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Ava Crowder (née Randolph) is a young, attractive widow and was Boyd Crowder's fiancée until breaking it off with him in "Weight". After murdering her abusive husband Bowman Crowder, she becomes a love interest to Raylan Givens and a damsel in distress as Bo Crowder attempts to have her killed to avenge his son. During the second season, she and Boyd (Bowman's brother) become lovers and she is drawn into the criminal life. She is portrayed by starring cast member Joelle Carter.

Biography[]

Background[]

She is from Harlan County and was married to Bowman Crowder. He was an abusive husband and she used to take refuge with Ellstin Limehouse at the holler when she could not cope. Due to one of his beatings she had a miscarriage but blamed it on her She eventually shot him for continuing to get drunk and beat her. She pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced with parole. She has known both Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder since they were kids.

Later, she lets Boyd live in her house. At first she tries, with some degree of success, to forbid Boyd from returning to a life of crime. Later, she develops feelings for him and he reciprocates. The two start a relationship as Boyd resumes his business in crime.

Like Raylan's aunt, Helen Givens, Ava is shown to be a very tough woman with very little fear of other people.

After murdering Delroy in "Loose Ends" when he comes to Johnny's bar to retrieve Ellen May, in order to keep the woman from being killed by him, she becomes the new owner of Audrey's and watches over the prostitutes. Dewey Crowe buys Audrey's from Boyd in the fifth season with his lawsuit money and because of Ava's incarceration. 

Season 1[]

In the first season, despite how tough Ava is, Ava appears to be the "damsel in distress" being kidnapped or held hostage several times.

Ava's first appearance is in the first season premiere, "Fire In The Hole". Ava has recently shot her abusive husband, Bowman Crowder, while he was eating. Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens goes to visit her, and she reveals to him that she had always had a crush on him. While Raylan is there, Dewey Crowe arrives. Raylan runs Dewey out of the house, only for him to go to his car and get a gun out of the trunk. Dewey is disarmed and forced to leave by Raylan.

Later, Boyd manages to take Ava hostage as bait to get Raylan to go to her home. Raylan arrives to find him eating chicken and Boyd tells him to sit down. The two begin to talk but are interrupted when Ava walks in with a shotgun. Boyd aims at Ava, but is shot by Raylan. Ava also fires at Boyd but misses him. Boyd survives but is incarcerated for kidnapping Ava.

Ava and Raylan then begin a sexual relationship, despite Chief Deputy Art Mullen warning Raylan not to sleep with Ava because she is a witness to Raylan shooting Boyd. Art discovers the relationship in "The Collection; while talking to Raylan at his motel, he peeks in to find Ava in his bed.

Ava is kidnapped in "Blind Spot" as part of an attempt to kill Raylan by a Miami drug cartel. Raylan initially believed that the Crowders had put a hit on Ava. He later realized that he was the target after discovering that Harlan County Sheriff Hunter Mosley was corrupt. While being held hostage in a van by Red, Ava manages to break loose and strangle Red causing him to swerve off of the road.

Boyd is released from prison because the sexual relationship between Ava and Raylan is exposed by David Vasquez. Vasquez advises Raylan to stay away from Ava. Raylan follows orders, even ignoring a phone call from Ava at the end of the episode.

Ava realizes that Raylan has been avoiding her out of guilt over Boyd's release, which further upsets her. Even worse, a man named Hestler has been ordered to follow her around by Bo Crowder. She suspects that Hestler might try to kill her. Raylan breaks Hestler's trigger finger.

Ava then ends her relationship with Raylan when she spots his ex-wife Winona Hawkins leaving his apartment in "Fathers and Sons".

In the first season finale, "Bulletville", Ava is kidnapped by Bo in order to lure Raylan into a trap. Boyd tags along with Raylan, to avenge the killing of his "flock" by Bo earlier in the episode. Raylan and Boyd come to her rescue but Boyd is wounded by a sniper. Bo is killed by the same sniper.

Season 2[]

Boyd has moved in with Ava to help her pay her bills. Ava first appears in "The Life Inside", treating Boyd's wounds after a brawl. Raylan suspects that the two are sleeping together, but Ava reassures him that Boyd is only helping her out with money. Ava has strict rules for Boyd living with her. Boyd manages to keep his word while foiling a mine heist. The scheme was supposed to leave Boyd dead and was planned by Kyle Easterly. Easterly recruited Boyd because of his explosives expertise but Boyd managed to turn the tables on Easterly and bring Ava a large sum of money. Ava lies to the police about Boyd's role in the heist at his request.

Ava tells Boyd that he cannot live with her and continue his criminal activity. Boyd agrees to leave, but Ava embraces his criminal ways because she is in love with him. Boyd is now able to hold meetings at her house with her consent.

Ava is shot in the right shoulder by Dickie Bennett in the season finale, "Bloody Harlan". Boyd comes home to find her wounded, and goes after Dickie.

Season 3[]

In the third season premiere, "The Gunfighter", Ava continues to embrace Boyd's criminality. She allows him to store the weed he seizes from the Bennett family in her house and shed. Ava arrives home to find Arlo Givens and Devil meeting marijuana distributor Rodney Dunham to discuss selling him the weed. 'Hot Rod' refuses to buy the weed because it is rotting due to improper storage. Ava manages to settle the ensuing argument between Devil and 'Hot Rod', despite Devil's protests to stay out of it. 'Hot Rod' leaves and Arlo and Devil go for a drink, furious at Ava for stepping into their business.

Ava visits Boyd in the Lexington Federal Detention Centre. He tells her to have them burn the weed because it is worthless. Ava cooks for Arlo and Devil and relays Boyd's instructions. Devil gets upset. Ava warns Devil that he can either do what Boyd says or it can go badly for him. Devil laughs it off saying "What are you gonna do? Spit in my food?" In response Ava whacks Devil in the face with a skillet, asserting her authority.

In "Cut Ties", Boyd is transferred to Trumbull Correctional Institute and then released. Ava goes to collect him. He tells her that he managed to get to Dickie Bennett in solitary confinement and that Ellstin Limehouse is holding the Bennett fortune for Dickie.

In "Harlan Roulette”, Ava visits Ellstin Limehouse at the holler. He cooks barbeque and pontificates on its virtues. He says that despite its quality he knows that Ava has come for something else. She admits that he is right, he respectfully removes his hat and says that it is nice to see her, whatever the reason. She responds in kind and he says that she is looking well. She admits that she is better than when they last saw one another; she had taken refuge at the holler to avoid her abusive ex-husband Bowman Crowder. Limehouse notes that she is favouring her left shoulder. She counters that it was not Bowman and he says that he knows that she shot and killed Bowman at the dinner table. Ava jokes that it was a shame to waste the ham she had cooked. Limehouse says he thought the shame was that he would not see her at the holler any more. He asks if she has a new boyfriend and she says that is why she came.

Limehouse drives Ava back out to the bridge into the holler, accompanied by his henchman and Avant, both armed. He is met by Boyd Crowder, Arlo Givens and Devil on the bridge, similarly equipped. Limehouse and Boyd meet in the middle of the bridge and Ava says that she will leave them to talk. Boyd proposes killing Dickie and splitting the money but Limehouse declines. He brings up the Bennett weed and Boyd realizes that it still has not been burned. Boyd walks back to the car. He punches Devil for failing to follow his instruction to burn the weed and warns him to follow orders from Ava. He says the only reason that Arlo does not get the same is because he is an old man.

Boyd sells the weed to Limehouse for approximately $5000 and holds a meeting at Arlo's house. Boyd tells the others that his father (Bo Crowder) considered himself a Harlan criminal but became a middleman for Miami and Frankfort. Boyd says that Bo’s association with outsiders cost him his life and that he will not repeat his father’s mistakes. He says that he plans to take control of every aspect of crime in Harlan encompassing protection rackets, robbery, illegal gambling and drug distribution. He tells his crew that they will be meticulous and clean. He warns that there will be no more smash and grabs and no more bad decisions. He says that they will give up Bo’s prostitution business both because Ava dislikes it and because it is untenable in the recession. Arlo says that Boyd has made a fine speech but that they will need more men. Boyd claims to have started recruiting and says that for today they are going to reclaim some Crowder property. Later, he takes Arlo and Devil and forcibly takes possession of Johnny Crowder's old bar. Johnny meets him there with two new recruits, Rip and Jimmy.

In "Thick as Mud", she visits Boyd at the bar. Boyd expresses regret for being forced to kill Devil. Ava shows Boyd her chest wound that she received from Dickie Bennett. Boyd tells her that Dickie will pay for that, and she prompts Boyd to show her his wound. Ava tells him that it's the price they pay for the life they live, and also tells him that whatever Boyd decides to do, she will be right there with him.

Season 4[]

In "Hole in the Wall", she arrives into the back trailer after Ellen May panickly shoots Arnold, her client after he came into the back room wearing a bear costume. Ava chastises Ellen May for having a gun while working. Ellen May tells Ava that she has been scared due to being physically assaulted not just by clients, but by Ava as well. Ava reminds her that she has saved her life countless times, and that Boyd and her will figure out what to do together. Ava is then seen in Boyd's office at the bar while her, Boyd, and Johnny figure out what to do about the Oxy business. Ava offers a stressed Boyd a Dr. Pepper. When Colt overpowers Johnny and heads into the office, Ava follows him with a shotgun only to find the two men embracing in the room. 

In "Where's Waldo?", Ellen May confesses to Ava that she had found God at the Last Chance Salvation Church. Ava doesn't take kindly to the revelation, insisting the girl return to work later that night ... or else. After the conversation between Boyd, Johnny, and herself over their declining sales, Ava sides with Johnny's idea to visit Billy. Boyd says that he doesn't like churches. While Boyd and Colt interrogate Danny, she calls Boyd into Audrey's bar where a group of children are singing Gospel and handing out the fake million dollar bills to Billy's church. 

In "This Bird Has Flown", Ellen May visits, wanting back into Audrey's. Ava is skeptic to take her back in because of the possibility she could have confessed things to the St. Cyr siblings. For reassurance, Boyd has Sheriff Shelby question Cassie while Ava and him listen on speaker phone. Boyd suggests sending Ellen May down to work for his cousin, also a born-again Christian. Ava gives Ellen May $1000 and tells her that she will be treated a lot better in Alabama than she ever will in Harlan. "You're getting the chance I never got," Ava says. "You get to start over." Ellen Mae tells Ava she doesn't want to leave and that she would never tell anybody about "what we've done." Ava tells her that Colt will drive her to Alabama. While driving her to the bus station, there's a new change in the plan: Ava wants Colt to kill Ellen May. 

In "Kin", she is seen packing up Ellen May's stuff in boxes when Johnny enters. Ava wants to keep up the appearance that Ellen May was sent to Alabama. Johnny expresses his concerns to her about Boyd associating himself with Wynn Duffy, but Ava shoots him down.

In "Foot Chase", Boyd continues to narrow down the possible Drew Thompson identities, when Ava proposes that they blackmail Judge Executive Arnold for an invitation into the upscale Napier’s fancy parties, despite Boyd’s reservations about the idea, given the history between the former Harlan Sheriff and Boyd. Shelby interrupts the duo to arrest Boyd, despite the criminal’s veiled threats, leaving behind a stunned Ava. At Arnold's residence, April and Ava reminiscence over their High School days. When she leaves, Ava threatens to expose Arnold's infidelity to get an invite to the Napier party, and he agrees to get her in and take care of Napier for Boyd. Back at the bar, Ava reveals to Boyd she already secured invitations to the party, but admits that the recent murder of Ellen May has given her a guilty conscience. Boyd urges her to join him in the car, as the pair drive to a secluded hilltop spot he frequented in his childhood. Boyd hands her a metal box hoping to calm her fears, revealing it to contain stacks of money he’d previously been stashing. Boyd explains that the money is intended as a down payment on a house anywhere they choose, producing an engagement ring beneath the bills. Moved by his intent to start a new generation of Crowders with a respectable name in years to come, Ava accepts the proposal.

In "Money Trap", Ava and Boyd attend former sheriff Tillman Napier's party. Ava socializes with a man named Sam to see if he is Drew Thompson. While upstairs looking for Boyd, another man comes out and attempts to rape Ava, but Boyd appears and twists the man's arm behind his back. Boyd apologizes to Ava for taking too long and he tells her she has to leave because the men he had talked to earlier, Lee Paxton and Gerald Johns, want to meet with him.

In "Outlaw", Ava is seen at the bar talking to Boyd about the Frank Browning situation. Later, she appears when the Tonin Hitman shows up dressed in the Harlan County Deputy outfit. She shows Raylan Givens her engagement ring, much to his surprise. Ava expresses her concerns for Boyd's safety because there is nobody bigger than Theo that Boyd can use to make Theo back down. Boyd reassures her that he can handle things and they kiss.

In "The Hatchet Tour", Boyd and Ava are first seen househunting and Ava remembers every detail about the house they are looking at because it is the one that her mother used to clean. Cassie St. Cyr arrives at Audrey's and talks to Ava, asking her where Ellen May. Ava assures her that she is in Alabama, but Cassie finds this funny as Ellen May called a parishioner looking for guidance yesterday. Ava and Boyd question Colt, who lies and assures them that he killed Ellen May. After learning that Shelby Parlow is also aware that Ellen May is alive, Boyd pays Ava to leave out of fear that Ellen May could have confessed to the murder of Delroy. Ava exclaims that she should have killed Ellen May herself before leaving.

In "Get Drew", Boyd calls her at her hotel room to talk about possible places where Ellen May could be hiding. Ava suggests Nicky Cush, the former owner of Audrey's before Delroy. Later, Boyd calls her and tells her that Ellen May is hiding out at Limehouse's holler after interrogating Nicky. Ava visits him and he tells her that if she gives him $300,000 ($150,000 each), he will let her have Ellen May and Shelby. However, when Boyd and Ava visit him, Limehouse changes the deal and allows them to only choose one to buy, and they buy Shelby because of his worth. Limehouse says that he will give them Ellen May back if they give him another $300,000. Ellen May, sad over the decision, spits in Ava's face as she is taken away. Later at the bar, Boyd tells her and Johnny that the Marshals got to Shelby before Nick Augustine could. He says that their only options are to either plead their case to the Tonins or flee.

In "Decoy", Ava, Boyd, and Johnny fill in the missing piece to the puzzle and determine that Raylan is hiding Drew out at their old high school. While Boyd and Nick Augustine's henchman Ethan Picker leave for the school, Nick attempts to flirt with Ava and outs Johnny's change in allegiance and his conspiring with Boyd. Ava throws brandy in Nick's face and attempts to set him on fire, but Johnny stops her at gunpoint. Johnny tells Ava he loves her as she backs out the door to leave.

In "Peace of Mind", Ava, Boyd, Jimmy, and Colt learn that Augustine will offer Boyd $300,000 to buy back Ellen May and in exchange, will hand over Johnny. At the bar, Ava decides it is better if she goes alone and gives Limehouse the money since he won't respond too well with gangsters and that he hates Boyd. Augustine doesn't like it, but agrees to it as long as Boyd stays for human collateral. At the holler, Limehouse tells Ava that he let Ellen May go. Ava and Colt then head to the church to look for Ellen May. Ava overhears Ellen May confessing to Cassie St. Cyr about Delroy's murder and her participation in the burial. Ava holds a gun at Ellen May, but can't pull the trigger. Later, Ava and Boyd have a heart to heart, and Boyd decides that they have one last play: get rid of Delroy's body once and for all.

In "Ghosts", Ava, Jimmy, and Boyd prepare to exhume Delroy's body from the mine. When they get there, however, they find that law enforcement has already beaten them there thanks to an anonymous tip (which later turns out to be Cassie). Boyd decides to have one last play, using his affiliation with Clover Hiller Lee Paxton. Lee turns out to own the funeral home which houses Delroy's body. Lee suggests swapping Delroy's body with another corpse from the cemetary. Ava is arrested while attempting to dispose of Delroy's body that night. Lee and Nick Mooney were both part of the set-up (although the three were hoping to have Boyd be incarcerated and not Ava). Boyd shows up, punching Nick two times before being subdued by law enforcement. Boyd vows to find Ava the best lawyer he can and that he will have her out in 24 hours. 

Season 5[]

In "A Murder of Crowes", Ava and Boyd are in conference with defense attorney "The Wildman", discussing options in her case involving the Evidence Tampering, Obstruction and Desecration of a Corpse, the late, unlamented Delroy. Boyd assures Ava that he will take care of everything to free her so they can resume their life together. 

In "The Kids Aren't All Right", Boyd explains to Ava what happened when he made his nocturnal visit to the Paxton resident, and she realizes that his actions have not advanced her prospects of freedom. She becomes distraught but Boyd tries to reassure her.

In "Good Intentions", Boyd and her attorney visit Ava in jail. He hopes his lady can shed some light on the true identity of "Candy" but she's miffed that he's more concerned with the hijacking than her state of mind and welfare. They argue and as Boyd remains fixated on resolving the hijacking issue, Ava becomes increasingly bitter about her circumstances, losing faith in Boyd's ability to get her free.

In "Over the Mountain", Ava and Boyd meet with Johnny in the jail. Johnny still harbors his love for Ava, although she still hates him for his betrayal of Boyd and would love to see Boyd skin him. Johnny rebuffs Boyd's attempt at a peaceful parlay to work together again and make money, and tells Ava that if she ever comes to her senses to call him. Later that day, she is stopped by power-hungry officer Albert Fekus on her way to the dining hall and he attempts to molest her until Susan Crane comes in. Ava lies and says that she tripped and grabbed onto Albert's arm.

In "Shot All to Hell", Geist informs Boyd and Ava that the judge is dropping the now crumbling case against Ava due to the murder of Mooney and the suicide of Paxton. Ava happily requests going out for dinner whenever she is freed. Later that night, as she is talking to fellow inmate Sally, Albert comes into the cell doing a bed search where he finds a shiv up under the mattress. Ava knows that Albert planted the shiv, and he stabs himself and cuts his forearm, calling for backup as he frames Ava for attacking him (Sally also plays along). Ava is then sent to a state prison. 

In "Kill the Messenger", Geist visits Ava at the prison to give her a message from Boyd. Geist informs her that Albert has gone out of state and there is no proof that Ava didn't shank Albert as the security cameras in that area were turned off. Ava pleads for Geist to help her. Ava is moved into GenPop and bunks with an inmate named Nikki. At break, a prisoner named Penny Cole befriends her and tells her the rules to survive in prison. Soon, Gretchen Swift shows up and says that she was paid to protect Ava in prison, but soon punches Ava in the face, due to her despising Boyd for being a race traitor and another one of Gretchen's crew cuts Ava's hair. At night, Ava borrows a straight razor from Nikki and heads to the bathroom, cutting the rest of her hair to make it even with the hair cut out by Gretchen's crew. 

In "Raw Deal", Penny sets Ava up with Judith, who leads a religious congregation inside of the prison for protection. Judith agrees to protect Ava, but only if Ava helps her smuggle heroin inside for the congregation. Ava learns that part of the deal is having sex with a guard and slips the heroin inside of the plumber's backpack, leading to his arrest. Judith is suspicious that Ava may have framed him in order to get out of having sex with a guard, but nonetheless hears Ava out when she says she may know of another way to smuggle the heroin. Penny tells Ava that if she really has a way to provide the heroin, she may know of a way to smuggle it inside. 

In "Whistle Past the Graveyard", Ava has Penny intentionally discolate her arm so that Ava can visit the infirmary to speak with Rowena, a nurse at the prison. Ava makes suggestive comments about more powerful painkillers, but the nurse quickly shoots the comments down. Judith confronts Ava about the shortening window with which to deliver on the drugs, warning her of the dangers of depending on men for salvation. Ava is visited by Rowena while in the shower, and Rowena scolds her about mentioning the drugs while other patients were in the infirmary. Rowena offers to help Ava smuggle on two conditions: That Judith not find out she is the drug source and that Boyd has to do something for her on the outside, but she does't reveal what. Ava tells Judith that the drugs are coming, but that she can’t say how just yet, without trusting her at least.

In "Wrong Roads", Boyd visits Ava in the prison, talking to her on the phone and promising her that he will get her out and that he has been busy attempting to secure their future. Ava tells her that a friend in trouble is going to meet with Boyd, and that he needs to do whatever she asks of him. Later, Lara, an inmate, is angry with Ava for ruining the heroin supply line and attempts to shank her, but Judith intervenes and saves Ava. Ava meets with Rowena at the infirmary, where it turns out she has another favor for her, requesting that Ava kill Judith. 

In "Weight", Boyd visits Ava in the prison, talking to her on the phone and informing her that he has a lead on the man responsible for framing her and that he will force him to recant his statement and have Ava released. Ava says that there is a possibility that she may never get out of prison because of the things she has to do, breaking off her engagement with Boyd but saying that she will always love him before departing. Ava follows Judith into the bathroom with a shiv, preparing to kill her when Penny shows up and informs them about bed checks. In the courtyard, Penny reveals that she is aware Ava was trying to kill Judith and wants her to do it, as Judith forced Penny to have abortions each time she would get pregnant after having sex with guards in order to smuggle heroin. Penny gives her a shiv that is good for stabbing, and tells her that Judith goes to the chapel at night to pray, and that is the perfect time to kill her as the cameras are off. In the chapel, Judith reveals she knows that Ava is there to kill her, but Ava tells her she wants to work together with Judith to find a new heroin plan, as she doesn't like the things she has to do for Rowena. Judith instead provokes the attack, pouncing on Ava and hitting her twice with a steel chair before choking her. In self-defense, Ava stabs Judith to death with the shiv Penny gave her. Ava hides her bloody shirt and runs out of the chapel. 

In "The Toll", she is first seen in the bathroom with Penny, washing her face before the prison is on lockdown after Judith's body is found. At break, both women notice Judith's congregation eyeing them nearby and Penny tells Ava that the girls are smart and it's only a matter of time before they realize that Ava was the one that killed Judith. As each member passes by the table, they place a cup of ice cream beside Ava as a sign of praise for her killing Judith. 

In "Starvation", Raylan talks to her at the prison, wanting her help in trying to get Boyd to help bring down Daryl. Ava informs Raylan that she and Boyd are no longer together and that if she could help, she wouldn't help Raylan before departing. In the courtyard, Gretchen's crew approaches Penny and Ava but Judith's former congregation intervenes. Ava then talks to them in the courtyard, saying that they can all look out for each other and that she isn't going to use them the way Judith did for the heroin pipeline. While Nikki, Ava and Penny discuss Judith, Penny excuses herself to the bathroom. A few minutes later, Genny, a member of Gretchen's crew, drops a bloody shiv nearby the bed. In the bathroom, Ava and Nikki discover that Penny has been murdered, and Nikki flushes the shiv down the toilet to protect herself and Ava. Ava calls Raylan, deciding to take his offer, in exchange of being released in fear of her safety. Raylan tells her that the deal is no longer available as Boyd already helped them try to catch Daryl, but that he will do what he can for her for protection. Ava asks Raylan what Boyd wanted in exchange for his cooperation, and Raylan tells her that Boyd wanted a clean slate, which leaves her visibly disappointed. 

In "Restitution", Ava attemps to sit with Nikki and the congregation in the courtyard, only to have the latter leave at her presence. Nikki also says that she will stop associating with Ava as she is believed to be the one that snitched on Genny. Ava, after confronting Gretchen, stands on a table and confronts Gretchen for ratting on her own crew member and setting up Ava for it. At lunch, Ava grabs her lunch tray, whacking a member of Gretchen's crew in the face with it and starting a fight. In a cell, Rowena visits her and pops her dislocated arm back into place. Rowena tells Ava that believing alive is good for their business and that she has two choices: Spend the next 5 years in solitary or be prepared to fight. Ava is released from prison as both Albert and Sally recanted their statements against Ava. However, it's revealed Raylan was the one responsible for her release, as she is going to turn on Boyd and help out the Marshals with their RICO case against Boyd. 

Season 6[]

In "Fate's Right Hand", she is still living in her old home and seems more reserved around Boyd (he believes it to be because of her time in prison but in reality, it's because of her crisis of confidence about being an informant against Boyd). Boyd proposes the idea of moving out of Harlan and starting a new life with the money he's going to come across to Ava, but Ava shoots down the idea as Harlan is their home. Raylan later visits Ava on the bridge at night and gives her a pep talk to help with her crisis of confidence, mentioning that she is able to fool Boyd because she was able to fool Bowman and he was never suspicious that Ava was going to kill him at the dinner table. 

In "Cash Game", Ava comes across the envelope containing the blackmail ledger and business documents while cleaning up her shed. She later calls Raylan to the beauty parlor to look at the documents, with Raylan inadvertently replying that Boyd was setting Ava up as the envelope was way too easy to find. Later that night, she scolds Boyd for putting the envelope in her shed as she does not want to take the fall for Boyd's criminal activity, ordering him to get the envelope out of her car and leave the property. She visits Boyd at the bar and mentions that one of the documents is not like the other as one place, the pizza parlor, was previously a bank. Boyd kisses her and thanks her for the information, wanting to celebrate with some alcohol. 

In "Noblesse Oblige", Ava and Boyd spend six hours getting drunk before she leaves to meet up with Raylan, who reveals that he is also present with Vasquez and Rachel Brooks, who threaten Ava to find useful information on Boyd ASAP or be thrown back in prison. After Ty Walker visits the bar and threatens Boyd, he has Ava recon the pizza parlor as none of Boyd's men can enter as Ty saw their faces at the bar. Ava is caught by Choo-Choo, Walker's henchman as she snaps photos of the vault but says that she was lost on her way to the bathroom and leaves. Later that day, she is visited at her home by Avery and Walker, with the former telling her that a woman has no place in the criminal world unless she can prove she is tougher than a man, otherwise she is a token. Ava expresses her fears for their safety after Markham threatens to kill Boyd if he catches him at the pizza parlor again and offers to have sex with Boyd when he remarks that he doesn't know who she is anymore since her release from prison. 

In "The Trash and the Snake", Raylan meets up with Ava in the stairwell of a hotel as she informs him about Boyd and her being threatened by Markham, who Raylan describes as "the big bag wolf". Going back into her hotel room, she finds Katherine Hale waiting for her as she offers her lunch and hints that Ava is hiding something. While high on cocaine, Ava helps Katherine steal an expensive tennis bracelet from a jewelry store and later that night, Katherine questions her about Fekus, curious as to why he had a crisis of conscience and told the truth and even offers to find Fekus if Ava wants to find out herself. Ava then calls Raylan, panicking that Katherine knows about Fekus and his crisis of conscience and that she has to leave the hotel for her safety. Boyd reveals his endgame to Ava: Remain in Harlan and profit off stealing Markham's idea of legalizing pot and becoming the weed king of Harlan. As Boyd takes a shower, Ava begins to sob, worrying about their newfound situation. 

In "Sounding", Ava calls his phone with more paranoia about her situation with Katherine but Raylan requests that she meet up with him to discuss the case even further and after much reluctance, she agrees to meet him at the junkyard in 30 minutes but instead tosses her phone out of the window and drives to Noble's Holler to make a deal with Limehouse, hoping to negotiate a deal for a car that will get her out of town and that she knows how to get her hands on money that Boyd stole from a bank robbery. Limehouse requests for Errol to accompany her to get the money, but warns Ava that she better not be playing him. Ava, however, requests to stop at a hardware store for a shovel and attempts to ditch Errol, but he stops her. Errol is then intervened by Constable Bob Sweeney who attempts to lure him outside of the store on a bogus charge in order to Raylan to sneak Ava out. Outside, Raylan scolds Ava for going rogue and almost ruining the RICO case against Boyd. Later that night, Ava requests that she wants $100k and to get out of the country, no WitSec. Raylan tells her that he is going to find a place to keep her safe and she kisses him. Ava warns Raylan that Boyd will be back soon but Raylan suggests that he might stick around a bit. 

In "Alive Day", she reminiscences with her uncle Zachariah about her father before he departs on the mineshaft mission with Boyd, The Pig and Carl. She later calls Raylan with more information on Boyd, telling him about the mine shaft after learning information from Earl. Later that night, Limehouse calls Boyd with information on Ava, asking if Ava told Boyd about what she was up to yesterday. She smiles at him while eating dinner as he gives her a concerned look. 

In "The Hunt", Boyd takes Ava to Bo's hunting cabin in Bulletville for a get together. While at dinner, Ava expresses her concerns that Boyd will turn into his late brother Bowman once they are married and although he claims to be nothing like his brother, Ava protests that he is still a Crowder. Boyd begs Ava to slap him, which she does twice before he begins to choke her and leads it into them making love. Early the next morning, Boyd takes her out in the woods for hunting, where he tells her to stand still as she shoots a hog that is behind her, scaring her at the gunshot. While sitting by a fire, Boyd reveals that he knows she ran off to see Limehouse and that someone got her away from Errol and it wasn't just Sweeney and that he comes home to find Raylan present in the kitchen. Ava admits to Boyd that she was Raylan's CI in a case to bring down Boyd and he initially believes her to be having an affair with Raylan, giving her his gun to shoot him in the head if she is but she protests she isn't sleeping with Raylan. Boyd tells her to trust him and that they can give Raylan enough information to make him run circles while they make a play for Markham's cash, which she promises that he can trust her. Unbeknownst to Ava, as Boyd goes off to collect firewood, Boyd places a clip into his gun, revealing that the earlier clip was empty. 

In "Dark as a Dungeon", Earl takes Ava home by Boyd's orders and the two find that Ty Walker is waiting there inside of the house. Ava is forced by Walker to bind Earl to a chair but he is released when Boyd comes back home. Boyd comes home to find Walker holding Ava at gunpoint and threatens Walker to lower his gun before they talk in the kitchen. Walker proposes helping Boyd get inside of Markham's vault at The Portal as he knows the combination and that there isn't anyone else skilled enough to change it, but needs Boyd's help as he doesn't know the hills as well as they do. Boyd agrees to help him as circumstances have changed. Walker suggests to call in a tip from Ava's phone that he has been seen across town as a diversion to draw the Marshals away from The Portal, but they are interrupted by Raylan's arrival. After Walker has been shot and killed, Boyd shows Ava a stack of boxes and estimates that Markham has $10 million inside of the bank vault and asks Ava how much money she will get for helping Raylan in the RICO case and she tells him $50,000 and tells her to take her pick with whichever offer she wants to go with. Ava tells Boyd that she needs to see Raylan and tells her to remember to give Raylan as little information as possible. Raylan questions what she was doing in Bulletville, but she sticks to her story that she was hunting with Boyd and says that Boyd is going up through a busted mine in Blanton Creek. Raylan realizes that Boyd knows about the RICO case and Ava is helping him, tells Rachel that Ava is now burned. 

In "Burned",  Boyd is now frustrated that Raylan has pieced together where Boyd will be doing the heist from, but assures Ava that they will get the money without the Marshals even knowing and Boyd is shown discussing the heist with Ava and Earl when Loretta shows up. At Markham's party, Raylan talks to Ava alone and she tells him that Boyd told her to tell Raylan that the heist was happening next week and that her part is to pull the fire alarm so that everyone will evacuate the building. After Zachariah attempts to kill Boyd in the explosion and he frees himself, he is enraged and shows up at the bar, asking Ava what she told her uncle as he tried to kill him but she argues that Zachariah is crazy and she didn't tell him anything. 

In "Trust", Ava finds Dewey's alligator necklace on a stuffed squirrel at the bar and realizes that Boyd killed Dewey as she notices blood on it. Ava talks to Carl and asks him if Zachariah could have survived the mine explosion, but he thinks that there's no way that Zachariah could have lived because he may have got turned around in the explosion. Ava then calls Raylan and tells him that Boyd isn't going afte the truck but is instead going off on his own to steal the money.  Raylan goes to Ava's house and tells her that bad news that Vasquez is pulling the plug on the CI deal and that she is going back to prison, even if he is caught with the money. Ava then asks if they can charge Boyd with the murder of Dewey Crowe, showing him the necklace although Raylan adds that it isn't enough unless Ava can provide a witness, body or a weapon but she offers to get him to confess to Dewey's murder. When Boyd shows back up the house with the $10 million, Ava shoots him in the chest and holds her gun on Raylan, saying that she gave him Boyd bleeding at his feet like he always wanted and that she is not going to prison and that he can either kill her or let her go. Raylan says that he is going to come after her and she says she knows as she flees in Boyd's truck. 

In "Fugitive Number One", Zachariah helps Ava hide out in the mountains from the Marshals as well as Boyd during the manhunt. The two decide that their best bet is to high tail it as soon as possible and look for a man named Grubes who is familiar with the maze-like moonshine trails. Zachariah and Ava eventually find Grubes' cabin, but find his decomposed body lying on the floor as Ava screams out. 

In "Collateral", Zachariah digs a grave for Grubes and he and Ava learn that Boyd is still alive and at large. Ava exclaims that they need to leave, but Zachariah suggests the two stay in the cabin and ambush Boyd as he will likely be coming there for Ava. Bob Sweeney arrests Ava and finds the $10 million she is in possession of. Bob ties Ava up in his car but hears the gunshots of Boyd killing Hagan and leaves to pursue, as Ava breaks free from her binds and flees with the money before she can be found by Boyd. However, she is caught by Deputies Crosley and Birch on the bridge and the two men plan to deliver her to Markham, along with the $10 million. 

In "The Promise", Markham asks Ava how she was able to get the money up the mountain on a sled by herself, as she reveals that her uncle Zachariah helped her and sends Boon (along with Loretta) to Compass Rock to find Zachariah as some of the money has been buried there. After learning that Zachariah is nowhere to be found, Markham threatens to blow Ava's brains out unless she tells him what happened on the other end of the phone call she received from Zachariah (who was really Boyd the whole time). Boyd finds Ava at the Bennett drying shed and exchanges barbs with Markham and  remarks that Boyd made a poor choice for a hostage and promptly shoots and kills Birch, initiating a shootout between Boyd and Markham. After Boyd is apprehened by the police, Raylan prepares to deliver Ava, Markham's money and hopefully the remaining $9 million to Lexington when Raylan's vehicle is rear ended by Boon. Boon  tells Raylan that he has been following him since he left the drying shed and has saved Raylan the trouble of looking for him. Both men draw their guns and fire, both falling down onto the road. Boon is still alive and reaches over for his gun, but Loretta steps on his wrist to protect Raylan from being killed and Boon dies. Raylan, whose temple was only grazed by the bullet, wakes up to find Ava has stolen his vehicle and is on the run. Four years later, Raylan manages to find Ava living in Lebec, California when she was pictured in the background of a newspaper article sent to him by Rachel. Ava reveals to Raylan that she now has a son named Zachariah and that Boyd cannot find out about it. To help Ava and her son be safe, Raylan helps Ava fake her death by showing Boyd a death certificate of Ava's alias, who died in a car accident. 

Relationships[]

Family

  • Unnamed father, deceased
  • Garret: Uncle
  • Zachariah Randolph: Uncle, deceased
  • Zachariah Crowder: Son

Lovers

  • Raylan Givens: (Season 1), High school crush, Deputy U.S. Marshal
  • Boyd Crowder: (Seasons 2-6), former brother-in-law, fiancé

Gang members

  • Johnny Crowder: Former cousin-in-law, former criminal associate, deceased
  • Devil: Criminal associate, deceased
  • Arlo Givens: Criminal associate, deceased

Friends

Would-be-assassins

Former Audrey's employees:

Kentucky State Women's Prison

Murder victims

Memorable Quotes[]

Trivia[]

  • Ava has the highest amount of episodic appearances out of any female character in Justified and the third highest amount of episodic appearances in general after Raylan and Boyd.
  • Ava, Raylan and Boyd are the only characters that have appeared in every season premiere and finale.

Appearances[]

Season one appearances
Fire in the Hole Riverbrook Fixer Long in the Tooth The Lord of War and Thunder
The Collection Blind Spot Blowback Hatless The Hammer
Veterans Fathers and Sons Bulletville
Season two appearances
The Moonshine War The Life Inside The I of the Storm For Blood or Money Cottonmouth
Blaze of Glory Save My Love The Spoil Brother's Keeper Debts and Accounts
Full Commitment Reckoning Bloody Harlan
Season three appearances
The Gunfighter Cut Ties Harlan Roulette The Devil You Know Thick as Mud
When the Guns Come Out The Man Behind The Curtain Watching the Detectives Loose Ends Guy Walks Into a Bar
Measures Coalition Slaughterhouse

 

Season four appearances
Hole in the Wall Where's Waldo? Truth and Consequences This Bird Has Flown Kin
Foot Chase Money Trap Outlaw The Hatchet Tour Get Drew
Decoy Peace of Mind Ghosts
Season five appearances
A Murder of Crowes The Kids Aren't All Right Good Intentions Over the Mountain Shot All to Hell
Kill the Messenger Raw Deal Whistle Past the Graveyard Wrong Roads Weight
The Toll Starvation Restitution
Season six appearances
Fate's Right Hand Cash Game Noblesse Oblige The Trash and the Snake Sounding
Alive Day The Hunt Dark as a Dungeon Burned Trust
Fugitive Number One Collateral The Promise

Image Gallery[]

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