TV Review: Justified 3.7, "The Man Behind the Curtain"

What “The Man Behind the Curtain” lacked in physical drama it more than made up for in the drama of personal and professional dynamics in relation to the profound consequences at the highest levels.

By Joseph Kratzer /

rating:4

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Although €œThe Man Behind the Curtain€ wasn€™t the most action packed episode of Justified, it had ample amounts of tense preparation for what€™s shaping up to be the most volatile showdown since Bo Crowder€™s hard fall from the top of Harlan County€™s criminal syndicate. A convoluted series of attempted recruitments has further tangled the web of power which threatens to collapse, creating such a vacuum that the chaos of the drug business in Harlan would consume its citizens. Perhaps most intriguing, however, is the involvement of the FBI whose interest in Detroit oxycontin entrepreneur Robert Quarles contributes a new layer of intrigue and potential consequences for Raylan€™s new found quest to clear his name from Boyd€™s dealings. The episode opened with Arlo€™s further decline into senility as he approached Nobles Holler looking for his deceased first wife at Limehouse€™s compound. As Justified has previously demonstrated being adept at planting narrative seeds to be harvested at a later date, I can only assume this thread will tie in later in the season most likely as a way for Quarles to put pressure on Raylan since it didn€™t play into any substantial significance this episode. It did, however, bring us to the first of several underhanded arrangements that will no doubt lead to some explosive inevitabilities. First off, the thug hired by Limehouse€™s lieutenant to rob Boyd€™s oxy clinic has returned from being thrown out of a trailer by Raylan last episode only to become Limehouse€™s second seen informant of Quarles€™ activities. Next up was Quarles€™ failed attempt to cut Raylan into his business at the bar Raylan is now sleeping above and moonlighting as a bouncer at thinking he€™s a dirty Marshal due to his connections to Arlo and Boyd. This prompts Raylan to dish out a couple swift beat downs in what was the only real physical action of the episode. The interrogation did reveal to Raylan though that he and Boyd have a common enemy in Quarles. Boyd was very much on the receiving end this week as he also had to endure a shake down from the actual dirty law enforcement officer in Sheriff Napier after a generous campaign donation from Quarles. Finally, in retaliation Boyd helps an old friend from his mine working days, Shelby, to realize his aspirations to the Sheriff€™s office. Meanwhile, Raylan recruits Tim to basically do all his legwork researching and locating any potential leads to nail Quarles, much to the chagrin of Tim€™s friend at the Bureau. In addition to the FBI, which told the Marshals emphatically to €œBack off,€ of Quarles, his superior (at least in title if not ability), Sam, has also entered the mix first agreeing to fund Quarles€™ new plans to expand, then under Raylan€™s thumb cutting said funds until once more succumbing to Quarles€™ persuasions after learning of Raylan€™s ties to the Crowder crew. What all these recruitments and arrangements amount to is an acknowledgement of power not only in the hierarchies of crime but law enforcement as well. Now we€™ve seen these types of power dynamics hundreds of times before in other series, however, what makes them significant in €œThe Man Behind the Curtain€ is what they reveal about the seemingly insurmountable organizations €“ that they€™re run by human beings no more immune to frustration and hardship than anyone else. The FBI is clearly agitated by Raylan€™s involvement in Quarles€™ operations probably because they€™re afraid his perceived short term goal of ridding Quarles from Harlan will interfere with their attempt to dismantle the larger organization he represents. The once seemingly infallible Quarles who up till now took any and all setbacks in stride, spinning them as positives, is now running out of funds, cool, his base of operations which was evicted by Raylan, and is even being mocked by his boss€™ ineffectual son for what landed him in Harlan to begin with €“ putting a male prostitute in a three week long coma, finally shedding some light on those tied up men we kept seeing in his bed. Even Raylan, who is now clearly the biggest thorn in his side, got a nice pot shot in when he mused that Quarles is probably €œmore of a wood instrument man.€ I love down and out Raylan (who thankfully found his hat) and is clearly a more determined protagonist without Winona weighing him down. And, as is historically the case, when powerful men begin to lose power they become desperate and start winding up for those €œHail Mary€ passes. In this case it€™s Quarles and Duffy€™s visit to Winona€™s pathetic antithesis to Raylan ex-husband, Gary, who€™s now selling self-help manuals at real estate conventions. I can€™t imagine what Gary, who€™s clearly not doing well, could offer these men, perhaps access to the woman he and Raylan love whose pregnancy I would not put past the writers of Justified to place in immediate jeopardy. What €œThe Man Behind the Curtain€ lacked in physical drama it more than made up for in the drama of personal and professional dynamics in relation to the profound consequences at the highest levels.