Alive Day

Lore & Background

In "Alive Day," Raylan Givens questions Boyd Crowder about Dewey Crowe's disappearance, while Boyd deflects suspicion toward Avery. Ava, frustrated by her informant status and a recent kiss with Raylan, is left when he departs on his own. Meanwhile, Walker assigns Choo-Choo and Seabass to dispose of Calhoun's body and later tasks Choo-Choo with killing a call girl named Caprice. The body is discovered due to bear hunting season, with evidence including Raylan's card and impressions from Choo-Choo's brass knuckles.

Avery proposes marriage to Katherine while asking her to come clean about Grady's incarceration. Raylan and Tim question Avery about Calhoun's murder. Choo-Choo, tasked with killing Caprice, hesitates after she treats him kindly. Boyd, Zachariah, and their crew begin work on a mine shaft, where Boyd nearly dies but is saved by Zachariah. The Pig notices cut boards and is pushed to his death by Zachariah.

Walker and two men confront Choo-Choo in the woods, but Raylan and Tim expose Walker's duplicity. Choo-Choo remains loyal, starting a shootout that allows Walker to escape wounded. Choo-Choo drives to a railroad crossing and dies from his wounds. Rachel issues an all-points bulletin. Boyd returns home to a call from Limehouse, who warns him about Ava's activities the previous day.

Reader's Guide

"Alive Day" is a transitional episode in Justified's final season, advancing multiple plotlines while receiving mixed-to-positive reviews. Critics praised the closure of Choo-Choo's storyline but expressed frustration with the episode's pace and "convoluted" writing, particularly regarding character decisions. The episode was seen by 1.81 million viewers, a 4% increase from the previous episode. The writers originally planned an "ironic" death for Choo-Choo involving a train, but altered it due to sensitivity following the Midnight Rider incident, where a crew member was killed by a train. The episode's opening scene, featuring Raylan, Boyd, and Ava together, was noted by critics as a callback to the series premiere. The episode explores themes of trust and duplicity, with characters like Boyd, Ava, Raylan, Rachel, Avery, and Katherine all suspecting one another.

Did You Know?

• The episode's title "Alive Day" refers to the sixth episode of the sixth season of Justified.
• Choo-Choo's name was suggested by actor Timothy Olyphant.
• The writers changed Choo-Choo's planned death by train due to the Midnight Rider incident.
• The episode was seen by an estimated 1.81 million household viewers.