Good Intentions (Justified)

Lore & Background

In the episode, Raylan Givens and Alison are about to have sex in Monroe's mansion when Henry Granger appears with a baseball bat. Granger later claims he came for Alison, alleging she planted drugs and caused him to lose custody of his son. Meanwhile, Boyd accuses Duffy of sabotaging a drug shipment, and they round up suspects. Boyd learns that Cyrus was involved after telling a woman called "Candy." Dewey Crowe, nervous about the arrival of Daryl and Danny, demands $100,000 from Boyd but fails; Boyd instead gives him a speech about confronting Daryl. Boyd and Mara trick Mooney into a house, threaten him, and force him to lie to Paxton that Boyd is dead. Gloria, Monroe's maid, retrieves gold bars from a safe in the mansion but is caught by Raylan and Rachel; she lies to Monroe that there is no gold. Monroe goes to kill Duffy but is mortally wounded by Duffy's hitman. Dewey confronts Daryl, who shows him Baptiste and Danny torturing Wade for skimming money; Daryl hands Dewey a gun to kill Wade. Boyd captures "Candy," revealed to be Teri, and uses her phone to call the person who stole the shipment: Johnny Crowder.

Reader's Guide

"Good Intentions" serves as a conduit episode that advances multiple plotlines in Justified's fifth season. It received positive reviews, with critics praising the ending but some expressing dissatisfaction with the main plot and lack of progress. The episode was seen by 2.50 million viewers, a 12% increase from the previous episode. Key developments include the introduction of Henry Granger's accusation against Alison, Boyd's manipulation of Mooney, and the revelation that Johnny Crowder is behind the stolen drug shipment. The episode also features the return of David Meunier as Johnny in an audio role, uncredited to preserve surprise. The episode maintains the series' characteristic blend of wry humor and tension, though some critics noted a lack of clear direction in the storytelling.

Did You Know?

• Despite being credited, Jacob Pitts does not appear in this episode as his respective character.
• David Meunier returned as Johnny Crowder in an audio role and was uncredited to keep his appearance a surprise.
• Series developer Graham Yost stated that it was always the writers' belief that Alison did plant drugs on Henry Granger.