Welcome to the new series that will dissect every episode of season two of FX's Fargo. From its faithfulness as an adaptation of the Coen Brothers classic to its growing plot, this will be a look at all things involving the show, its mythology, and occasional predictions of things to happen. There will be highlights of special moments in the series and deeper dissection of what may make this anthology series so endearing. What will happen in this freshman series about a homespun murder mystery? You'll have to read the recaps every Tuesday to find out more.
Season 2, Episode 8
"Loplop"
"Think or be. You
can't do both."
As Ed Blumquist (Jesse Plemons) and Peggy Blumquist (Kirsten Dunst) recover from their home invasion, they discover that there's one more person still alive: Dodd Gerhardt (Jeffrey Donovan). As they grow worried, they decide to take off and hide out in a cabin. This goes well, though Ed insists on using Dodd as bait to get what he wants from both gangs. Little does he know that Hanzee Dent (Zahn McClarnon) is on his trail, killing anyone who stands in his way. As a cowardice store owner gives away Ed's location, Dodd begins to take his revenge out on the Blumquist before meeting his fate. When Hanzee arrives, things go south quickly. The episode ends with Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson) and Hank Larsson (Ted Danson) approaching the cabin as Hanzee attempts to stumble away, injured.
Most Blatant Homage
To a large extent, Hanzee Dent has always felt like a character plucked from No Country for Old Men. He's as quiet and dedicated as Anton Chigurgh. However, there's no moment that feels more blatantly inspired by that film than when he goes to confront a shop keep about Ed's whereabouts. While the film uses a more dastardly conclusion, the feeling of intimidating a man who is just doing his job is definitely on par. It's a quiet and tense moment that recalls the famous "Call it, friendo." coin toss scene from the film. On the bright side, he gets to survive out of fear and need to rat him out. Even if Hanzee is barely starting to do Chigurgh things, it definitely feels like the series as a whole is in the No Country for Old Men portion of the story.
Death Count
1. Two men found dead in the Blumquist basement
2. Six people murdered at a bar by Hanzee Dent
3. Dodd Gerhardt murdered by Peggy Blumquist
EPISODE COUNT: 9
TOTAL: 42
MVP:
Hanzee Dent (Zahn McClarnon)
I must apologize for not giving Hanzee a lot more credit during these recaps. It's been particularly hard, especially since there's at least a dozen great characters all begging for attention each and every week. He's the quiet, lone hero who picks up the pieces and demands justice. He's a menacing force. Rarely has that felt more true than here, where he most blatantly becomes the Anton Chigurgh of the series. It's unflinching and powerful in ways that show the darker side of the show. He's almost too resourceful at times, especially since he almost seems to sneak up on you when you're not looking. While he was wounded at the end of this episode, here's hoping that things pan out and that he's still on the show come next week.
Best Scene
It's tough to really narrow down the best part of this episode. There's far too many great scenes that are either darkly comic or just reflect the characters being crafty. However, there's nothing more traumatic and intense as the scene where prisoner Dodd escapes his clutches and ends up taking his revenge on Peggy and Ed. He is manipulative and even gets Ed hung at one point. While the proceeding scene involving Hanzee is equally engrossing, it's the disturbing mixture of potential death and gross imagery that inevitably gives it an edge. It's kinetic in the best ways possible, forcing the characters to survive second to second. It may not be the series' best moment, but it reflects perfectly how they're able to weasel their way out of corners at every single turn.
Overall Thoughts
It's hard to really find much fault for making this episode essentially about three characters. While they aren't necessarily the most interesting of the collective, they definitely have proven their ability to survive and how they turn to violence in the moment of cowardice. It's a great episode about not thinking about danger, but being the danger. It's an episode about survival that is gruesome, but also darkly comic. Even if this isn't the greatest episode this season, it definitely reflects how the show is able to focus on a small group of characters and still make for a compelling episode of television. I especially enjoy how this is all one haphazard cat and mouse fight at this point. We're almost done this season, so maybe things will only get worse before they get better. If that's the case, then I'm looking forward to a lot of strong parts.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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