This episode of Longmire had a lot of the sarcastic humor I enjoy. Plus, Vic (Katee Sackhoff) is so deliciously sassy. She’s settling into the role, I feel, and the writers are finding their footing with the actors and their characters.
The episode opens with a mystery of two bodies fished out of the river, and evolves into Mexican drug cartels and how a pot dealing Cheyenne kid got mixed up in it. We also meet the charming Jamie, pot dealer and informant of Walt’s. I gather he was also the supplier of some pot for Walt’s wife as she was dying of cancer, which both answers the question of how she died and also reminds us that Walt may not like shades of gray too much, but he knows what they are. Just as he doesn’t like the greater world’s problems of international drug trade but he can still handle his way well enough through them.
I don’t find myself as wary of the intrusion of a case connected to bigger things this week, maybe because this one was still very local. The outsiders could’ve been anyone, but the Forest Service deputy and his marijuana operation was the kind of local area problem I would expect the show to deal with, since marijuana growing in National Forests does happen often. It’s a pity, though — I was briefly hoping we’d see Eli again in this growing stable of characters.
I found myself wondering during this episode if the show was deliberately inviting Justified comparisons with this storyline because of the easy parallels to the Bennett arc in Justified. Perhaps if I sat down and drew out the comparisons, this one episode would come up short, but it feels unfair to stack a single episode against an entire season.This episode did what it was supposed to with its own flair. Mostly it gave us more Vic and more Henry and more Walt (though there was a sad lack of Cady), and that’s the part I like best. When Vic was running through the forest yelling for Walt, it made me wonder again how he won her loyalty and what her backstory is. I hope we find out soon, because I’m very curious!
Oh, before I forget — the little subplot of “registered voter” Lizzie Ambrose and Walt was delightful. The scene in the sheriff’s office and the whole interplay of the deputies watching avidly and Walt’s discomfort was so fun. There’s something intrinsically humorous when tightly-wound people are off their game, and she definitely threw Walt off his game. Whether it’s with her or not, I hope we continue to see that touch of uncertainty in him occasionally.
Favorite Quotes:
Clacked by Liz Tamura 
on Jun 25, 2012 @ 09:26 EST5EDT
I can see why Katee Sackhoff wanted the role of Vic so much. She’s a delight, from toughness to teasing to pole dancing.
I’m rarely aware of the differences between Canada and the US until there’s something like Walt having to buy his wife’s marijuana from a local pot dealer.