Harlan’s never really contained a hierarchy of criminals so much as a jumbled mess of ’em.
Sure, you have the smart, calculating Boyd Crowders and the not-so-smart, not-so-calculating Dewey Crowes of the world, but in this type of environment, who’s to say who wins? Unpredictability is dangerous, and it’s questionable whether someone like Boyd Crowder is any better off than Dewey Crowe when it comes to handling rapid-fire decisions and outpourings of emotion.
It’s been a long wait, but we’re finally back in Harlan.
Well, not exactly; in fact, the episode takes us to places like Florida and Detroit, expanding the show’s universe a bit and introducing new sides to the Crowe family and the mob. It’s really impressive how the show manages to remain as entertaining as ever while it’s spending its time place-setting for the remainder of the season. In fact, each character, however peripheral he or she is, is utilized magnificently in this fantastic premiere.
A Murder of Crowes is fundamentally about family, whether it be through Boyd’s vendetta against pretty much everyone or the crazy relations of the Florida Crowes. Michael Rapaport is introduced as Darryl Crowe, and accent aside, he fits into the role well as the man who’s had huge weights on his back, but is only just breaking now. The premiere has a fairly engaging storyline involving Elvis and Wendy, and the murder of Dilly Crowe illustrates the various messed up shit people will do in the name of “family”.
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