Thick as Mud

"Thick as Mud" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American Neo-Western^[1] television series Justified. It is the 31st overall episode of the series and was written by story editor Jon Worley and co-producer Benjamin Cavell from a story by Worley and executive producer Elmore Leonard and directed by Adam Arkin. It originally aired on FX on February 14, 2012.

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, Dewey finds himself in an extremely dangerous position when Lance "removes" his kidneys and must get money in a short span to get them back. Despite being credited, Jacob Pitts does not appear in the episode.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.13 million household viewers and gained a 0.8 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received critical acclaim, who praised the pace, writing, character development, shock value and performances, with the majority highlighting Damon Herriman as Dewey Crowe.