Strong Arm of the Law
Written By: Michael R. Perry and Stephen Gaghan
Directed By: Mike Binder
After the death of one of Buck's chief rivals for the position of sheriff, everyone suspects that it's just him taking care of another threat once again. However, Buck is just as surprised as anyone about the murder. The true culprit is extortionist Barrett Stokes (Matt Craven) and his gang - consisting of himself, his brother Lowell (Richard Edson), "Just" Eddie (Jim Gloster), and Earl McKeever (Joseph Lindsey) - who think that Trinity's residents are easy prey. Unfortunately, Buck is unwilling to share his territory, and more than happy to dispense some of his own, personal brand of justice on the gang.
List of tropes applying to this episode:
- Asshole Victim: All of the extortionists are murderous, arrogant thugs who look down on the residents of Trinity, so it's impossible to feel bad for them when they're all outwitted and killed by Buck. This especially applies to Just Eddie, a Serial Rapist who at tries to go after both Gail and a teenage girl he runs into on the street.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Buck, once again, though it's not too bad since the extortionists were just as evil and much more pointlessly brutal.
- Big Eater: Lowell gleefully devours a large helping of grits.
- Buried Alive: After learning Earl is claustrophobic, Buck has him buried alive with the corpse of Will Hawkins, the man he killed.
- Evil vs. Evil: For once, Buck gets to have the moral high ground when he goes after the extortionists.
- Faux Affably Evil: Barrett Stokes is polite to the residents of Trinity, but the second he's alone with the gang he badmouths them as ignorant hicks and proves to be just as bad as the rest of the gang.
- Life-or-Limb Decision: After Buck causes Lowell and Barrett's car to crash, he handcuffs both of them to the overturned vehicle and shoves a lit road flare into the fuel hole, which is rapidly leaking gas, then tosses them a switchblade.Buck: I don't think this knife will cut through handcuffs, but maybe a… wrist.
Lowell: C'mon, man, you know we can't cut through a wrist!
Buck: Guess that depends on how motivated you are. - Not Me This Time: The entire main cast is surprised to realize that Buck isn't behind the extortionists' crime spree. Dr. Crower and Ben are more than happy to mock him about it, and Buck is pissed at how much this undermines him.
- Police Are Useless: Subverted. For once, Buck and Ben are actually enforcing the law. Though how Buck chooses to deal with the extortionists is highly illegal, among other things, he still gets rid of them.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Buck goes after the extortionists mainly because they're muscling in in his operation and undermining his reputation, even offering them a chance to join him. That said, their insults and disparaging view of Trinity as being full of weak-willed hicks does seem to set him off into making their punishments extra brutal,
