Fargo, season 2

[The Nth Doctor]

Is she truly buying what her boss is selling, or does she not realize that she is as controlled by her boss as she is told she is controlled by her husband? She controls him more than he controls her. Really no one in this show is likable except for the cop and his family.

Yeah, I wonder about that. She's being manipulated by her boss--whether she sees it or not is questionable. She is dumb as hell but clearly kind of evil, in a selfish child kind of way. Her husband is just simple-minded.

I kinda think she doesn't mind being manipulated by her boss, because her boss feeds her ego and she's self-centered enough to only care about what makes her feel important. I think Peggy will end up throwing her dumb hubby to the wolves; it will not end well.

It seemed to me Ed was about to accept Lou's offer, which Peggy senses and immediately decided it was time for Lou to leave. The reviewer at A.V. Club didn't go as far saying she was evil, but there's definitely something very wrong with her.

Umm....I was referring to the murders at the old man's doctor's office--in the parking lot.

Oh, yeah, that too!

That clinical trial scene was pretty grueling, though. That doctor needs to seriously work on his bedside manner.

No kidding. "No, it’s not a war on you. It’s a war against your body." Wow.

 

[shivkala]

Is she truly buying what her boss is selling, or does she not realize that she is as controlled by her boss as she is told she is controlled by her husband? She controls him more than he controls her. Really no one in this show is likable except for the cop and his family.

Yeah, I wonder about that. She's being manipulated by her boss--whether she sees it or not is questionable. She is dumb as hell but clearly kind of evil, in a selfish child kind of way. Her husband is just simple-minded.

I kinda think she doesn't mind being manipulated by her boss, because her boss feeds her ego and she's self-centered enough to only care about what makes her feel important. I think Peggy will end up throwing her dumb hubby to the wolves; it will not end well.

It seemed to me Ed was about to accept Lou's offer, which Peggy senses and immediately decided it was time for Lou to leave. The reviewer at A.V. Club didn't go as far saying she was evil, but there's definitely something very wrong with her.

The subreddit r/fargotv has a theory that Peg is one of Floyd's daughters. Instead of having a miscarriage, she secretly had a daughter, but only wanted sons, so she gave the girl away.

 

[auntiehill]

Well, she said had six children, two of which were stillborn, and had three miscarriages. So, her surviving kids--the oldest (forget his name) died in the war, leaving Dodd (always sounds like "Dar" to me), Bear and Rye (not big on syllables, this family). I'm not sure they would go that far but it is possible. Might explain her sociopathic tendencies.

So, it is possible, I guess, that Peggy could be one of the "still born" kids that Otto may not have wanted. Peggy does kinda look like Simone, Dodd's daughter.

 

[Greg Cox]

Oh, yeah, that too!

That clinical trial scene was pretty grueling, though. That doctor needs to seriously work on his bedside manner.

No kidding. "No, it’s not a war on you. It’s a war against your body." Wow.

I was a little puzzled as to what the point of the attack in the hospital parking lot was. I though they were going to abduct the old man to use as leverage, but they just left him there after killing all his bodyguards.

And I think Otto is still mentally sharp, despite the effects of the stroke. He seemed to realize that an ambush was in the offing, even if he had no way to communicate that to his guard.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Maybe they should get him a bell.

The point of the attack seemed like a statement "We can kill you whenever we want and you can't stop us."

That scene where Lou gives Fat Damon a chance to surrender, it reminded me of that scene in No Country For Old Men where Llewelyn is told "You are in over your head, surrender and we can help". This season is very distinctly made in Coen Brothers style.

 

[auntiehill]

Holy Shit! Er.... I mean, oh geez. That's one heck of a body count, eh?

Kinda felt sorry for the kid; he's going to prison and only got off one shot. He didn't even actually hurt anyone. And Peggy finally does something NOT totally selfish---and it's at totally the wrong time.

I almost feel sorry for Floyd; she's lost her youngest son, her husband is a mute invalid, her grandson is going to prison and now people are out to kill her whole family. I hope she's able to put the smackdown on Dodd and finally bring what's left of her family together.

 

[Beagleman]

I was seriously concerned for butcher shop girl and glad nothing happned to her.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

She's not out of the woods yet. She will be asked to testify against a Gerhart.

 

[Beagleman]

Damn, you're right. BTW, how funny was that moment with Ed: "I saved the kid, right?! The other guy was self-defense! Tell that to the cops! Um... bye!"

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Just popping in to say that my wife was an extra in this week's episode. She was part of the group of people talking with Reagan in the background about 20-22 minutes in. Yes, that WAS Bruce Campbell back there despite barely being able to see his blurry face, and he was telling funny stories to the other extras while the action was happening in the foreground. That one shot took several hours but my wife was well paid for her time, and was also on the bus for shots of it driving around the countryside.

Moment of glory for a show lots of people watch and talk about on a forum I frequent, DONE. Next up, me in the background of Hell on Wheels, coming July 2016!

Mark

 

[Velocity]

Ed's butcher skills are coming in so handy for him beyond his usual shop work. Will Kansas City keep the Gerhardts too busy to chase him and Peggy down? Of course, the cleaver in the hitman and the kid being shot just adds to Dodd's fabrication of "The Butcher".

 

[Greg Cox]

Ed's butcher skills are coming in so handy for him beyond his usual shop work. Will Kansas City keep the Gerhardts too busy to chase him and Peggy down? Of course, the cleaver in the hitman and the kid being shot just adds to Dodd's fabrication of "The Butcher".

A thought: the show may be riffing on "Macbeth" here.

In the play, Macbeth starts out as sympathetic character who is manipulated into murder by his cold-blooded wife. But as the the play goes on, the wife is driven mad by guilt while Macbeth, who used to have a conscience, gradually becomes more and more ruthless as he becomes accustomed to killing.

Maybe we'll get a similar progression here, with Peggy falling apart and Ed mutating into "The Butcher."

 

[auntiehill]

^Interesting take. I wouldn't mind seeing that. Peggy did show a *glimmer* of decency last episode; maybe there will be role-reversal there.

 

[auntiehill]

^ Well, so much for Peggy showing any sign of conscience.

Best line: "You're a little touched, aren't ya?"

Simone's daddy issues come back to bite her in the ass--and how! Nice twist, that--having them come to the ranch instead. Grandma truly is the only brain in the entire family, it seems.

Things I really like about this episode:
-the use of split screen was very well done, very 70's; it even had the grainy "artifacting" of film.
-Mike reciting "Jabberwocky," while preparing for the attack. Not terribly important but a very nice touch; it fits in well with the absurdity of everything going on
-Karl's monologue in the station house and convincing the lynch mob to leave; classic stuff there. Nick Offerman is at the top of his game!

 

[Greg Cox]

-Karl's monologue in the station house and convincing the lynch mob to leave; classic stuff there. Nick Offerman is at the top of his game!

That was a great scene, and all the more so because Karl had been acting like drunken nutcase before, but then he came through with some pretty convincing legal arguments--while literally looking down the barrel of a rifle.

 

[Velocity]

-Karl's monologue in the station house and convincing the lynch mob to leave; classic stuff there. Nick Offerman is at the top of his game!

That was a great scene, and all the more so because Karl had been acting like drunken nutcase before, but then he came through with some pretty convincing legal arguments--while literally looking down the barrel of a rifle.

It's moments like that that make Fargo seem a little Damon Runyonesque don'cha know.
It was pretty obvious when whoredaughter blabbed that most of the Gerhardt muscle was leaving the homestead unprotected that there would be an attack on it. She is as dumb as Peggy, but maybe also as brave. Peggy doesn't need that seminar, she can step up when she needs to. I wonder if she killed Dodd with that cattle prod.

 

[auntiehill]

I think that was her intent--we'll see if she was successful.

 

[Velocity]

So she might have played a big part in the deaths of 2 Gerhardt sons. I'm interested to see if the Indian will show up at Ed and Peggy's house or if he'll be called back to the Gerhardt homestead before. If Dodd is dead, will he transfer his allegiance to Dodd's brother? The preview of the next episode looks really good. This season is getting really interesting.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I got the impression when they cut away that the Indian saw what direction the cop car went and reasoned that Ed ran off in the other direction, so he may be still actively hunting Ed.

It wasn't clear in that episode whether Dodd was dead. It'd be interesting to see if the Garhardts at the house have some kind of escape route.

 

[Velocity]

He knows where Ed lives so he was probably headed in that direction, but since the Gerhardt home was under attack, sooner or later they would call everyone back there. That might save Peggy and Ed for another day. Or he might catch "the Butcher" in the process of stuffing Dodd in the freezer. Ed can't hamburgerize Dodd because the butcher shop is gone. I still wonder if they sold Rye hamburger.