Margaux and I have a lot to say about this week’s time-jumping episode of Fargo.
Trevor: So…I guess we have a lot to talk about, huh?
Margaux: It was an…unexpected episode. I was slightly disappointed by it, quite honestly. I liked fast forwarding a year but felt like it didn’t belong in what we’ve seen so far. I mean, it’s nice to see Molly in full-on Marge Gunderson but like, not nearly enough death/destruction. Or Key and Peele.
Trevor: While watching it, I thought, much to my chagrin, “Did this show just jump the shark?” Ultimately, I don’t think that’s what happened. I think Fargo wants us to consider the first seven episodes almost as a prequel, because what the flash-forward accomplished was to bring Fargo the show closer to being Fargo the movie.
Margaux: I got the “prequel” vibe from the cut to Gus living his dream of being a mailman and, obviously, the title card telling us where we were. But the two episode streak of “slowing down,” in one sense is building our connection with protagonist characters and even getting us to feel the some of the frustration Molly must feel in seeing Lester get away with it. For now. But something “The Heap” still felt off for me. Maybe it was the lack of Malvo. Either way, when the credits rolled, it was the first time I felt unsatisfied with Fargo.
Trevor: Can we back up a little bit and talk about some plot? Because there was a decent amount. Lester was like Jay-Z in “Otis” – he got his swagger back. And it’s funny that it looked like it was due to his new washing machine.
Margaux: Hahaha. I have a hard time associating the word “swagger” and Lester in the same sentence, but I get you. I was a little surprised to see Lester finally sticking up for himself and taking Malvo’s advice (or maybe it’s his way of looking at life) when he stapled the Hess sons forehead and neck, respectively.
Trevor: And capped it off by winning Insurance Salesman of the Year 2007! In what looked like the worst awards ceremony Vegas has ever seen (my notes read “Insurance magic show – GUH”). And it looks like he wants to step out on his wife (probably not for the first time), which is…well, a dick move. I do like how seeing silver fox Lorne completely sapped him of his newfound confidence.
Margaux: And that moment couldn’t of come soon enough. I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes at who Lester had become. OF COURSE he’s winning Insurance Salesman of the Year at the corniest awards show that would make a regular person want to gouge their eyes out. Oh yeah, and hello cliche white guy who married an Asian chick. It was nice to see the air taken outta Lester, cause I was hoping his would-be conquest in the bar would kick him in the balls. I miss Dumped-All-Over Lester, he was fun and less cringe worthy than this new Lester. Who wears dickhead, hipster “reading” glasses. If they had no lens, I wouldn’t be shocked.
Trevor: Haha, no one would. (Side note: a lady in Walgreens yesterday asked me to explain what it’s like to be a hipster. I might have to shave this goddamn beard.) I really liked Lorne’s scene with Mr. Wrench, where he gives him the key to his handcuffs and then delivers a variation on the Kill Bill speech: if you’re still mad, come and find me. But Lorne’s code of honor lends a lot of credence to those (myself included) who feel like Fargo is positing him as some kind of Midwest Anton Chigurh.
Also, the guy Lorne was talking to in the Vegas bar? Stephen Root. I’m excited about that.
Margaux: Malvo’s scenes in the hospital are the only ones that held my attention. I felt like Malvo’s presence in the hospital was an homage to menacing figures in movies, his Kill Bill-ish threat included. It really struck me when Malvo takes out the cop-guard in the bathroom, they replicated my favorite shot from Scream. The bathroom may seem all clear but after a couple seconds, Malvo’s boots descend from the stall toilet and he strangles the crap outta the unsuspecting cop. It was terrifying and glorious, especially Lorne’s smile throughout it all.
I do hope they go back to what Mr. Wrench’s decision is after Malvo tosses him the keys to his freedom.
Also, wouldn’t the papers have picked on “Dead Cop in Hospital Bathroom, Fugitive at Large”? How did Molly miss that? But not the massacre…
Trevor: Speaking of the massacre – 22 people! Holy shit, Lorne! Not to mention the collateral damage of Pepper and Budge being exiled to the file room, where Budge is having a full-on existential crisis. I think revealing that photo of Lorne is going to light a fire under their asses. I see a very pregnant deputy in their future.
Margaux: Well, duh. It’s frustrating when you can see the outcome of these pieces coming together but feels like the show is delaying the inevitable.
But on Pepper and Budge’s part, that was a pretty massive fuck-up on their part and if they didn’t get any sort of retribution for it, it would of been harder to suspend your disbelief since we haven’t seen them be good agents. Yet.
I’m half hoping Gus will end up delivering mail to the real Frank Peterson, weirdly enough. He’s a good cop too, but the show hasn’t allowed him the opportunity to prove that.
Trevor: That would be cool, I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe Stephen Root is Frank Peterson, and he’s in cahoots with Lorne! Or maybe Stephen Root is the Yellow King.
Margaux: EVERYONE IS THE YELLOW KING!
That’s also my segue into asking, star count?
Trevo: Fuck, I really wanted to end this on “EVERYONE IS THE YELLOW KING” with no star count. I’m thinking three and a half. I don’t think Fargo is capable of producing bad television, but “The Heap” was frustrating at times. I’m interested to see how this time-jump works out, because now that the Supermarket King is no longer involved, it’s arguably a different show.
Margaux: Of course Fargo doesn’t have “bad episodes;” I can’t even think of a show to compare it to because it’s in a league of its own. That being said, if there was thing last nights episode did effectively was made me more excited to see how things unfold. I think three and half stars is fair.
But do you really think the Supermarket King is out of the picture? I find that hard to believe. Especially when Molly meets Bill’s foster kid and he casually mentions “July in January”. That’s all the hint I have right now but I think Stavros has a lot more to say than we’re being lead to believe.
Trevor: Good point. One thing we won’t be getting any more of, though: his son’s jokes. THANKS OBAMA.
Margaux: RIP me getting to use “on the spectrum” in our reviews.
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