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Fargo - Season 2 - a new true crime chapter takes us to 1979 Sioux Falls - Mon on FX

In this episode we saw Peggy talking to a therapist type guy asking strange questions. Do you think the Life Spring seminar is about Scientology?

The 70s were the heyday of the Self Help Movement, which Scientology codeveloped with and borrowed a lot of elements from. The stuff from the therapist was pretty pat for the stuff you would have found in groups like est/Landmark and the like.
 
I don't think so. Hanzee sided with Dodd over Floyd early in the season when he lied to her about the Butcher being a Kansas City hitman. He also hasn't been in contact with any of the Gerhardts since before they left to break Charlie out of prison. The main reason that Floyd would've turned on Dodd would be the attack on the Gerhardt compound as a result of the war that Dodd started (which went against Floyd's orders), and that happened while they were at the prison. Even after all that, Floyd was actively looking for Dodd trying to make sure that her remaining family was safe. If anyone was to turn on Dodd, it would be Bear, but we've seen in previous episodes that Hanzee was loyal to Dodd over Bear. As to the end of the war, Floyd already promised to turn control over to Dodd after the Kansas City situation was resolved. She wanted to guide the family through that ordeal because she thought that was best and that Dodd would be a poor leader under those circumstances (which he proved by provoking the war and getting people killed). I don't think she planned on running the family long term, and I really doubt she was willing to go to war with her son over control over the family.

Yeah, I guess my read on Floyd's character is that we haven't seen how depraved she can go. They've allowed her a lot of scenes where she shows mercy or is protective but they've also alluded that she's hardcore and may be pulling a long con. The way she changes her demeanor throughout the season and especially when she was interrogated by the police. I feel like something's amiss.
 
Yeah, I guess my read on Floyd's character is that we haven't seen how depraved she can go. They've allowed her a lot of scenes where she shows mercy or is protective but they've also alluded that she's hardcore and may be pulling a long con. The way she changes her demeanor throughout the season and especially when she was interrogated by the police. I feel like something's amiss.

The scenes where she's hardcore are when she's dealing with the cops or with Kansas City. She's shown nothing but loyalty to the family, and even couldn't turn Dodd away after he instigated the war. I don't doubt that she'd slit someone's throat in an instant if she thought it would protect her family, but I doubt she'd do the same to Dodd, even under extreme circumstances. So far, the worst thing that we've seen her do to the family was point out that Simone was selfish and rash just like her father. She regretted slapping her, but Bear pointed out that that was nothing compared to the truth that she just dropped on her.
 
One other thing I forgot to mention was the sound design for the split screens. Tonight was the first time I noticed perfect isolation of the left and right audio channels during those segments. Peggy was on the left, Ed was on the right. Same thing again Constance with Hanzee listening by her side called Peggy.

I don't remember them making a distinct effort to do that with previous attempts.
 
I don't hate Jessica Jones like it seems like neogaf in general does, but it's not in the same league.

I can only put stuff like The Knick and Rectify around that area. The Affair, The Americans, and The Leftovers are close but even their levels of presentation is lacking in comparison.
 

rtcn63

Member
For Hanzee's motivation:

You guys don't think Floyd had Dodd killed? I feel like it goes with the running theme of Dodd's character. He wanted to run the show and didn't believe Floyd was capable. Floyd seems like she's been waiting to run the show and I think Dodd is more of a liability for her.

If the Gerhardts win the war then Floyd and Dodd were obviously gonna be at odds with each other so Floyd could just take Dodd out now.

Was Bear's "I always kinda saw you as family" speech before or after Hanzee lied to Floyd about the Butcher? If after, it's possible that Hanzee started to ponder switching loyalties, and considering we see Dodd call him all manner of names...

Or he realizes that since the police are after him, he'll have to leave the Gearhart's and go on the run, maybe even go straight. The haircut will at least make him somewhat harder to identify.

And I didn't until now get that Hanzee is probably half-Gearhart, kinda like a certain "you know nothing".
 

Ruruja

Member
Wonderful episode. The ending shot just cracked me up, the couple are so goofy and in over their head.

Really can't wait for everyone to meet. Shit's gonna go dooooown.
 
Was Bear's "I always kinda saw you as family" speech before or after Hanzee lied to Floyd about the Butcher? If after, it's possible that Hanzee started to ponder switching loyalties, and considering we see Dodd call him all manner of names...

Or he realizes that since the police are after him, he'll have to leave the Gearhart's and go on the run, maybe even go straight. The haircut will at least make him somewhat harder to identify.

And I didn't until now get that Hanzee is probably half-Gearhart, kinda like a certain "you know nothing".

It was after he lied about the Butcher. It's possible that he's half Gerhardt, but there's never really been any indication of that. I think he's just an orphan that they took in, like Tom from the Godfather.
 
The scenes where she's hardcore are when she's dealing with the cops or with Kansas City. She's shown nothing but loyalty to the family, and even couldn't turn Dodd away after he instigated the war. I don't doubt that she'd slit someone's throat in an instant if she thought it would protect her family, but I doubt she'd do the same to Dodd, even under extreme circumstances. So far, the worst thing that we've seen her do to the family was point out that Simone was selfish and rash just like her father. She regretted slapping her, but Bear pointed out that that was nothing compared to the truth that she just dropped on her.

I guess Hanzee's motivation could be that in the end he is more loyal to the Gerhardt's and Floyd as the head of that family than to Dodd. He's not following orders but is doing what's best for the family. At one point lying about the butcher seemed best and at this point the family is better off without Dodd or even bargaining for Dodd.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Peggy's so wonderfully goofy and deranged.

I loved that part in the car where she and Ed eventually just laugh together in this weird hysteria.

I loved that moment, because it was in this hysteria that they finally found each other. In the conversation before this they were just talking past each other, but it's being on the lam that still holds them together. It really is a tragic couple: it feels like this entire ordeal is the only thing still keeping them together.

This episode was phenomenal once again. When I get off work tuesday, I jump straight to Netflix to check out the new ep. Still two eps to go, already one of the best tv seasons ever
 
"Hon, you gotta stop stabbin' him.". That fucking killed me. Jesus, hahaha

Peggy has quickly become one of my favorite characters in the show aside from Mike. You can tell that she's loving the uncertainty and thrill of being on the run, and that repressed part of her personality is in full bloom. She's certifiably nuts, and I'm loving the depth and psychological confliction it gives her character.

In her eyes it's like being in a movie, and she's living the lead role with Ed tagging along for the ride.
 

IronRinn

Member
One other thing I forgot to mention was the sound design for the split screens. Tonight was the first time I noticed perfect isolation of the left and right audio channels during those segments. Peggy was on the left, Ed was on the right. Same thing again Constance with Hanzee listening by her side called Peggy.

I don't remember them making a distinct effort to do that with previous attempts.

There was a scene last week I believe when I noticed it, too. I don't know if they're doing it every time and it's just more noticeable sometimes than others or they're just doing it for specific scenes.
 
I don't think Hanzee's actions were motivated out of a sense of loyalty to anyone. Kneecapping those assholes at the bar and killing that bartender were all spur of the moment decisions. It feels like he's tired of being a lapdog doing wetwork. Simone was done laying down for men and Hanzee is done killing for the white man. Or at least he wanted to be. If he goes running back to Bear and Floyd, then we know that killing Dodd was a change of allegiance. But I viewed the killing as him not wanting to serve under anyone ever again.

Meanwhile Mike is still trying to impress his superiors who are openly racist to him. Although I'm still not sure what his motivations are now either. Is he still trying to please his Kansas City boss? Or are his actions part of a longer con?
 
Meanwhile Mike is still trying to impress his superiors who are openly racist to him. Although I'm still not sure what his motivations are now either. Is he still trying to please his Kansas City boss? Or are his actions part of a longer con?

Mike's MO is not getting killed by his boss, trying to salvage the situation.

(Saying that, I really hope we get a little more time with bald Adam Arkin)
 

Philippo

Member
This whole episode, fucking crazy.

Also the one i had the most laughs.

nHauOHS.gif
 
One other thing I forgot to mention was the sound design for the split screens. Tonight was the first time I noticed perfect isolation of the left and right audio channels during those segments. Peggy was on the left, Ed was on the right. Same thing again Constance with Hanzee listening by her side called Peggy.

I don't remember them making a distinct effort to do that with previous attempts.

It was specifically for phone conversations in this episode. I think it was even trickier than that, too. I haven't gone back and checked, but it appeared to me the conversation was still in stereo - it's just that a slight delay and phone-call effect was applied to the opposite channel when the actor was talking.
 
I don't think Hanzee's actions were motivated out of a sense of loyalty to anyone. Kneecapping those assholes at the bar and killing that bartender were all spur of the moment decisions. It feels like he's tired of being a lapdog doing wetwork. Simone was done laying down for men and Hanzee is done killing for the white man. Or at least he wanted to be. If he goes running back to Bear and Floyd, then we know that killing Dodd was a change of allegiance. But I viewed the killing as him not wanting to serve under anyone ever again.

Preview Spoiler:
It shows Hanzee on the phone with Floyd which is why I assume he's somewhat loyal to the Gerhardt's still. She says "I'll handle it myself." and Hanzee responds "Yes ma'am."

That could put Hanzee and Mike in a similar situation with their bosses.
 

thenexus6

Member
FUCK! I don't want to have to wait a week between episodes.

I knew the minute Hanzee walked in the door and didn't go to help Dodd right away that he was going to kill him. Dodd shouting the racial slurs really wasn't a smart move. Earlier during previous episodes I thought that his Brother Bear would kill him, but I guess that didn't happen.

Speaking of Dodd, Peggy stabbing his shoulders... I was literally like WTF haha.

I like the comedy in this episode, the split screen of Ed on the phone trying to get ahold of the Gerhardt family.. this big build up in music, nice shots.. then no answer so he just hangs up and cut to happy music and Ed in the store buying cereal.
 

rtcn63

Member
Dodd specifically called him a half breed in this last episode though....What was that about?

That's where I got the idea that he's half-Gerhardt. (Is that how it's spelled?) His father is white but everyone treats him like an ignorant Native American stereotype, which would only help facilitate a quiet, seething jealousy/hatred for his brothers. Not to mention he's probably physically and mentally tougher than all of them combined.
 
God, I was so hoping Dodd or Hanzee would end those two arrogant fucks Ed and Peggy. Sad to see Dodd go, man. I loved having Donovan on tv again.
 
I loved that moment, because it was in this hysteria that they finally found each other. In the conversation before this they were just talking past each other, but it's being on the lam that still holds them together. It really is a tragic couple: it feels like this entire ordeal is the only thing still keeping them together.

This episode was phenomenal once again. When I get off work tuesday, I jump straight to Netflix to check out the new ep. Still two eps to go, already one of the best tv seasons ever

The Collider review summed it up perfectly:

Ed and Peggy are in full-on 'ride or die' mode together. It's phenomenal. They are actualizing together.
 
They know the kind of people they are dealing with and they thought they could somehow come out on top. They refused to allow Lou to help them because they thought they could handle whatever came at them. They have an exaggerated sense of their own ability to navigate their situation. To me, that's arrogance.

Edit: Or maybe they're just donkey-brained. That would explain their actions, also.
 

-griffy-

Banned
They know the kind of people they are dealing with and they thought they could somehow come out on top. They refused to allow Lou to help them because they thought they could handle whatever came at them. They have an exaggerated sense of their own ability to navigate their situation. To me, that's arrogance.

Edit: Or maybe they're just donkey-brained. That would explain their actions, also.

I think it was more they were delusional. They didn't realize what kind of trouble exactly they were in. As Lou told them, their brains hadn't caught up with the fact they were already dead. Even though they're in even deeper now, they still are in way over their heads, not fully understanding exactly who they are dealing with. Ed has no idea that there's a large chance Mike Milligan will simply shoot him in the face upon turning over Dodd, for example. It's not arrogance so much as it is simple ignorance for how dangerous all these people are.
 

El Daniel

Member
wow, this was good. This was amazing.

Peggy stabbing Dodd really got to me. Like, I'd expect a weird Peggy threat or something but she just went for it. A nightmare situation. Stuck with a crazy person.
 

rtcn63

Member
I realized Peggy was a psychopath the moment they showed her post-car hit flashback. She doesn't panic, just goes to the bathroom to clean herself up, make dinner etc. (Where as Ed basically nearly gets PTSD after finding out) He seems to be the one person who can get through to her, sometimes anyways.
 

pr0cs

Member
Finally watched the episode tonight.
This is some god tier television.
Ali of the actors play their parts so well,the scenes are so we'll put together. This season is some of the best TV I've seen...ever
 
Great episode. But I'm disappointed that Dodd didn't get to find out that his daughter was banging Milligan or that Bear may or may not have capped her in the woods.
 
This is probably my favorite season of television ever. I just love everything about it. The last episode was absolutely hilarious.
Watching with my girlfriend and we could not stop laughing once Ed started questioning Peggy about the stab wounds on Dodd.
Cannot wait till next weeks episode. Hope they win a ton of awards!
 
Like this has gone straight into depressed territory - 2 more episodes left and then the greatest season of TV in my mind is over.

It's not like there aren't other great TV shows out there...but nothing else gives you that mix of drama and humor like Fargo...
 

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
10. Just 2 more. Also Adam Arkin is directing both of them, which is great since his Justified episodes were goooood stuff.

Oh boy, he had some of the best episodes of Justified. I'm expecting lots of tension and well done shootouts now. Haha
 
Nah. But I yelled "Fuck that" and actually got up from my seat when he tried to pull the blade out and just ran his hand straight up the edge.

This is what got me, you could see it coming and I still couldn't take it. What surprised me was how Peggy knew to break off the handle, it's like she's seen it before.
 

Alpende

Member
This show is the best TV has to offer right now. It's so good.

Was the cabin from season 1's showdown the one Hanzee drove by? It sure looked like it.
 
I Like how Hanzee's hair slipped out of the scissors at the last moment when the shooting started - symbolizing his failure to escape that life ("business-like haircut, please")

Also, Dodd mentioned Samson in his rant against women. Remember Samson lost all his power when Delilah cut his hair.
 
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