Fargo Season 1 Finale Episode # 10 "Morton's Fork" - Recap and Review

This post discusses the episode in detail. Readers yet to see the episode are recommended to skip the rest of the post, if they wish to avoid spoilers.

After seeing his second wife getting killed by Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton), Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) decides to go to Lou's Coffee Shop.

The local cops soon converge on the crime scene as does Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman).

Lester pretends to be innocent of the circumstances surrounding his wife's death. Molly and the FBI Agents Pepper (Keegan-Michael Key) and Budge (Jordan Peele) interrogate Lester.

Lester under the pretext of being affected by the death of his spouse, gets away.

Lou Solverson (Keith Carradine) informs Molly about Lorne's visit and Lorne's conversation with him about Lester's whereabouts. He personally keeps vigil outside Molly's home to protect Greta Grimly (Joey King).

Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) also sets out to help Molly and spots the red BMW he saw Lorne driving earlier.

Lorne abducts a car salesman and makes him follow the FBI Agents as they escort Lester to his house. Lorne kills the agents shortly and proceeds in his attempt to kill Lester.

Lester has laid a trap used to catch animals and Lorne's leg get struck. He is able to inflict injury on Lester, before escaping to safety.

As Lorne painstakingly performs some home grown techniques to set his injured bones straight, he realizes that he has become the prey to another predator lurking nearby.

Gus informs Lorne that he has figured out his puzzle about shades of green before proceeding to shoot him multiple times, ensuring his death.

The police arrive shortly and Gus shows Molly the tapes maintained by Lorne. Molly listens to the call made by Lester to Lorne on the night he murdered his first wife.

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A couple of weeks later, authorities catch up to Lester Nygaard in Glacier National Park, Montana. He tries to flee and falls to his death as the icecaps break around him.

Molly becomes the Chief of Police, Bemidji and Gus gets a citation for bravery.

This was a exciting finale to one of the best TV shows I have seen in a long time.

The acting has been consistently good right from the start and this episode is no different. Billy Bob Thornton continues to lead the ensemble cast in acting honors. Lorne Malvo is one of the most memorable characters and all credit to Billy Bob. His final scene with Gus Grimly was epic. A fitting farewell to a classic character.

Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman and Colin Hanks continue to get lion's share of the screentime. All of them are exceptional actors and are believable in their roles.

In addition to these main players, Keith Carradine as Lou Solverson, and Keegan-Michael Key and Budge Jordan Peele as the hapless yet hilarious agents get their share of the limelight.

Keith has some great character moments with Molly, Gus and especially with Greta. 

Bob Odenkirk as Bill Oswalt has a nice scene where he accepts his inability to perform his job and expresses his intention to recommend Molly for his position.

The cinematography is superb and the music too enhances the gripping quality of the show.

This was a great show and a worthy tribute to the original by the Coen Brothers.

A must watch for fans of the Coen Brothers/Fargo/Thrillers.

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Image Sources: Chris Large, FX Productions, MGM Television, FX Network

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Fargo Season 1 Episode # 5 "The Six Ungraspables" - Recap and Review

Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) is forced to reveal the name of Lorne Malvo to his cellmates Mr.Numbers (Adam Goldberg) and Mr.Wrench (Russell Harvard). He further reveals that Lorne took his car to Duluth.

Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) is still on Lester's heels. She has obtained his phone records on the night, his wife and the ex police chief were killed.

A call had been placed to the motel where Lorne was staying. This piece of information finally convinces Chief Bill Oswalt (Bob Odenkirk) that something is amiss.

Deputy Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) has his daughter Greta (Joey King) look up Pastor Peterson from Baudette.

Lorne is back to Calamity Joe (Roger LeBlanc) to get a police scanner. He visits Don Chumph (Glenn Howerton) and prepares to extort the ransom money from Stavros Milos (Oliver Platt).

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A guilt ridden Gus shares his anguish with his neighbor, who advises him that only a fool tries to solve all the world's problems.

Stavros's son, Dmitri (Gordon S. Miller) does some investigation of his own and discovers that the troubles plaguing his father are very much man-made. However Stavros is too much into his religious beliefs and refuses to heed Dmitri's advice.

Molly revisits Lester's house for clues. Lester is taken to the hospital, where Molly learns that the pregnant Ida Thurman (Julie Ann Emery) has just given birth.

Molly checks in on Lester in his hospital room. Lester pretends to be asleep and Molly leaves the room.

This was a good episode. The writing is sharp and witty. The casting continues to be solid with a couple of new additions and there is not a single weak link in the chain.

The show is at its best whenever Billy Bob Thornton is onscreen. His conversations with Calamity Joe and especially with Stavros during the ride is hilarious and amusing. Equally good is his discussion about house safety precautions. The concerned neighbor calls him “Se'irim”, the term for demon in the Hebrew Bible.

The shooting scene at Lester's place was beautifully shot. The attention to details and the graphical rendering was superb. Kudos to the technical crew.

The hapless Lester undergoes considerable torture and Martin does a great job with his American accent and acting.

Molly's “Yeah” in the hospital reminded me of Frances McDormand's character from the 1996 original.

Recommended to fans of thrillers/dramas/Coen Brothers.

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Image Sources: FX Productions, MGM Television, FX Network

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Fargo - Morton's Fork

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Fargo Season 1 Episode # 4 "Eating the Blame" - Recap and Review

As the episode opens in 1987, a much younger Stavros Milos is traveling with his wife and son in his car. He is down and out on his luck and is seeking new fortunes. He soon discovers a briefcase full of cash.

Cut to the present. Stavros (Oliver Platt) hires Don Chumph (Glenn Howerton) to get his pipes repaired, after he had a literal bloodbath in his shower. The plumber quotes Bible and angers Stavros. While leaving the house, he notices a man watching the house.

Deputy Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) runs into Lorne Malvos (Billy Bob Thornton), who is spying on the Stavros house. Gus arrests Lorne, who continues to threaten his captor during the ride to the police station.

Back in Bemidji, Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) is still focussed on Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman). She is informed by Gus about his arrest of Lorne.

Her efforts to visit Duluth gets stymied by her still incredulous boss, Chief Bill Oswalt (Bob Odenkirk). Bill drives down to Duluth Police Department to take a look at the suspect. Lorne is let go, much to Gus' dismay and puzzlement.

Lester gets abducted by Mr. Numbers (Adam Goldberg) and Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) and is thrown into the car. Lester calls his brother Chaz Nygaard (Joshua Close) for help and then pretends to be playing a practical joke.

Lester makes his escape and notices Deputy Knudsen (Gary Valentine) standing nearby. Lester punches the police officer in order to get arrested.

Stavros is getting increasingly restless and paranoid. His supermarket store, “Phoenix Farms” is soon under attack by swarms of crickets. He receives a ransom demand of one million US dollars.

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Gus meets up with Molly and poses her the same question, he himself was asked by Lorne: “Do you know the human eye can see more shades of green than any other color?” (Gus gets a chance to get even with Lorne in the season finale “Morton's Fork”).

Molly answers the aforementioned Lorne's riddle as saying that humans needed to be alert and observant to detect the presence of predators amidst all the greenery present in the forest.

Mr Numbers and Mr Wrench get into a fight in a bar and end up sharing the jail cell with Lester.

This was another strong episode. The humor is dark and hits the funny bone.

Billy Bob Thornton gives another captivating performance. His impersonation of “Frank Peterson”, the minister from Baudette during the interrogation scene was spot on and amusing. Billy is quite a revelation in his role.

The acting is solid from the rest of the cast. I have enjoyed Gary Valentine's performance in The King of Queens and it was a pleasant surprise to see him turn up here. 

The scene with Mr Numbers and Mr Wrench in Lou Solverson's restaurant was hilarious.

A highly recommended watch for fans of the Coen Brothers/Fargo/Thrillers.

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Image Sources: FX Productions, MGM Television, FX Network

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Fargo - Morton's Fork

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Fargo Season 1 Episode # 3 "A Muddy Road" - Recap and Review

As the episode opens, Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) abducts one Mr Phil McCormick from his office. Phil's naked dead body is found in the snow the next day.

Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) is working on the case and finally gets a look at Lorne, thanks to the surveillance footage in the building.

Lorne figures out that Stavros Milos (Oliver Platt), his boss is being blackmailed by Don Chumph (Glenn Howerton), the personal trainer of his wife, Helena Milos (Allegra Fulton).

Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks), a member of the Duluth Police Department is haunted by the night he stopped Lorne's car due to reckless driving. Lorne's masterful behaviour unnerves Gus, who lets him go with a warning.

Gus runs the number plates and discovers that the car driven by Lorne on that night, belongs to Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman).

Gus realizes that Lorne might be responsible for the triple murders at Bemidji, Minnesota.

Lester is sent by his boss, Bo Munk (Tom Musgrave) to meet Gina Hess (Kate Walsh) about the insurance settlement of her late husband Sam Hess (Kevin O'Grady).

Gina Hess (Kate Walsh) tries to seduce Lester, before they are interrupted by the Hess boys. Lester is surprised to learn that the Hess house is being watched by Mr. Numbers (Adam Goldberg) and Mr. Wench (Russell Harvard).

Molly is still convinced about Lester's involvement in the crimes. Under the pretext of getting an insurance, she discreetly shows him the surveillance picture of Lorne. Lester gets unnerved and much to her displeasure, her boss Deputy Bill Oswalt (Bob Odenkirk) still blindly believes in Lester's innocence.

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Gus heads out to Bemidji with his daughter, Greta (Joey King) and discusses his suspicions about Lester with Molly.

The episode closes as Stavros is bathed in blood while taking shower and a smiling Lorne is seen leaving the house.

Fargo is turning out to be one of the best TV shows I have seen in a long time.

Martin Freeman does a good job with his accent. Readers who enjoy his work as John Watson on Sherlock will undoubtedly appreciate his performance as Lester Nygaard.

Billy Bob Thornton is the standout performer in the show and he is excellent here as well. His deadpan facial expressions and dialogue delivery make Lorne Malvo an unforgettable character. This is my introduction to Billy Bob's acting skills and I will be checking out his other work as well.

Allison Tollman is also impressive as the hapless Molly, who is unable to solve the case and more importantly confirm her suspicions about the shifty Lester. Her passion to solve the case and catch the killer of her mentor and former Chief of Police, Vern Thurman (Shawn Doyle) is palpable.

The show is set 20 years after the incidents in the original movie that took place in 1986. The show has nice references to the original. The characters of Lester Nygaard and Molly Solverson are nods to William H Macy's character Jerry Lundegaard and Frances McDormand's Marge Gunderson respectively. Mo Buck is also a tip of the hat to Steve Buscemi's character Carl Showalter.

The screenplay, the dialogues and the humor in this series bear the signature touches of the Coen Brothers - Brilliant and Dark. Writing, Acting, Directing, Cinematography... The cast and crew deserve applause for their excellent work. 

The Coen Brothers are my favorite movie directors. I am a big fan of their movies: Burn After Reading, No Country for Old Men, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, True Grit, Barton Fink and Fargo.

 

These are some of the best works of art I have seen. Their ability to create such engrossing pictures without the need to resort to big budget set pieces or any attempt to tug at heartstrings has to be seen to be believed. Each of the above movies are certifiable masterpieces with relatable/believable human characters, brilliant screenplay, stunning cinematography and most of all, superb direction.

A must watch for fans of the Coen Brothers/Fargo/Thrillers.

Trivia

Faure's Requiem is heard in the following scenes:

• Lorne meets Stavros after his pet dog is killed
• Lester practices shooting with his brother.   

Click here to read all my posts related to Fargo. 

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Image Sources: FX Productions, MGM Television, FX Network

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Fargo - Morton's Fork

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