As the new guy at the Lexington office, Raylan inherits the task of interfacing with Arnold Pinter, an eccentric confidential informant. Pinter’s a Brooklyn-born bookie/jack of all trades who offices out of the corner booth at a Lexington diner. Pinter briefly introduces Raylan to Samantha, a pretty waitress at the diner who Pinter thinks of as something of a protégé. Then, after whining about being stuck in small-town America, Pinter gives Raylan information on a fugitive named “Tiny” Winfield. The name is a joke, as “Tiny” is anything but.

After Raylan leaves, Pinter gets a visit from Curtis Mims, a muscular leg-breaker type. Pinter tells Curtis about Raylan – he’s excited about having met the marshal that shot Tommy Bucks in Miami not too long ago (in the pilot episode!). Pinter then sends Curtis off to collect $15,000 he’s owed from a guy named Travis Travers.

Raylan and the marshals, meanwhile, locate “Tiny” at one of his lady friends’ homes. They’re armed to the teeth to deal with this giant of a man, only to find him all but gift-wrapped for them. He’s spread-eagle on his girlfriend’s bed, cuffed to the bedpost in preparation for some kinky fun.

Curtis Mims, find Travis Travers lounging outside his home, smoking a joint. Travis is so laid back he doesn’t even react to Curtis’ threats until Curtis pulls a pair of garden shears out of his pocket and holds them to Travis’ ear. Even then, instead of giving Curtis the fifteen grand, Travis tells Curtis he’s got an idea that can make them both ten times that much. Curtis is all ears.

The next day, Raylan gets worried when Pinter isn’t at the restaurant to collect his $20,000 reward for turning over Tiny. Raylan goes to Pinter’s house, where he comes across Travis Travers. Travis claims to be a friend of Pinter’s. He claims that Pinter has been out of town for a week. Now Raylan knows Travis is lying.

After his encounter with Raylan, Travis rushes back to his own place and lets Curtis know someone’s looking for Pinter. Curtis recognizes Raylan’s description as the marshal Pinter had told him about. It turns out Curtis and Travis are keeping Arnold Pinter in one of Travis’ bedrooms, tied up with a bag over his head like something out of Afghanistan or Iraq. They’re planning to use modern fear-based torture techniques to get Pinter to turn over his secret “escape fund,” a bank account he’s been amassing since moving to Kentucky. Now that Raylan’s on the trail, Travis and Curtis know they’re going to have to speed things up.

That night, Travis and Pinter, ski masks on to hide their identities, take the bag off Pinter’s head to reveal they’ve got Pinter’s protégé Samantha held captive as well. They threaten to torture her with the garden shears if Pinter won’t turn over his cash. Pinter says “go ahead, Curtis.” Not only has Pinter figured out who they are, he also knows Samantha’s in on it. She’s the only one who knew about his secret escape fund, it turns out.

It’s back to the drawing board for Travis, Curtis, and Samantha. As they discuss their next move, Raylan shows up at the house. Curtis pockets his gun and goes out to face him, planning to “outdraw the gunslinger,” so to speak. Raylan defuses any possible violence by informing Curtis that he’s just looking for Pinter so he can give him the reward money for turning over Tiny. Curtis kindly offers to hold onto it for Pinter until he gets back, and Raylan agrees to come back in a little while with the cash.

Once Raylan is gone, Curtis convinces Travis to help him practice his quick-draw so he can outdraw Raylan once Raylan returns with the money. Curtis and Travis draw, Curtis says “bang, you’re dead,” but Travis actually pulls the trigger on his gun, blows Curtis away.

Over Samantha’s objection, Travis is about to torture Pinter with the deceased Curtis’ shears when Raylan returns with the reward money. As Travis signs for the money, Samantha sneaks back into Pinter’s room, gives him a gun and starts trying to untie him.

Travis pulls a gun on Raylan, but Raylan’s able to escape into another part of the house and radio for help. Raylan bursts into Pinter’s room and Pinter shoots him in the chest, thinking it must be Travis coming through the door. Raylan’s wearing a bulletproof vest, but the shot still floors him, has him gasping for breath as Pinter calls out his apologies. As he lays on the ground, Raylan sees the kitchen door coming open, and knows it’s Travis coming for him. He shoots through the kitchen door, killing Travis.

Pinter cares so much for Samantha that he lies for her, claims she was a hostage, too, and not in league with Curtis and Travis. He talks to Raylan about why he never would’ve given up his escape fund, even if they killed him. What use is buying back his life if his dreams go with it?

And then, against his better judgment, Raylan gives in to his desires and shows up at Ava Crowder’s door with a bottle of wine. The last we see is their very passionate kiss.

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