Slaughterhouse

"Slaughterhouse"
Season 3, Episode 13

Air date	April 10, 2012
Written by	Graham Yost
Directed by	Dean Parisot
U.S. Viewers	2.66 million
Episode Guide
← previous "Coalition"	next → "Hole in the Wall"

"Slaughterhouse" is the 13th and final episode of the third season, and the 39th episode in the series overall. It was written by series creator Graham Yost and directed by Dean Parisot. It first aired on April 10, 2012.

Plot[]

Synopsis[]

After the murder of his friend, Raylan is a man on fire as he goes after any- and everyone he holds responsible on the way to a bloody final showdown.

Recap[]

A Kentucky Deputy State Trooper arrives at the scene of the car bombing and shooting to report that Tom Bergen has died from his gunshot wound and that Robert Quarles is missing. Raylan is furious.

The Marshal goes inside Johnny's bar to interview Boyd, who claims he was unconscious at the time. Still, Boyd knows enough to finger Wynn Duffy as the man who blew up Quarles' car. Arlo enters. "Heard that a cop in a hat got shot. Guess it wasn't you," Arlo tells his son. Boyd then takes Arlo into the back room and asks if he pulled a gun on Ava, then inquires as to whether Arlo has been taking his medication. It was revealed that Arlo's dementia was getting worse, and he is talking about Helen as if she was alive. Boyd demands that Arlo takes his medication in front of him.

Later, Raylan shows up at Wynn's mobile office, which the Troopers have pulled over to the side of the road, and have Wynn and Mike handcuffed to the rear. Raylan has Wynn freed and takes him inside for a private interrogation. "Was it Quarles? Where is he?" the Marshal demands. "What do you know?" Wynn plays coy, which doesn't sit well with the lawman. He cites the "game" Wynn's man, the late pawn shop owner Glen Fogle used to play and empties all but one cartridge from the revolver seized from Wynn. Time to play Harlan Roulette. Wynn doesn't believe it... until Raylan starts pulling the trigger. Terrified, Wynn tells the Marshal that Limehouse set it all up... that and admits that he Wynn tried to blow up Quarles... that Quarles is now missing. Raylan nods. "I believe you," he says before calmly exiting the trailer. "Jesus Christ!!!" screams Wynn.

Later, Boyd meets Limehouse on the bridge. "I am returning your deposit," Limehouse says. "There's even a little interest in there." It is meant to conclude the business between the two criminals. Boyd doesn't like it, but accepts it for the time being as Limehouse, spotting Jimmy with a rifle trained on him, notes that he doesn't have Devil backing him up this time.

"Want me to make that call?" asks Errol after Boyd leaves. Says Limehouse: "Not yet. Not yet." Limehouse returns home to find Raylan waiting. The Marshal threatens to take Limehouse downtown for accessory to murder. Limehouse baits Raylan by saying that the Marshal is ultimately responsible for Tom's death. Raylan takes a swing at Limehouse, there is a momentary scuffle, Raylan draws on Limehouse and realizes he has a dozen guns trained on him. Limehouse, trying to avoid killing a lawman if he can, says that he can deliver Boyd.

The next morning, the Jenson family camps in the woods when Quarles appears, holding a gun to the head of the mother and demanding the car keys from Pete, the elder of the two sons.

Shelby, now wearing a proper sheriff's uniform, calls Boyd with news: the Marshal's service knows that Boyd killed Devil and is currently searching for the body, and tells Boyd that though he owes him his life and his new job, he figures he and Boyd are now square. Boyd hangs up the phone, realizing that he might finally be in big-time trouble because they are searching the area where he and Arlo disposed of Devil's body.

Quarles, meanwhile, rides in the back seat of the hostage family's van. Mom and the two sons are terrified. Quarles uses the mom's cell phone to call Theo. "I want to come home," Quarles says. "Name the price." Theo names $500,000 — $250,000 that Theo is owed plus another $250,000 for threatening Sammy. If Quarles can pay that, he can return to his family in Detroit. But the blue-eyed gangster is done forever with the Tonin organization.

Boyd then tells Johnny and Ava that Limehouse told the Marshals that Boyd killed Devil. But who told Limehouse? All eyes turn to Arlo, who says he might've told Helen. Ava, crying, begs Boyd to run. Boyd says he has nowhere to go, and can't leave his special lady anyway. They embrace. Soon enough, Art and Raylan arrive and arrest Boyd for the murder of one Derrick Lennon, a.k.a "Devil." Boyd is taken outside. Arlo then apologizes to his son for how he was treated as a boy, explaining that he has been talking to Helen lately. Raylan is confused, then sad.

Art gets a call: a woman has identified Quarles. Turns out the Detroit gangster/Oxy addict dumped the mother and kept the two sons as hostages. The exact whereabouts of the family van are still unknown.

Later, Ava tells Johnny that somebody is going to pay for Boyd's fate. Johnny suggests starting with Ellen May, who was seen talking to Dickie Bennett just the other day. "She don't know shit" says Ava. Says Johnny: "She knows Arlo."

Raylan and Art then interview the distraught mother, who explains that she heard Quarles telling somebody on the phone that he wanted to "come home" and that it would cost him "$500." Raylan gets a call. It's young Mitch Jensen, still held captive by Quarles. Raylan follows instructions and heads to an isolated spot in the woods where he finds Quarles and the two teenagers. "You give up these boys, I give you my gun," the Marshal says. Instead, Quarles produces his nifty sleeve gun and threatens to shoot Mitch. Raylan drops his service pistol. "I'm gonna want that back," Raylan says. Quarles also relieves him of his back-up Glock. "That one you can keep," the Deputy says as he is marched into the van along with the boys. "Now let's go get my money," Quarles says.

Limehouse approaches Errol. It's time for the henchman to pay for his various betrayals. "You pack your things and get out of Noble's Holler before dark," growls Limehouse, who has an uncanny knack for knowing everything. Errol knows better than to argue and leaves.

Limehouse gets a call from Johnny, who is furious that Limehouse told the law about Devil's final resting place. Johnny says that he "got lucky" by being able to pawn off the guilt on Arlo and Ellen May. So Johnny and Limehouse have been in cahoots all along.

Ava, in the meantime, heads to the trailers to confront Ellen May, who is in the midst of servicing a trick, for a crime she didn't commit. "What'd you say about Devil!?" Ava demands, slapping the whore. "You told Dickie something he took back to Limehouse!" Ellen May denies everything and threatens Ava. Ava punches her in the face.

Night falls. Raylan drives the van into Noble's Holler, passing Errol on his way out. Quarles, Raylan and the two boys find Limehouse in the slaughter house. "Mr. Quarles wants to go home," Raylan explains. "He needs some money... You've been saying you just want to be left alone. Well, I figure this gets it done." So Limehouse reluctantly reaches for a knife and cuts open a pig carcass. Wrapped wads of money fall out. "It's a piggy bank!" squeals a delighted Quarles. Limehouse mentions that he can't believe Raylan is going to let Quarles get away with the money after killing a state trooper. "Wait, you think I killed the Trooper?" Quarles asks. Asks Raylan: "Who did?"

At that moment, Errol enters the slaughterhouse and fires. He hits Quarles, who fires back, hitting Errol. Limehouse uses the distraction to get his butcher's cleaver—and with a single blow cuts Quarles' forearm off just below the elbow just as the gangster had produced his hide-out sleeve gun. Quarles falls to the floor, gasping and exsanguinating. "Who killed him?" Raylan demands. Quarles manages a sardonic laugh. "Your old man," he rasps with his final breath.

A grim-faced Raylan awakens his father in the dead of night and hauls him into Marshal headquarters. Boyd sits in a nearby cell. Boyd explains that Arlo isn't his crew, but his family.

In the interrogation room, Arlo's public defender can't keep her client's mouth shut as he readily and deliberately confesses to killing Trooper Tom Bergen, as well as Devil. "I did it to protect Boyd," explains Arlo, who continues to protect his surrogate son by confessing to a murder that he didn't commit. Soon after, Boyd waltzes out of lock-up, a free man.

Raylan goes to Winona's sister Gayle's house to check on the future mother of his child and tell Winona the entire story. He theorizes that Arlo probably didn't even know he had shot a state trooper. "He just saw a man in a hat pointing a gun at Boyd," Raylan says. Says Winona: "A man in a hat?" Raylan just nods as he puts on his own signature hat and walks out, leaving the impression that when Arlo shot the state trooper to protect Boyd, he most likely thought he was shooting his son.

Appearances[]

First Appearances[]

Sally Jenson - The mother of Mitch and Pete Jenson who are taken hostage by Robert Quarles while camping out in the woods after attending a Christian rock concert. She is forced out of the car at gunpoint by Quarles and later tells Art Mullen everything she overheard while Quarles was on the phone with Theo Tonin.
Pete Jenson - The son of Sally Jenson and the older brother of Mitch, who is taken hostage by Robert Quarles while camping out in the woods after a Christian rock concert. Quarles forces him to be the getaway driver.
Mitch Jenson - The son of Sally Jenson and the younger brother of Pete, who is taken hostage by Robert Quarles while camping out in the woods after a Christian rock concert.
Hillbilly John - The trick serviced by Ellen May
"Boy" - The man eating together with Errol

Deaths[]

Robert Quarles* - Shot by Errol and his left arm is chopped off by Ellstin.

(*Note: This death is considered ambiguous by fans as it was not shown on-screen.)

Production[]

Cast[]

Starring cast

Guest stars

Co-stars

Trivia[]

This is the only season finale to not feature the song "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive".