Spoilers

“The Useless Hand”

I was not sure how, after last week’s thriller of an episode, the show intended on having two more episodes. Last week absolutely felt like the penultimate episode. I guess I should not question Fargo. This was an amazing episode leading into what is surely going to be a devastating finale.

I have not been as interested in the character of Ole Munch for most of the season, and yet, it just a few minutes of screen time, I have a much more positive view of him than I have had all season long. He has also succeeded in making me feel sympathy for Gator, something I never thought could happen. When Roy basically cast his son Gator aside as being worthless, and Gator sadly asked for his dad, this was heartbreaking and you really see what a victim Gator is of his selfish and cruel father.

Dorothy is one of my favorite characters on TV right now. She is such a survivor and does whatever she needed to do to get by. The phone conversation between her and Lorraine was powerful, and gave Dorothy that extra bolt that she needed, with the line “No Daughter of mine…“. Maybe I missed it, but I would love to know how Dorothy became as competent in these tactics of war and violence as she has. How did she become “The Tiger,” as she was referred to by Old Munch at the episode’s end. I do wonder though, after being so tactful, why did Dorothy leave her gun just out in the open as she climbed down into “the Grave?” That felt like a real error that I did not expect Dorothy to make and she was very fortunate that Old Munch happened by when he did.

Sheriff Roy Tillman continues to just do whatever he wants and is ready to lead his men and followers into a firefight with the FBI. The scene where, on horseback, Roy rode up to the FBI to let them know, in no uncertain terms, that he would not be standing down or cooperating with any search warrant was intense as hell. It is pretty clear that the series writer and creator Noah Hawley is using Roy Tillman as a stand-in for a more famous figure in the world today. The call to arms Roy sent out over the live stream was reminiscent of things we have seen in our current political world.