Episode opens with a man doing some digging and taking samples when Nighthorse (A Martinez) chances upon him and he introduces himself as a ranger, Bob Barnes (John Bishop) weeding out the non-native plants. When Nighthorse tells him to clear off his land. He reports back to Walt (Robert Taylor) who only got him the job cos it's part of the court order and tells him those yellow sunflower type flowers are growing on his property. As Walt tells Vic (Katee Sackhoff) to get warrants to search Nighthorse's property. He gets a call from Ruby (Louanne Stephens) about a black SUV swerving across the road. Which just happened to be Barlow (Gerald McRaney) so he takes him home. Though Barlow doesn't have any Rainier.
Of course there were plenty of instances of foreshadowing here indicating Barlow had a hand in killing Branch. Didn't we see that text message already on Branch's phone and they didn't find anymore messages on his phone he'd sent to Barlow, did they, other than the ones he was supposed to have sent Cady (Cassidy Freeman). When Walt was at Barlow's house and he took his keys for the other car, nice zoom onto the gun with the pearl handle, which was relevant, cos when Walt later comes back it's missing. Not that Walt would've noticed of course, but we were meant to.
On top of that it was just convenient for Walt to reveal to Barlow that Nighthorse probably killed Branch, which was crazy for him to do. Know it's a small town and all that, but why give away things he has no evidence for, even if he wanted to do things the right way. It was like painting a bull's eye on himself for Barlow to do as he pleases and come to think of it for Nighthorse too. As for the empty can of Rainer that Vic found where Nighthorse was shot from, it didn't automatically mean it was Walt. Really he's the sheriff, why would he leave incriminating evidence behind if he was there and on top of that she messed up on any evidence on the can, not that there would be and Walt did the same when he did who knows what with it, just threw it out? Maybe Barlow just took an old can he found of Walt's instead.
The judge refuses to grant the warrant based on the flower cos he's got those flowers growing too and so did Barlow and Walt refuses a burger with Vic as he drives away. Next day Nighthorse throws a press conference stating that Walt shot at him on his property. But not before Mathias (Zane McClarnon) pays a call wanting to check out Walt's guns. Nighthorse doesn't live on the reservation so he hasn't any jurisdiction to investigate and also Walt refuses to show him the guns. So the FBI will be in touch with him. Also Vic hides out cos she doesn't want to tell him anything. Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) calls and Ferg (Adam Bartley) tells him he wasn't on duty so he doesn't know where Walt was. As Walt tells Vic Nighthorse's property is now a CS and they can search it, as he arrives with yellow tape. Nighthorse accuses him and Walt accuses him of firing the shots himself to set him up.
Walt wants Ferg to take soils samples and look for bullets, blood, anything that will show this is where Branch was killed. The only thing Vic finds is the empty Rainier can. Barlow asks for his phone and Walt retrieves it, was thinking those gloves with Walt's blood would've been used later on against him, but okay I was wrong. Vic shows him the can and tells him she'll lie for him but she needs to know what's happening and telling him about Cady and the info she found. Cady can't tell Walt anything she knows without being sued, but tells him what she talked about with Barlow, including the text messages, but Barlow doesn't have any from Branch on his phone.
Barlow thinking he had things nicely planned when he mosied on over to Walt's place ready and waiting for him. It was like Cady gave things away and played right into his hands when she was trying to get info from Barlow about Branch and what he was working on. Then Walt said it too, the suicide note could only have been written by someone who knew Branch and the fact that he and Cady were no longer together, which came as news to Barlow. When he was standing there with the poker there was definitely fire in his eyes and the scent of murder in the air, cos if she'd said anything different she'd probably have been next. That was the moment that sealed his fate though, it was confirmation Barlow was behind it all!
Other instances of foreshadowing were the scenes with Walt and the knife when he cut the belt off Barlow, then Barlow looking around at the rifle in Walt's Bronco. Setting up Walt to take the fall for shooting at Nighthorse. Did you see it as a reveal when Walt realizes Barlow killed his wife, had Ridges' kill her. Kind of new that was coming a few seasons ago, even as far back as season 1, with the implication that there might be more between Barlow and Martha. But really Barlow killing his ow son cos he got too close to the truth and found out Barlow and Nighthorse were friends and angling for the casino to go ahead. Or was it more for thinking Branch had found out about this and other things, thinking Branch was working for Walt.
As for telling Walt he'd have a hard time explaining the empty gun and shooting an unarmed man, well he wasn't to know that and the knife would've had Barlow's prints on it so Walt shouldn't have removed that. Though I do think Walt got some satisfaction for shooting Barlow, a little revenge, a little closure for both Martha and Branch; but more so Barlow couldn't live with himself for killing Branch. It came across that way and even if he wanted more money and the casino to go ahead, it would've been poor comfort to him now. He was almost angling for "suicide by cop" cos he couldn't do it to himself. So much for all the macho posturing about Barlow's not being able to take their own lives.
As for Cady and her job was she genuinely offered that job by Walter Mashburn (from The Mentalist ha) er, Kevin Morris (Currie Graham) or was he told to offer it to her; cos if it just came out of the blue, then it was pretty coincidental or timely for Cady to have seen all those documents with the firm working for Nighthorse against Barlow. Yeah too convenient, but as a lawyer she should've known the best way to get information would be from somewhere else if she was bound by a confidentially agreement. She shouldn't have needed Vic to tell her. Don't know what Cady was thinking working for the smarmy lawyer but she thought it a chance to stop waitressing and get a salary worth something. Heck I wouldn't have worked there. Why doesn't she start her own firm.
Now comes the good part with Walt having to dodge everything under the sun, not that he hasn't been doing that already since he's been sheriff, in the Barlow investigation. Liked Walt's story about his boots not fitting him and hurting him that he told Henry and didn't touch the beer. Appropriate title too, though it was more of a showdown than a shootout!
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