What Do Coal Mines And Bank Vaults Have In Common?

Ava vs. The U.S. Justice System, Basically?

We pick back up with Boyd and Ava a few hours after we left them: a lot more friendly with each other since Ava's intel about the Pizza Portal deed, and a lot more drunk. (When Boyd compliments her on how well she's holding her liquor, she even gets a little offended: "I ain't puked up bourbon since I wore a cheerleader's skirt!" Boyd remembers that item, and what he thought of it at the time -- or now, probably: "What I wouldn't give to be a stripe on that cheerleader's skirt.") The spell is broken when she gets a text, and when she says one of her co-workers has called in sick and she has to go open the beauty salon, he lets her go without any apparent suspicion...

...but of course it wasn't the salon, it was Raylan -- doy -- and he's not impressed that she's drunk at 7 AM. "So you were up all night drinking with Boyd." "All night, Raylan. You gonna give me a daddy lecture?" Curious to know the answer to that one myself because if he's giving them out, I'll take a number. Anyway: too bad it's not just Raylan she has to answer to on this particular day!

Inside, everyone is angry, and yelling! Rachel and Vasquez are disgusted by the paltry amount of actionable information Ava has provided them in the weeks since she's been out of prison, and when Vasquez is done screaming in Ava's poor, hung-over face, Rachel good-cops -- relatively -- that if Ava doesn't bring them something useful within the week, she's going back. "Or die trying," snaps Ava. "Right?" Though Ava's obviously concerned about these threats and takes them seriously, she's also just scared, and drunk, and starts ranting in all directions: "I understand. You ain't getting your way fast enough suits you! So you bring these two assholes up here to impress upon me the severity of my situation! Well, consider myself impressed." Never let it be said, though, that Ava doesn't know how to put a button on a conversation.

Winner: Justice.

Elsewhere In Harlan Hangovers...

Who called the meeting? Ty.

What's it about? The bank robbery.

How'd it go? Boyd is still so fucked-up from his drunken night with Ava that he's not exactly receptive to any stern messages from Ty, who's come to the bar to say he knows Boyd & co. robbed the bank, and that he thinks they should know they weren't robbing Calhoun Schreier: they were robbing Ty's boss. "And while my employer is fair and patient on the whole, he's no weak sister, nor a man to be trifled with....I'm saying, you find a way to counsel patience, desist from coming after what doesn't belong to you, then everybody wins, town, county, and state. Now, that being said, you insist upon the track thus far set upon, there will be consequences." Boyd: "You done? Damn, son, you like to talk as much as I do!" Boyd doesn't give a shit about Ty OR his boss and tells Carl to bus him, which Carl does, but as soon as Ty's gone he throws a tiny hissy about how they're not going to be able to get a look at the Pizza Portal now that Ty's seen all their faces. Is there maybe a face Ty HASN'T seen, though...?

Follow The Emulex

Having put the fear of God into Ava a little, Rachel and Raylan move on to the next item on their to-do list: since the explosive used in the bank robbery was Emulex, Raylan's going to go say hi to his old friend Luther, whom Raylan and Boyd both worked with mining coal years ago, and who'd now have access to Emulex and maybe a willingness to get some to Boyd. But first: nostalgia!

Popped Off

I know that when Ava takes it upon herself to go to Pizza Portal, "accidentally" spill Coke on herself, "get lost looking for the bathroom" and end up in the basement where the old bank vault door still is, I'm supposed to be worried about her safety -- particularly after first Choo-Choo and then Ty emerge and catch her in the act. Too bad all I can see is the Coke stain changing location on the dumb halter top she chose to anchor her bimbo costume. Sloppier than "Ava Randolph" herself!

The State Of Kents

After his encounter with Luther revealed some discrepancies in the explosives log book that Luther apparently signed off on, Raylan's called in to see if Luther's gotten into any kind of trouble that might suggest he'd partner up with Boyd in some kind of outlaw doings. While there's nothing particularly alarming in Luther's record, he did get caught, after a traffic accident, trying to switch seats with his son Tyler to make it look as though Luther had been the one driving. Aw, that's so sweet! This Tyler must be a very nice boy to merit this kind of loving/criminal attention from his dad, right...?

Tyler Made For Trouble

So Tyler's in the middle of his important work -- crack and Xbox -- when Earl enters trying to get the hookup for more Emulex! Tyler has (just) enough of a conscience to know they've probably already pushed their luck about as far as they can without getting Luther in trouble, but Earl reminds Tyler of a debt he owes (for crack, presumably)!

Before they can get into it, though, in comes Raylan! Tyler drastically misreads the situation and tries to talk tough to Raylan, posturing about "trespassing," with Earl joining in with a reference to Raylan's "pussy badge"!

Earl, even dumber, tries to punch Raylan, and ends up with his balls in Raylan's vise-like grip instead! As Raylan holds Earl in place, he introduces himself to Tyler and tells him about the shady bookkeeping Raylan and Rachel have just seen at the mine! He wanted to keep Tyler from getting into trouble with the ATF! He's just going to leave his card!

After Raylan's gone, Tyler makes the pretty decent point that Raylan's appearance there proves that Tyler had better not help Earl any more than he already has! However, Earl has a new plan that won't require Tyler to lie to anybody! Ooh, I bet it's a real corker!

Elsewhere, this is happening!

Cue Earl's great plan: he and Tyler are going to put on cheap, shitty masks and steal the Emulex! They'll even rough Luther up a little so he won't look complicit!

WHOOPS! Raylan and Rachel followed Earl and Tyler and got the jump on them when the idiots were chatting in the truck! "Earl. Earl? You really need me to run down all the 'or else's?" asks Raylan. "Actually, I was hoping you'd try grabbing my prick again, see if it goes the same way now I'm paying attention!" Earl unwisely replies. "I ain't gonna grab it," says Raylan wearily. "I'm just going to shoot it off. You understand me, Earl? I'm gonna shoot your dick off." Anyway, Raylan just wants to know what the explosives were for!

Then Luther comes out and gets a read on the whole situation! And this guy is such a good/credulous dad that he says he took the Emulex! WHAT?!

Blowback After The Blow-up

So Boyd has been abducted by (judging by his size) Choo-Choo and (going off his voice) Seabass, in reprisal for Ava's spying at the Pizza Portal, and even though nothing we have seen suggests that she was sent there at Boyd's behest (though we did see him and his colleagues poring over the photos she took, after the fact), Ty and his crew have no way of knowing that, and the assumption they've made is, to be fair, a pretty sound one. After shears are brandished and Chinatown invoked, Boyd is told that this is officially his second warning; there won't be a third.

Boyd looks...legitimately rattled by all of this, which is rare and lets us know how serious this actually is. Boyd?

Markham Of The Beast

Who called the meeting? Avery.

What's it about? Boyd -- and Ava, as far as everyone but Raylan knows -- really being in over their heads with this latest criminal venture.

How'd it go? Chilling. Ava tries to be tough, but Avery makes his position very clear while also telling her some truth sugar-free: "I know for a woman to survive in this line of work, she's got to be harder than the men. Ready to do the things that they won't. I know women who have that in them. My question is, are you that kind of woman, Ava? Because if you ain't, then you'll never be more than a token -- something that can be threatened or hurt just to keep your man in line."

Hang Luth

Since Raylan still remembers that Luther was a decent guy when they worked together decades ago, he is using a lull while investigators comb the crime scene to try to talk Luther out of taking the fall for Tyler. Luther says that, first of all, there's no kind of life in Harlan for anyone who flips on Boyd Crowder. Second, he couldn't afford to send Tyler to community college to become an X-ray tech, but at least if Luther does this, Tyler can say he got something from his old man. And finally...Luther thinks Raylan should have a lot more empathy: "You say you got a baby girl of your own?...Right now I reckon she's not much more than a lump that cries and shits and makes baby noises." "It's like you've met her," says Raylan dryly. "You gonna tell me that absent even any personality she might one day cultivate, there ain't one thing in this world you wouldn't do for that gob? That don't stop, son! And it don't get any easier! You'll see!" While I'm sure that's true of any halfway decent parent, it's really just underlining my position in life.

Friendly Fire

When Boyd manages to make his way back to Ava's place and walk in on her meeting with Avery, it seems safe to say that everyone is making an enemy for life, however long that might be on either side?

Robbing Hoods

Who called the meeting? Boyd.

What's it about? His recent visit from Avery Markham.

How'd it go? Boyd is on a motherfucking TEAR, you guys. He opens by telling them he's found the money, and might have found it sooner had they been honest with him about their target. As Katherine, cool as fuck, makes herself a drink, she calmly says that she thought if she'd told him, he might not have taken the job. "Because of Markham's reputation, or because he used to be your husband's partner," asks Boyd, expositorily. "He was much more than that," Sphinxes Katherine. After a little more barbed banter, Katherine admits that is currently sleeping with Avery. With a mirthless chuckle, Boyd asks, "Woman, how do you see this playing out in your mind?!" He's pretty sure Avery's going to figure out that Katherine was backing Boyd, and then what? "So you're out, right?" Wynn asks. "That's what you're saying?" Oh, Boyd's not out of anything: "I'm gonna rob him, and then I'm gonna stick a bullet in your boyfriend's head." Katherine: "From the minute I met you, I just knew you were the man of my dreams." Oh, honey, get in line. At any rate, there's no angle from which this wasn't a pretty great, extremely productive meeting. Well done, all. Yes, even you, Wynn.

Back In Her Saddle Again

After Boyd's big showdown, he heads back to the room he had Wynn arrange for himself and Ava, a lot less fiery than he was a minute ago. When she asks how much money they're talking about and how Boyd's going to go after it, Boyd non-answers that he thought she trusted him. When she says she does, he asks why she needs to know the particulars, then. Reasonably, Ava says she's scared: Avery and Ty came to her home and held her there against her will -- I mean, pretty politely, but still. She asks if he ever thinks about just running, starting over, doing anything else. In classic outlaw style, Boyd says he doesn't have enough for them to start over, and Ava says, "You have me." "Do I?" Boyd replies appraisingly. He says "last night" (that's Drunk Night) was "beautiful," but that since she's gotten out of prison, he feels like he doesn't know who she is anymore. Ava actually has a pretty solid rejoinder for that one.

And Boyd doesn't really have an argument to counter with.

Is Ava an awesome CI, or really into Boyd again, or just hard up after her time inside? MAYBE IT CAN BE ALL THREE.