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Patrick Mallister

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Through a serendipitous chain of weird link following, this evening I stumbled across this brilliant travesty of a song. Performed by Robert Mitchum of all people, it is entitled "The Ballad of Thunder Road". A tale of a moonshine run, it apparently was adapted into a film in 1958.

It is a beautiful blend of

.

But I am mentioning it here because of the lyrics, which in the later part include the following:

ROARIN' OUT OF HARLAN, REVVING' UP HIS MILL

HE SHOT THE GAP AT CUMBERLAND,

AND SCREAMED BY MAYNORDSVILLE

WITH G-MEN ON HIS TAILLIGHTS, ROADBLOCKS UP AHEAD

THE MOUNTAIN BOY TOOK ROADS THAT EVEN ANGELS FEARED TO TREAD.

BLAZING' RIGHT THROUGH KNOXVILLE, OUT ON KINGSTON PIKE

THEN RIGHT OUTSIDE OF BEARDON, THERE THEY MADE THE FATAL STRIKE

HE LEFT THE ROAD AT NINETY, THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO SAY

THE DEVIL GOT THE MOONSHINE AND THE MOUNTAIN BOY THAT DAY

<CHORUS>

There is no way that anyone in Harlan is unaware of this song. I'd love to see it incorporated in the show.

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Harlan is featured quite a lot in country music:

Brad Paisley's

was used as the outro music of last season's finale.

And I'll be shocked if Dierks Bentley's

doesn't make it into the show this season with lyrics like:

Here in Harlan County, the choices are few

To keep food on the table and the babies in shoes

You can grow marijuana way back in the pines

Or work for the man down in the mine

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  • 4 weeks later...

I like this season so far. The episode prior to last night seemed to have some uneven pacing. They've set up an interesting story arc with the local crime queen and Boyd's foray into the mines. Last night's episode was good.

I think the strengths are the dialog and setting. Some interesting characters come out of Appalachia. I can imagine it's pretty tough coming up with snappy dialog each week. I also think they choose a great cast.

I would have to say my main gripe is uneven pacing/repetitive plotting with some episodes. I'll temper that by saying this is my favorite show on TV right now. It is the only show I watch while it's broadcast (most of the TV I'll watch is via netflix).

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I think it is the best new thing I am currently watching. Walton Goggins is knocking the hell out of this show.

i agree. most of the cast is pretty spot on, the good writing certainly helps, but Walt Goggins has gone from being Shane to Boyd, and it's kinda crazy.

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I think it's the best show currently playing. I don't think I've ever seen I show that improved as much on a very good season 1. I think my enjoyment from season two can be placed solely on the casting of the Bennett's; they're all fucking fantastic. Dewey impersonating Raylan was great, too.

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I think it's the best show currently playing. I don't think I've ever seen I show that improved as much on a very good season 1. I think my enjoyment from season two can be placed solely on the casting of the Bennett's; they're all fucking fantastic. Dewey impersonating Raylan was great, too.

Just to add my voice to the chorous: I agree with this completely.

Kinda funny when you think back to the first batch of episodes from last season, when pretty much all of us were like "Um, OK..It's not that good or anything, but I guess I'll watch it to waste some time.."

Of course, the show became significantly better as the season progressed, and yet, this season really does seem to take it to a new level. Bennetts are great, but I also think both the writers and returning actors seem to have a much better feel for the characters. Even completely mundane scenes like Raylan talking to his boss slay me.

Filler episodes are a bit hit and miss (really liked the one with the pregnant inmate, not so much the one with the non-psycho brother in law), but anything with the main characters is great. And I do include Dewey in the list of main characters

"Who are you, the ski-mask police?" :laugh:

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After giving up on it mid-way last season, I came back to try it again and am totally into it now.

Dewey has eastern Kentucky nailed--well, all the Bennetts do, really. They are dancing so close to caricatures (and sometimes to tip-toe over it), but honestly, I've met so many true characters, the line is a blurry one.

I have always loved Walton since his Shane days, but the quiet introspectiveness of Boyd right now is a bit too much for me. He seemed the most genuine when he drug the miner dude outside his pickup and went all crazy. (I did like his cute cell phone trick this past week, though!)

And Raylan, goddamn, godDayum!

ps, my favorite drama on right now is Shameless. Someone needs to start or bump(if there's one) on that, too.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Great episode, reminded me of The Shield where everything could unravel at any moment. Olyphant and Goggins are killing it right now.

ps, my favorite drama on right now is Shameless. Someone needs to start or bump(if there's one) on that, too.

I tried watching this, it's beyond awful. It has all the subtlety and cliche of Crash, combined with a celebration of depravity (justified by poverty of course) that the writers seem to enjoy throwing in the face of the audience.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I, for one, was disappointed in the last episode. Part of me was really hoping that Loretta would grow up to be the big bad in the final season, replacing Mags. The tension between a mostly adult her and Raylan could have been fabulous. But I don't see how they get there from here anymore.

Still, it was great to see Boyd getting his smart on, even if Coover's stupidity probably wrecked his plans. I'm sort of rooting for him and Ava, these days. Sure she shot his brother, but he was kind of an ass. Joelle Carter reminds me of someone I grew up with, even if I can't quite place who, so somehow I'm extra invested in her story. Doesn't hurt that she's awfully attractive.

IMDB just gave me a huge shock though. Did anyone else realize that they guy who play's Winona's new husband was Herman on Herman's Head?

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Great season so far. It's gotta even more hick-ified, which is good for this show. Dickie is like the ultimate greasy dirty Redneck, but as we have seen he isn't the worst of the bunch. The acting remains great all around, especially Goggins, Olyphant and Mags Bennet.

4 episodes to go till its over. Lots of ways it can go right now.

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