Wade Messer, played by James LeGros, is a character in the FX series Justified. Messer is a drug addict and alcoholic who supports his habits with crime.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Background 1.2 Season 2 1.3 Season 3 2 Relationships 3 Memorable Quotes 4 Appearances

BiographyEdit

BackgroundEdit

Messer was born in Harlan County, Kentucky.

Season 2Edit

Messer distracts Raylan Givens so that Dickie Bennett can knock him out. He helps Dickie to hang Raylan from a tree by his ankles. Raylan is later rescued by Boyd Crowder but Messer has already fled.

Messer drives Loretta McCready back to Harlan when she runs away from her foster family.

Season 3Edit

Messer has been working for his drug dealer Glen Fogel. He steals on orders from Fogel and transports stolen property from Harlan to Frankfurt. He has a federal warrant for his arrest in connection to armed robberies. On a run to Frankfurt Messer and his accomplice JT are in a truck in the queue of cars approaching a road block. JT says that he thinks it was an injustice that Michael Vick was sentenced to fifteen years incarceration for killing dogs. He claims to know people who got shorter sentences for killing people. Messer sees through this lie. Messer recognises Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens and tells JT to turn the truck around. JT does so, drawing the attention of Raylan and the troopers. JT drives over the verge and tips the truck onto its side. Messer climbs out the window and runs into the woods. Raylan clambers onto the truck and arrests JT but Messer escapes.

Messer goes to the pawn shop and waits with Fogel's assistant Wally Becket for Fogel to finish dealing with a customer. Fogel comes through and asks what happened. Messer tells him about the roadblock. Becket laughs at Messer and Fogel tells him to shut up. Fogel asks about JT and Messer hangs his head. Fogel sends Becket to bail JT out.

Becket drags JT into Fogel’s office. Fogel disparages JT and compares him unfavourably to Messer, saying that at least Messer was able to get away. JT blames the arrest on Messer but Fogel says that he does not want to hear it. Fogel brings a revolver and bullet out of his desk. Fogel asks if JT spoke to the police and is annoyed when Becket answers for him. He asks JT again and JT denies having said anything. Fogel spins the chamber shut and calls JT over, asking if he is wearing a wire. Becket says that he has checked him and Fogel says that is exactly why he is checking again. JT apologises and Fogel says that it is really his fault for working with addicts. JT says that he is in withdrawal and Fogel is incredulous that JT is asking him for drugs after getting arrested and getting Fogel’s truck confiscated. JT offers to go out and steal a television. Fogel hands JT the gun and says that he can have a pill if he wins at Russian roulette. Beckett laughs and Fogel again tells him to shut up. JT fearfully puts the gun to his head and pulls the trigger, no shot fires. JT holds the gun out to Fogel but Fogel tells him to do it again. JT complains that is not how Russian roulette works and Fogel tells him that he is playing Harlan Roulette. Messer interjects and Fogel quiets him by threatening to make him play. JT complains that the odds are worse and Fogel offers him a full bottle of oxycontin. JT repeats the motion, surviving again but this time losing control of his bladder. Becket and Fogel laugh at him and JT turns the gun on Fogel and repeatedly pulls the trigger, no shot is fired. Fogel wrests the gun back and reveals that he palmed the bullet. He loads the weapon, aims at JT and pulls the trigger. No shot fires and Fogel observes that it is JT’s lucky day. He pulls the trigger thrice more, killing JT on the fourth attempt. He orders Becket and Messer to clean up and dispose of the body.

Becket has Messer dig a grave outside of town. Messer rambles as he digs, saying that he has never seen anyone shot before. He asks Becket how many people he has seen Fogel kill and Becket tells him to dig the hole.

While they are gone Fogel is questioned by Raylan. He calls Wynn Duffy for advice and is ordered to kill Raylan. Becket and Messer return to the pawn shop as Fogel finishes his call. Fogel tells Messer that he knows that he is a federal fugitive and expresses his annoyance that Messer kept it from him. He pressures Messer into killing Raylan, instructing him to invite Raylan to his home on the pretext of giving himself up and then to shoot him.

Messer arrives home to find Raylan already sitting on his porch. Shocked, he observes that Raylan got there fast. Raylan counters that Messer seemed in a hurry to give himself up. Messer begins to recount his reasons and Raylan tells him he doesn’t need to explain again, having already done so when he called. Messer offers that Raylan could have waited inside. Raylan asks if Messer remembers a miner’s strike from their past. He tells Messer that five mining company gun thugs came to his house looking for his Uncle, a leader amongst the strikers. He says that his mother refused them entry but they forced their way into the house, finding nothing. Raylan says that he has forgotten or discarded many rules over the years but never his mother’s admonition to the thugs that “you don’t walk in a person’s home unless you’re invited.” Messer asks to go inside to change his shirt and Raylan stands aside for him. Messer rambles about his involvement with Dickie and in bringing Loretta McCready back to Harlan and then emerges from the house unchanged. Raylan shows Messer the gun and then drags Messer towards his car. Messer blames his behaviour on his drug addiction. Raylan says they will leave that to judge and jury and Messer wonders if they can come to an agreement before it gets to that point. Raylan asks Messer what he was supposed to do after he shot him.

Raylan has Messer call Fogel and tell him that he was successful but was wounded in the attempt. Messer, suspicious, has Becket get guns and ammunition before driving him out to Messer’s house. They find the house deserted. Raylan pulls up behind them and gets out of his car. He tells Fogel that he has Messer in custody and Fogel tells Raylan not to believe anything Messer says. Raylan warns Fogel that he has two choices; join Messer in handcuffs or leave in a coroner’s wagon. Raylan says that he knows Becket is round the back. Fogel is unmoved, saying that Raylan is outnumbered two to one. Raylan says that it is more like one and a half because Becket is stoned. He asks Fogel why he bothered bringing Becket. Fogel offers to give up Duffy in exchange for leniency. Raylan says that is acceptable and tells them to put down their guns. Becket is disbelieving and tells Raylan that Fogel killed JT. Fogel tells him to shut up and calls him an addict. Becket aims at Fogel and says he will give himself up if Raylan kills Fogel. Fogel says that Raylan needs him and will not shoot him. Becket shoots Fogel in the chest and Fogel returns fire, killing Becket. Raylan instructs Messer to call 911 and goes to check on Fogel. Fogel complains that Raylan let Becket shoot him and says that he cannot die there before drifting into unconsciousness.

RelationshipsEdit

• Raylan Givens: Deputy US Marshal
• Loretta McCready: Friend
• Dickie Bennett: Criminal associate
• JT: Criminal associate, fellow oxycontin addict (deceased)
• Wally Becket: Criminal associate (deceased)
• Glen Fogel: Drug dealer, employer (deceased)

Memorable QuotesEdit

AppearancesEdit

Season two appearances
The Moonshine War	The Life Inside	The I of the Storm	For Blood or Money	Cottonmouth
Blaze of Glory	Save My Love	The Spoil	Brother's Keeper	Debts and Accounts
	Full Commitment	Reckoning	Bloody Harlan

Season three appearances
The Gunfighter	Cut Ties	Harlan Roulette	The Devil You Know	Thick as Mud
When the Guns Come Out	The Man Behind The Curtain	Watching the Detectives	Loose Ends	Guy Walks Into a Bar
	Measures	Coalition	Slaughterhouse