Restitution (Justified)

In March 2014, it was reported that the thirteenth episode of the fifth season would be titled "Restitution", and was to be directed by Adam Arkin and written by executive producer Fred Golan and executive producer Dave Andron.[2]

On Ava's decision to help bring down Boyd, series developer Graham Yost said, "we needed to get her desperate, but we also wanted to see her on her own and show that she is capable of surviving — it's just really tough. Our idea was Ava keeps her head above water, just barely, but there's only so many moves she can make, and she ends up right up against it. She's done everything she can. We introduced the notion in the previous episode of Raylan understanding how bad her situation is. Our feeling is that he has two thoughts: One is that she could help them get Boyd, although he's gotta question how much he can really trust her. But the other thing is, he doesn't like to see her in jail. As much as Raylan can talk about people riding the rap and all of that, I think he does care for Ava."[3]

On setting up the last battle between Raylan and Boyd, Yost said, "we knew it was a target, that it was our goal. There were certain pieces that we had to get in place by the end of the season."[4]

In its original American broadcast, "Restitution" was seen by an estimated 2.37 million household viewers and gained a 0.8 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research. This means that 0.8 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.[5] This was a 16% increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 2.04 million viewers with a 0.6 in the 18-49 demographics.[6] This was also a 5% increase in viewership from the previous season finale, which was watched by 2.25 million viewers with a 0.7 in the 18-49 demographics.[7]

"Restitution" received positive reviews from critics. Seth Amitin of IGN gave the episode a "great" 8.4 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "'Retaliation' was a limp to the finish line. The episode itself was very good, but for Justified, which prides itself on great, cataclysmic endings, it fell a little flat from disorganization. Sure, Darryl's death was a great moment but this wasn't on par with what we've seen from this series. Season 5 will have to be remembered for a few running threads that worked together, but never unified neatly in the Justified way. It did, however, lead in to what looks like a great final battle between Raylan and Boyd for Season 6, the final season. So we have that going for us. Which is nice."[8]

Alasdair Wilkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "If the fifth season has taught us anything, it's that Raylan is right, that everything will indeed be fine — for him. But those words ring awfully hollow as a promise of safety to anyone else, and the fact that next season is the end of the line means it's at least possible that Raylan's luck will finally run out. The episode's closing, ominous reprise of 'You'll Never Get Out Of Harlan Alive' has never felt quite so much like a warning."[9] Kevin Fitzpatrick of Screen Crush wrote, "The best it could do, realistically, was to set up a few major pins for the confirmed final season, and wrap up the season 5 threads that hadn’t quite worked, something 'Restitution' mostly accomplishes."[10]

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "Most seasons of the show end with a version of 'You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive'. Most of the Crowes fulfilled that lyric. Ditto Robert Quarles, Nicky Augustine, many of the Bennetts, etc. It's a dangerous place. And I wonder how many members of this central triangle will survive it. Mainly, though, I'm glad to be moving on from the Crowes and back to the show's best dynamic."[11] James Quealley of The Star-Ledger wrote, "Justified has never struggled with a finale, and 'Restitution' was a fun ride that completed the late season rescue of an otherwise uninspired batch of episodes. The setup for the final season was excellent, and that last chorus of 'You Will Never Leave Harlan Alive', as our gunfighter walked off in the dark and alone to fight one more day, made me realize why I'll miss this show when it's gone."[12]

Matt Zoller Seitz of Vulture gave the episode a 2 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "The fifth season of Justified is the first one that I'd rather hadn't happened. So many missed opportunities, so many dead ends, so many false starts; and now, an unsatisfying ending. Or I should say, an ending that feels as though it should’ve been a beginning. Season six, unsurprisingly and inevitably, will come down to Raylan Givens versus Boyd Crowder."[13] Holly Anderson of Grantland wrote, "It's served its grander purpose, now, to line up everybody for Season 6, and to telegraph what those last 13 hours are going to involve, and to get us hooting and hollering for what's ahead."[14]

Carla Day of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.6 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "At the core, Justified has been the story of two childhood friends who went in opposite directions. Before Raylan heads off to Florida to be with Winona and his daughter, he has one final case in Kentucky. It's going to be a Raylan vs. Boyd showdown. To be honest, I'm not sure how I want it to end."[15] Jack McKinney of Paste gave the episode a 9.3 out of 10 and wrote, "The final hour of the penultimate season of Justified is the right running time, but what we actually came away with is two different finales, one that wraps up the often head-scratching fifth season and a second that sets up the final thirteen hours of one of the best shows on television. So maybe it is really a finale and half a premiere. My score for the night is an average of my ratings for each. One is much better than the other."[16]