Margaux and I discuss last night’s impactful episode of Fargo.
Trevor: We’ve been reviewing Fargo for three seasons now, and false modesty aside I think we’ve gotten pretty good at it. But sometimes I don’t even know where to start with this show. I have to be upfront and say that when a main character dies I’m inclined to give that episode a rave review, so I’ll try to be objective. That being said, I was still pretty floored by “The Lord of No Mercy,” starting with that great static shot of Ray’s window. Maybe it’s because there was so much Varga in this episode. How did it work for you?
Margaux: It’s funny, before I even started the episode I thought to myself, “Someone has to die tonight, right?” I can’t say I knew exactly who, but Fargo incorporated an editing trope I usually equate with reality television, “the loser” cut. It zigged when I thought for sure it’d zag. Fargo has been less tense this season, lots of meandering and “you betchas” to get to this crossroad, but “The Lord of No Mercy” – and probably due to Varga’s wolf-like looming presence through most of it – gave the episode the sense (finally) that anyone could die at any moment, and you’d be shocked no matter how much you thought you’d prepared yourself.
Trevor: Varga has been pulling strings and generally throwing his weight around since episode one, which the show hasn’t been shy about showing us, but in “No Mercy” I feel like that was amped up even more. He was always there – looming is a good word – working to obfuscate and obstruct. I loved him sending Meemo in to meet with Hamish Linklater’s IRS agent (whose name is Larue Dollars; I love Fargo names), and the way Meemo set up in the exact same way before telling Dollars to get lost. And his presence in the meeting with Emmit, Gloria, and Winnie was wonderfully ominous. “I didn’t get your name.” “True.” This isn’t a show that gets a lot of Emmy attention for its acting (Billy Bob Thornton notwithstanding), but I’d love to see David Thewlis gets some kind of recognition for his work, beyond us gushing about it every single week.
Margaux: Varga was utterly disgusting this episode. When he picks his bloody, disintegrating teeth, I wanted to throw up – I wouldn’t suggest eating within 30 minutes of watching Fargo. What’s most striking about Varga is how for a show that takes place in 2010, he’s perfectly mirrors the mindset of 2017 (fucking horseman of the apocalypse he most likely is). The cold open was the most maddening, especially after Nikki’s alternative-fact-based conversation with Sy last week. Varga tells three stories with just enough wrong details to make you question yourself; when Varga says, “perception of reality becomes reality” I momentarily thought I was watching Fox News. He pulls this shit again with Gloria (“There were 24 Hitlers”), but she blessedly sees right through it.
Trevor: I love Sy’s reaction to Varga claiming the moon landing was faked: “Wait…what?” (Incidentally, it must be hilarious to work on Fargo and film an assassination one day and the moon landing the next.) One of my favorite things about Gloria is her wonderful intolerance of bullshit, which makes her a good match for Varga, a man made entirely of bullshit. It’s interesting that those two have gradually become the pro- and antagonist of this show, and the Stussy brothers’ feud was really just our entry point. It’s like watching season two from Ted Danson’s point of view.
Margaux: I’m happy to see “The Lord of No Mercy” bring Varga and Gloria together, they’ve been circling each other for an episode or two. And even though it was inevitable, it was extremely satisfying to see Varga’s stalking prowess be brought to its knees by Gloria’s lack of online presence. According to Google, she doesn’t even exist. Who needs fucking hand dryers to work when you’ve bested Varga at his own game, being invisible.
Trevor: I loved that touch. And Varga makes reference to himself being nonexistent as well. It says a lot about how reality works in Fargo that I’m wondering if either one of them are real. (I’m still halfheartedly indulging my theory that this is all a game being played by Lorne Malvo.) And – like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, or Better Call Saul – this is an insanely detail-obsessed show. If something like Gloria’s nonexistence is brought up as often as it is, there’s a reason for it. It might be my third-favorite part of this season. (Number one is Varga, number two is just how much Ray and Nikki love each other.)
Margaux: Really? Because my number two is motherfucking Sy Feltz – he’s the real MVP. Dude drank piss out of a mug that recently had dick AND balls in it and got a lot of it on his mustache, and HE’S STILL AROUND. Damn. That’s more loyal than a Golden Retriever.
But since you started talking about Ray + Nikki = 4Eva, let’s get to the good stuff. Up until Emmit showed up at Ray’s, I thought Nikki was going to die, and was honestly okay with that. She sort of heightened their feud, and after the brutality of last week, her need for revenge was completely founded, but would ultimately lead to her death because those henchmen do not fuck around.
Trevor: As soon as she told Ray not to kill Yuri, Meemo, and Varga, I knew one of them was going to die this episode. That was their last best chance. Now Ray is gone, and while I’ll dearly miss Ewan McGregor’s performance (good thing we have another), I’m very interested to see what Nikki looks like on a warpath. Ideally she teams up with Winnie and Gloria, but I don’t see that happening. (I just love the way Fargo handles its women and I want them to hang out, sue me.)
Margaux: By the time Emmit is finished speechifying to Ray, he was as good as dead. God did he die a perfectly stupid Fargo-ian way. And frankly, I’m happy to be rid of one Stussy brother, especially the less compelling one. I think Ewan McGregor did a serviceable job, but between the accents and fairly thin characters to begin with, I think he’ll be better at bringing a more fully realized performance to the screen simply as Emmit. At times, it felt very, “Let’s just check this prestige drama box and have big-name movie actor play TWO roles. And they’re twins, and ONE’S A BUM!” If Ray’s only point was to bring Nikki into the mix (and I hope she somehow teams up with Gloria and Winnie too), that’s okay by me. I think Hawley is still doing penance for royally fucking up Molly in season one, AS HE SHOULD.
Trevor: I agree with you about McGregor, I do think his performance will be more focused going forward (and Emmit has a potentially richer narrative arc).
Before we talk stars, I want to get in a real quick Trevor’s Coen Corner (quick because I’m sure I missed some).
Margaux: The corner is all yours.
Trevor: Varga referring to Lenin as “Vladimir Illyich Ulianov” is how Walter refers to him in The Big Lebowski. And when Gloria says “Screw it” and turns back to go to Ray’s house, that’s almost exactly what Josh Brolin says in No Country for Old Men before going back to the site of the shootout. Like I said, I’m sure I missed some. Do you want to touch on anything else, or move on to stars?
Margaux: The thing “The Lord of No Mercy” is guilty of is making you realize is that the bodies should have started dropping a while ago because if there’s one thing Fargo always gets right, it’s pointless gore.
Final Score:
4/5
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