"Foot Chase" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the American Neo-Western television series Justified. It is the 45th overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Dave Andron and executive story editor Ingrid Escajeda and directed by Peter Werner. It originally aired on FX on February 12, 2013.
The series is based on Elmore Leonard's stories about the character Raylan Givens, particularly "Fire in the Hole", which serves as the basis for the episode. The series follows Raylan Givens, a tough deputy U.S. Marshal enforcing his own brand of justice. The series revolves around the inhabitants and culture in the Appalachian Mountains area of eastern Kentucky, specifically Harlan County where many of the main characters grew up. In the episode, Raylan works in finding Josiah Cairn after he finds his severed foot in his house and must team with Sheriff Shelby in his quest. Meanwhile, Boyd and Ava attempt to get closer to high society in order to find Drew Thompson.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.30 million household viewers and gained a 0.9 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics; while critics praised the scenes with Raylan and Shelby, critics expressed frustration with the episode's tone and lack of direction.
Plot
Boyd (Walton Goggins) and Colt (Ron Eldard) interrogate a wealthy banker that may be Drew Thompson but the man turns out to be the person he claims to be, forcing them to leave. Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) sees as Marshals inspect the yard, with no sign of Cairn (Gerald McRaney), except his severed foot. Raylan finds a bloody footprint in the yard that is unmistakably from Roz's (Alexandra Kyle) cast boot.
Raylan doesn't know where she may have run off to, so he starts with her boyfriend's trailer. Raylan finds the boyfriend target shooting at a picture of a Native American. Sheriff Shelby (Jim Beaver) turns up, and deduces from the picture where the stepdaughter is. After they find her, she tells them some guys in a beat-up van took her stepdad and called him "Drew Thompson." Shelby tells Raylan that he earned the job with Boyd's help but he is not in his payroll, although Raylan remains unconvinced. Tim (Jacob Pitts) picks up a veteran friend, Mark (Ian Reed Kesler) at a clinic for addiction and they see Colt entering the clinic. Colt forces a recovering addict to help him get a new heroin dealer. He also attacks a prostitute when she states to be unaware of Ellen May's (Abby Miller) location.
In an attempt to get closer to the real Drew Thompson, Ava (Joelle Carter) suggests she and Boyd attend a high-class party. Shelby arrives and arrests Boyd for questioning on Cairn's case. He takes them to his office, where Raylan is also waiting. Boyd is uncooperative until he gets nervous when Shelby mentions Ellen May's disappearance. Boyd's lawyer, Sonya Gable (Romy Rosemont) shows up to get Boyd, and deflects Raylan's questions about why she's stalling Arlo's pardon. Cairn is revealed to be in an undisclosed location with two men and Sonya is revealed to be part of the situation. She allows them to cauterize his foot as he is quickly losing blood.
Ava bribes Arnold (Brian Howe) to get her and Boyd invited to Tillman Napier's swinger party for the next day and he agrees to get them in. Raylan and Shelby follow Sonya to a house with a beat-up van and find Cairn just as they are continuing with the cauterization. Arlo told Sonya that Cairn was Drew Thompson, which Cairn denies. Cairn says the former Harlan County Sheriff Hunter Mosley somehow knows where Drew Thompson is. As authorities arrive to take them to the hospital and jail, Raylan and Shelby share some experiences in their lives, although Shelby still does not tell Raylan that Ellen May is with him.
Tim accompanies Mark to confront a dealer to whom he owes money. When the dealer demands more money, Tim holds him at gunpoint and ends up paying Mark's debt. Johnny (David Meunier) and Colt attack a customer who supposedly hit on a prostitute, but Johnny does not know Colt is the one who hit her. Colt brutally attacks the man and leaves the apartment. At the bar, Ava confesses to Boyd that she regrets ordering Ellen May's assassination and wonders where their relationship is going. Boyd then shows her he is saving money for their future and then shows her a ring. He proposes to Ava, who happily accepts.