As Fargo continues, it gets more and more intriguing, intense, and epic. This week started off the back 5 episodes with quite a literal bang…or several.
We open this week with one big bad (the mob boss who’s trying to avenge Sam Hess) giving the kill order on the other big bad (Malvo). Obviously, the two aren’t playing for the same team, but who is Malvo playing for? I have no clue. Billy Bob Thornton barely spoke in this week’s episode, and yet sometimes silence IS the best dialogue, because his characterization was more intense than ever.
Speaking of Lorne, he awakes Don, who has spent all night in the pantry, and makes him call Stavros with a voice-changer. Stavros initially appears to want to make the drop. Malvo then knocks out poor, dimwitted Don, who wakes up duct taped to exercise equipment and (soon after) a rifle. Malvo then fires shots out into the neighborhood and leaves. The police (and SWAT) arrive, and poor Mr. Chumph is blown to bits with the rest of the house. While we all surely knew that the Chumph/Malvo partnership was never one that was going last, I have to admit this was a clever way to get the police distracted all at once and make a getaway. RIP, Chumph. Catch you at that Paddy’s Pub in the sky, someday.
Malvo is making his getaway, and almost gets away with it, but Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench catch up to him, and a good old fashioned gun-fight ensues. The snow is making it harder than ever to see in front of their faces, so Malvo uses it to his advantage and gets the drop on Mr. Numbers. That’s now two men down in dear old Duluth.
Molly, meanwhile, has arrived in Duluth to go over notes with Gus. There is a giant snowstorm coming, so she comes a little early. After investigating a few leads that take them to Stavros’ grocery store, they are going over notes over coffee (and Gus is confessing he’d rather have been a mailman). While at the coffee shop, a gun battle breaks out, and they go out to investigate. Molly rushes in and Gus reluctantly follows, and they get mixed up in the Malvo/Numbers/Wrench battle. They found Mr. Numbers, dead, and Molly runs off. When Gus hears gunfire and then sees a shadow, he warns them and fires. The person collapses…you know what’s next, don’t you? It was Molly. Gus, you best not have ruined your chances at happiness by shooting this woman. Seriously, dude.
In a totally separate story, Lester is being guarded in the hospital. He is visited by his brother, who basically disowns him for his possible (okay, definite) involvement in all the murders. His roommate, Mr. Creech, is completely bandaged over the face, so to escape, Lester poses as Mr. Creech, and his nurse wheels him right past the guard. I’m convinced, after what follows, that Lester’s moral compass (if it ever existed) is gone, and Lester has gone full psychopath. Lester escapes to his home, where he recovers the murder weapon, and he takes it to his brothers house and plants it. PLANTS IT. Then, Lester gets back into his Mr. Creech disguise and sneaks back into the hospital. Scary and despicable? Yes. Awesome? Also yes.
The episode ends with Stavros, who instead of dropping the money for the blackmailers, goes back and buries it where he found it originally. However, on his way home, he finds a road full of fish, and the car containing his son and his son’s caretaker off the road and flipped. His son is dead, and he still thinks plagues are hitting them. But how anyone got all of these fish to fall out of the sky onto this car and road I have no clue, but I’m desperate to find out!
This week’s episode was action packed. As the stories intertwine more closely, a real sense of urgency is developed in the show. After this episode, we’re down 4 characters, and Molly has been shot, too! I’d have to say, though, that the acting superlative of the week goes to Martin Freeman’s Lester Nygaard. As I mentioned previously, you can see his moral compass (and maybe his sanity?) completely slipping away, as Lester becomes increasingly clever in his effort to not be arrested. Freeman portrayed this beautifully, and he was definitely the star this week.
What did you think? Enjoy this week’s episode? I personally can’t wait to see what happens next! Sound off in the comments! See you next week!
[Photo via FX]
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