I'm late to the party with the Fargo TV show, it just hit Canadian Netflix. The previous episode, Buridan's Ass, as many previous reviewers pointed out, hit many of the notes of a season finale- in that spectacular, snowy white-out mist the Coen brothers mastered in their great film, several characters died, the money from the film got returned to where it went 20 years before and Lester seemed to be sinking. Molly's fate seemed left up in the air, which would have made for a cliché cliff hanger if it really were the season finale. The next episode, Who Shaves the Barber?, obviously couldn't boast the same killfest as the previous one, or the season premiere, or the series would be over very quickly.
Instead, the episode hits a high point in emotional drama. Lester's framing of Chaz appears to have gone smoother than his competency level would seem to allow, though I've got to expect the dusting of fingerprints on those photos and hammer won't point to Chaz. The police chief is able to revert to his comforting place of assuming old, swell Lester is a friend and innocent. And Molly is left behind again- she's hot on this case but can't do anything about what she knows is true, what should have been obvious from the get-go, though the series has believably stretched out the investigation over several episodes thus far. Chaz screaming in agony and anger makes for the perfect segue into the FARGO title, though it's over 10 minutes from the "true story" subtitles. Hard to blame Lester, given the attitude he's gotten from Chaz, though. Blame him for his stupidity/incompetence, not his hard feelings for his brother. And Molly interviewing the Fargo hit-man hits some of the same notes as Marge's musings to Gaear Grimsrud at the end of the movie. Not the anti-climax it could have been
Instead, the episode hits a high point in emotional drama. Lester's framing of Chaz appears to have gone smoother than his competency level would seem to allow, though I've got to expect the dusting of fingerprints on those photos and hammer won't point to Chaz. The police chief is able to revert to his comforting place of assuming old, swell Lester is a friend and innocent. And Molly is left behind again- she's hot on this case but can't do anything about what she knows is true, what should have been obvious from the get-go, though the series has believably stretched out the investigation over several episodes thus far. Chaz screaming in agony and anger makes for the perfect segue into the FARGO title, though it's over 10 minutes from the "true story" subtitles. Hard to blame Lester, given the attitude he's gotten from Chaz, though. Blame him for his stupidity/incompetence, not his hard feelings for his brother. And Molly interviewing the Fargo hit-man hits some of the same notes as Marge's musings to Gaear Grimsrud at the end of the movie. Not the anti-climax it could have been