Recap: Fargo Season 2, Episode 4 – It’s On

FARGO -- “Fear and Trembling” -- Episode 204 (Airs November 2, 10:00 pm e/p) Pictured: (l-r) Kirsten Dunst as Peggy Blumquist, Jesse Plemons as Ed Blumquist. CR: Chris Large/FX

A storm is brewing, Fargo fans. OK, so it’s been brewing from the very first scene of the very first episode. However, “Fear and Trembling” seems to be sounding all of the alarms. It’s coming, so you’d better prepare yourself. I know I’m ready!

FARGO Season 2 recaps: Episode 1 | Epsiode 2 | Episode 3

fargo-fx-season-2-peggy
FARGO — Pictured: Kirsten Dunst as Peggy.
CR: Mathias Clamer/FX

This week’s episode kicks off in 1950s Fargo, North Dakota, with a young Otto Gerhardt (Michael Hogan) taking an even younger Dodd to see the fictional film Moonbase Freedom, starring Ronald Reagan. Well, sort of.

The boy seems like he’s there to see the movie, but Otto is all business. He’s meeting with a man whose identity is not entirely clear. I’m not sure it even matters who he is, but what he’s done is very important. This is the man who killed Otto’s father, in order to gain control of what the Gerhardts apparently took right back. To make sure he stays on the throne, the guy is planning to eliminate Otto — and right in front of his young son. A different guy is about to shoot Otto when Dodd sticks a knife into the back of the man’s neck. Otto then kills everyone left in the theater.

No wonder the adult Dodd (Jeffrey Donovan) is so tense.

Flash forward to the “present day.” Dodd is riding in a car with Charlie (Allan Dobrescu). The two are talking about the young man’s future as “some kind of professional,” but Charlie wants to go into the family business. Dodd wonders how Charlie can “bust heads,” seeing as he has cerebral palsy and doesn’t have use of one arm. The two pull over and Charlie gives a little demo, which actually causes Dodd to smile. I’m almost positive that’s the first time he’s done that this entire season.

The two then stop at a coffee shop, where Dodd encounters two of Joe Bulo’s (Brad Garrett) men. Dodd isn’t much for socializing, so he tases one man and subdues the other. Then, he tells Charlie to “kiss” the guy. It takes Charlie two punches to knock the man out. Dodd then grabs donuts for the two and they leave.

The action moves to Betsy (Cristin Milioti) and Lou (Patrick Wilson), as they meet with the doctor. The guy doesn’t have good news about Betsy’s condition. He doesn’t seem to have good bedside manners, either. Of course, you don’t really need tests and results to know how Betsy is doing; her face says it all. The doctor mentions that there’s some sort of drug trial, but it doesn’t sound very promising.

When we first see Ed (Jesse Plemons) and Peggy (Kirsten Dunst), the two are trying to … ahem … conceive. Well, one of them is trying. Peggy is still taking birth control pills. Not only does she not seem to want a baby, but I’m not even sure she wants Ed. He mentions that maybe now is not the time for the whole Lifespring thing. That’s certainly not going improve her mood. After all, she’s got to reach her “full potential.”

Hanzee arrives at the Waffle Hut, looking for clues about Rye’s whereabouts. He sees the blood stains on the table and one in the parking lot. He then finds broken glass in the middle of the road. This guy must be part Bloodhound. Shortly after, light flashes in the sky. It appears to be this week’s alien sighting. Whatever it is, Hanzee seems at peace with it.

While driving back, he spots Peggy’s banged up car at a garage. He matches the broken glass to the car’s headlight, finds a little blood on the seat, and then starts asking Sonny (Dan Beirne) the mechanic about the car’s owner. He briefly mentions Ed, but then senses he’s said too much and clams up. Hanzee is no fool, though. He pulls out a switchblade and Sonny starts rambling about being in Vietnam. Hanzee goes into his own war tale, about taking a man’s ears. Of course, that wasn’t his most recent time doing that. Right as it looks like Hanzee is about to add another set of ears to his collection, Karl Weathers (Nick Offerman) walks out and breaks up the action.

FARGO -- “Fear and Trembling” -- Episode 204 (Airs November 2, 10:00 pm e/p) Pictured: (l-r) Daniel Beirne as Sonny Greer, Nick Offerman as Karl Weathers. CR: Chris Large/FX
FARGO — “Fear and Trembling” — Daniel Beirne as Sonny Greer, Nick Offerman as Karl Weathers. CR: Chris Large/FX

 

Inside a hotel room, we find out that Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine) and Simone Gerhardt (Rachel Keller) are romantically involved — or something. The two start talking and Simone says she thinks Floyd will counter the mafia’s offer, but what about Dodd? “Him? We probably got to kill him,” she says without even taking a breath. After he slapped her around last week, that’s not much of a surprise.

Hank (Ted Danson) and Lou meet up with Karl and Sonny, who are reporting the incident with Hanzee. The two then point out the damage to the car, which doesn’t seem to add up. Lou recalls Ed’s nervousness back at the butcher shop. Well, he was in the middle of grinding up Rye at the time.

Back at the hotel, the Gerhardts sit down with the Kansas City mafia. Surprisingly, Bear (Angus Sampson) is not eating. Floyd (Jean Smart) makes a counter offer, which would see the two groups run the town together. She says that despite being “an old woman,” she’s still strong and doesn’t fear the challenge — or a war. Joe says he would consider the offer to split the territory, but he’s not sure he can trust the family, specifically Dodd. Of course, Dodd can’t sit quietly, so Bear takes him out of the room.

Outside of another doctor’s office, members of the Gerhardt crew are trying to take Otto home, when they’re ambushed by Mike Milligan and the Kitchen Brothers (Brad Mann and Todd Mann). Two men and a nurse are killed, but Otto is left alive. “Joe Bulo says hi,” Mike says. The three leave the old man alone in his wheelchair in the middle of the parking lot.

FARGO -- “Fear and Trembling” -- Episode 204 (Airs November 2, 10:00 pm e/p) Pictured: Michael Hogan as Otto Gerhardt. CR: Chris Large/FX
FARGO — “Michael Hogan as Otto Gerhardt. CR: Chris Large/FX

Back at the hotel, Joe says that the counteroffer has been rejected, they’re dropping their price and the family has the night to reconsider: “Anything other than unconditional surrender and we’ll wipe every last Gerhardt off the face of the earth.”

At Bud’s Butcher Shop, Ed finds out that his check for the down payment has bounced. Bud says he’s considering another offer, but he will give Ed until Friday to fix it. Then Bud mentions that Ed should look at the grinder. “It’s making a funny noise,” he says. Maybe Rye’s watch got caught in there or something?

Ed goes over to the beauty shop to see Peggy and the two have it out. She claims that Lifespring is more important than the shop. As they’re talking, Hanzee passes by and gives Ed the evil eye.

FARGO -- “Fear and Trembling” -- Episode 204 (Airs November 2, 10:00 pm e/p) Pictured: (l-r) Kirsten Dunst as Peggy Blumquist, Jesse Plemons as Ed Blumquist. CR: Chris Large/FX
FARGO — “Fear and Trembling” — Episode 204 Kirsten Dunst as Peggy Blumquist, Jesse Plemons as Ed Blumquist.
CR: Chris Large/FX

Peggy asks Constance (Elizabeth Marvel) for the down-payment money back. Of course, she can’t get it back. That’s how scams work, Peggy! Constance gives Peggy a big pep talk, convincing her that she needs to do this for her. Man, Peggy must be really unhappy to be so gullible.

On the car ride home, Floyd is visibly upset. Dodd seems upset. Bear could be hungry. Hopefully he’s hungry for a war. After all, we were promised those bodies in season one!

At the Blumquist house, Hanzee is sniffing around. He finds a stain on the garage floor and has a little taste. Yes, he actually licks his fingers. I’m guessing it tastes like bleach, since he sees some nearby. He then checks the fireplace to find charred remains, including Rye’s belt buckle.

Lou arrives to do a little investigating of his own. Hanzee seems to disappear, but Lou waits. When Ed and Peggy get home, they find Lou on the porch. The three go inside and Lou mentions the car. Ed and Peggy immediately go into their fake story about the fake accident. Ed then notices the fireplace screen has been moved. He seems a little freaked out. That’s just the beginning.

Lou begins to ask if he would find blood in the car. Then, Lou goes into a story about the war. He’s basically telling the couple that he knows they’re lying and then tells them who they hit with the car. “Rye Gerhardt — and his family hurts people for money,” Lou says. “And they’re coming. They may be here already.” The two continue with their fake story, but Lou says now would be the time to confess. He can still help them. Peggy asks him to leave. “Do yourself a favor,” he says as he’s leaving. “Lock the door.”

Bear and Dodd go to ask Floyd about her plans. “It’s war,” she says.

FARGO -- “Fear and Trembling” -- Episode 204 (Airs November 2, 10:00 pm e/p) Pictured: Jean Smart as Floyd Gerhardt. CR: Chris Large/FX
FARGO — “Fear and Trembling” — Episode 204 Jean Smart as Floyd Gerhardt. CR: Chris Large/FX

At the end of the episode, Betsy is looking at her pills. She’s obviously wondering if she has the real ones or the placebos. She gets up to find Lou outside. He can’t sleep. “I want to make sure we’re, I don’t know … safe.” He obviously knows what’s coming.

With only six episodes left, I’m guessing it will get real bloody, real quick. Now that the war is officially on, who will be the first casualty? Something tells me Peggy and Ed will be locking doors, bolting windows and looking over their shoulders for at least a few more episodes. I really hope it’s not Floyd. She’s a great character and I need to see more of her before she goes. I’m thinking it could be Simone, Charlie or even one of the Kitchen Brothers. Dodd seems like he could go the distance as well. I don’t see him making it out alive, but at least a few more episodes. Do you have any guesses? Okay then, sound off in the comments section below!

By the way, did anyone catch “Down in the Willow Garden” playing over the closing credits? It’s an incredibly sad ballad. It’s also the same song that Holly Hunter sang in Raising Arizona.

New episodes of Fargo premiere Monday nights at 10/9CT on FX.

4 Comments

  1. Did the clock in the diner say 7:10 ish when Hanzee was inside and then after he see’s the “Lights” he checks his pocket watch and it’s after 9 ish. Was this right or am I wrong. Was it a UFO time lost thing?

    • I would need to go back and check on that. I do remember the shot on the clock, thinking that the clock had stopped for some reason. Almost like it had stopped at the time of the murders.

  2. Just found these recaps online. Love them.

    At the end of the episode, Lou was sitting on the front porch with a gun, ready to protect his family. That was a nice callback to the last episode of Season 1, where he was also sitting on the front porch with a gun, ready to protect his family.

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