a tree made them friends, and then Raylan shooting down their friendship by reminding the pill popper that he hung him up a tree and left him for dead, were hilarious ways of reminding the audience of their relationship.)

The weird and wild web of baddies continues to be connected, which made the story of JT, Wade and Fogle that much more interesting. Because we knew that there was a good possibility it would lead to Raylan running into Duffy again and/or Quarles for the first time, there were extra stakes tied to the story here.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 303 - "Harlan Roulette"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Justified 302 Review- Prison Chess

Raylan- "When did ya get married?"

Goodall- "Two months before I got divorced."

Justified took its foot off the pedal a bit in "Cut Ties." But that's understandable. If you continue at the pace of the action-packed season premiere for too long, you're likely to drive off a cliff.

There was definitely a more methodical feel to the episode, but with the appearance of a woman from Raylan's past, some field action for Art Mullen, a quasi chess match between Raylan and Boyd and the introduction of Mykelti Williamson as the haunting Ellstin Limehouse, it was a fantastic second installment.

Let's start with the fabulous Carla Gugino. I've never seen Karen Sisco, but many are saying that Justified's Assistant Director Goodall could have shared that last name. She's a U.S. Marshal with ties to Miami, so it makes sense.

Goodall was a fine addition to the hour, but I didn't much see the point of bringing her in until Raylan went in for that major lip lock with Winona at the Marshal's office.

To read the rest of my review of last night's Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 302 - "Cut Ties"
Review
Recap
Quotes