S03.E01: The Law of Vacant Places

[ElectricBoogaloo]

In the Season 3 premiere, a petty sibling rivalry between two brothers escalates and brings chaos to a small Minnesotan community.

S3 promo:

[AimingforYoko]

Maurice might've been the dumbest character ever to appear on Fargo. Let that sink in for a moment. Either that or Hawley's trying to sneak in a PSA about marijuana abuse. Eden Valley is about 75 miles from Eden Prairie. In the opposite direction. Nikki seems to be on the other end of the spectrum, but everything's relative on this show.

In accent news, Martin Freeman's off the hook.

I'm just fascinated to see how the East German cold open fits in to the overall plot.

[Primetimer]

Here we Fargo again!

View the full article

[annzeepark914]

19 minutes ago, PreviouslyTV said:

Here we Fargo again!

View the full article

Whew!  Thanks--I needed that.  What with all the unusual music and bizarre camera shots, some times I began to feel out of sorts trying to follow the storyline. But, I like it and am ready for the next episode.  And I disagree a bit here because I heard a number of characters speaking with that unique Minnesotan accent.

[clarkbar]

Love Fargo and love this article. As to the Red Owl--it was my grocery store of choice/necessity when I got my first job in the Stillwater area in the late 70s. But all good Minnesotans know you can't buy liquor at the Red Owl--grocery stores here don't sell liquor.

[numbnut]

Carrie Coon? Mary Elizabeth Winstead? Count me in! Sad to see Scoot go so soon.

Edited April 20, 2017 by numbnut

[Razzberry]

It's early yet, but a few thoughts on the opener -

 

So far it just doesn't feel as connected to the Fargo-verse as the past two seasons.

"Crazy On You" in 2010, really?  I loved all the winks to No Country (among others) last year, but this one I can't place.  If it's not a nod, I don't get it.

Michael Stuhlbarg for Best (not necessarily authentic) Fargo accent.  

I like Carrie Coon, but she's no Marge Gunderson.

I just hope Hawley's "Legion" hasn't diminished Fargo.  Rare that someone can do two successful shows concurrently..

[thuganomics85]

Yay, Fargo is back!

Actually, this didn't quite grab me like the other two premieres did.  Not enough of Carrie Coon (yet?), and I'm not quite sure what to make of either one of the Stussy bros.  Ewan McGregor was fine as both of them, even if his accent was.... well, less then solid.  Also, the random opening set in the German interrogation room (in the 1980s?) was so random, that I was wondering if I accidentally flipped to the wrong channel.  Was that a homage to a Coen brother film or something?

On the flip side, Michael Stuhlbarg was a highlight (as always) and Sy is already becoming my favorite character.  Scoot McNairy was a blast at being the stupid criminal of all time (which is really saying something...) and David Thewlis was perfectly awkward and chilling in his one scene.  And then there was Mary Elizabeth Winstead being sexy as hell as Nikki.  No complaints there!

Right now, I'm more interested in whatever is going with Emmet and Sy being force to work with V.M. and whatever shady organization he is in.  Ray and Nikki's stuff seems like another case of "main characters killing someone and trying to cover it up", but maybe they'll surprise me.  Plus, Maurice killing Gloria/Carrie Coon's dad, will likely mean they will able be crossing paths sooner rather then later.

The music choices were pretty good.

Overall, not my favorite, but Noah Hawley has earned enough good will that I am more then willing to give it time.  Legion also started a bit slow for me, but ended up being pretty damn good (although season 2 of Fargo is still my favorite by a mile.)

[Bannon]

I thought it was a good table-setter. Hawley needs to hire an assistant producer who has the job of telling the actors to reel back the accent by a third. It is a sauce which is best when served in a restrained manner.

[Bama]

4 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

I'm just fascinated to see how the East German cold open fits in to the overall plot.

I wonder if it's related to the shady group that Ray borrowed money from and is now in "partnership" with.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Another show (Good Behavior) with a shady P.O. smitten with a parolee and whacky adventures ensue.  So disappointed.  I bet Hawley about died when he saw his main storyline largely shown on another hyped "artsy/edgy"show right when he was filming this.

Did anyone see what the words were on the covers of the books which were discovered under the floor?  I did see the cover art which Grandpa must have used as a template for the birthday gift carving.  

My verrrry early guess is that the "loan company" is the connection to the East German interrogation scene.

EM's accents were not consistent.  I am also guessing this is corrected as we go forward.

I must admit I enjoyed the irony of dying due to an A/C in Winter.  

[SunnyBeBe]

I'm pretty upset I missed this.  Does anyone know if FX will air it again soon?

[Chaos Theory]

Well I should pay more attention.  I didn't realize the two brothers were twins and played by the same actor or that the pilot was a full 90 minutes until 11;00.  

Still awesome opening episode.  

Intial thoughts:

That awkward moment when you realize that the loan shark you borrowed a large sum of money from doesn't want it back.

Sherrif mom with a shot gun was my favorite scene

The A/C falling was a good sight gag.

Parole Officer brother hiring a pot head to rob his more successful brother and he accidentally murders a relative of a sheriff and  that snowballs into murder and mayhem is pure Cohen shenanigans.  Can't wait.   

Edited April 20, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[SunnyBeBe]

Thanks.  I suppose I'll have to catch it OnDemand.  I can't wait that long.  I've encountered buffering problems before.  I'll try again.  

[luna1122]

Well, I loved it. The Coen/Hawley world of "Fargo" accents always seems broad and over the top, and I guess I don't have an ear, or expectation, for them to be authentic. They're just part of this world's expected landscape, and they amuse me. I didn't notice Ewan's slipping in or out, either. I thought he pretty much exactly seemed to be channeling William Macy.

This is a world where almost everyone is morally dubious, and tho I kind of like our weird mismatched lovebirds, they both sure took to murder super easily. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is always one of my faves (I want more Braindead) and she is very sexy in this. KInd of a shame to have pretty Ewan not really getting to look very pretty as either brother. Bad hair is a real looks killer.

I thought it was  all tense and funny, which is what I expected. Noah Hawley has a truly fertile brain; the idea that he was doing this and Legion at pretty much the same time exhausts and impresses me.

I kept thinking the actress that played rich Ewan's wife was also part of the Coen-sphere, but turns out, she's part of the Christopher Guest-opshere, from Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman.

Anyway, looking forward to all of it. Oh: what did Chief Carrie Coon find in that lockbox in her stepdad's house? It was so dark that I couldn't make it out.

[Evagirl]

9 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Whew!  Thanks--I needed that.  What with all the unusual music and bizarre camera shots, some times I began to feel out of sorts trying to follow the storyline. But, I like it and am ready for the next episode.  And I disagree a bit here because I heard a number of characters speaking with that unique Minnesotan accent.

Thank you for voicing that.  I thought it was me and something going wrong with my brain cells.  I kept wondering why all the important shots were so dark I could hardly make anything out.  Turn on some lights please!  I was wondering why it seemed like nothing made sense or seemed to connect.  The music was distracting me even further.  I thought about the previous two seasons and remembered how much I enjoyed the flow.  This first show of the 3rd season seemed disjointed to me.  So to hear some say they felt "out of sorts trying to follow the storyline" lets me know my gray matter is not going bad!

I had to read a couple of recaps this morning for it make some kind of sense.  I couldn't figure out what was wrong with grandpa's death face.  A recapper mentioned his nose and mouth had been glued shut.  Another recapper mentioned that the object grandpa made for the grandson was the same as the picture on one of the sy-fy pulp book.  I guess the hidden books either have a financial significance or  something to do with aliens.

I'll go back and watch it again over the weekend and it should make more sense now that I know a little more about what's going on.

This is gonna be fun!

[Lorimac]

Evagirl: Could you see what the model was? I am not sure why I want to know this, but since it matches the sci-fi cover, and since an upcoming character is rumored to be a sci-fi writer, it would be interesting to know.

I must have missed something in the scene in the house. It was so dark and that damn soundtrack was completely distracting in that scene. Is it really that hard to turn on the lights? (Maurice did not look like the kind of guy who would have cut the power, and besides the fridge seemed to be running so why not flip on a light?) Anyway, OK, so Gloria is walking around in the dark and finds the dead guy. Then she hears a noise upstairs and runs out to the car to get her gun and secure her son. She goes back to the house and there is no one in it. So who stepped on the loose board upstairs while she was downstairs in the kitchen if we didn't see anyone leave?

Also: Just some guessin' here, but I am trying to place Gloria Burgle. If the dead guy was her step-father, could her real father be the Colin Hanks character? Does anyone remember what his daughter's name was? We know Molly married that guy, but he could have died, and Molly could have remarried. On the other hand, if Fargo 1 really was set in 2006 (why did I think it was set in the 90s?) this makes no sense. I suppose I just like the idea that there is a good cop gene that is running through one family.

Linking into the looking for links, do we think the old dead guy was one of the two Germans in the opening scene?

Finally, the one thing that rang false to me was Ray choosing Maurice to do the dirty work. It seemed amazingly clear that Maurice was stupid - even stupider after pot and booze. Ray may not be a genius, but picking Maurice out of all the petty criminals that Ray must know seemed really bone-headed. Plotwise as soon as you met Maurice, you knew this guy was going to mistakenly kill someone - so that was telegraphed.

Loved the scene in the bathtub with the phones and also Ray's missed cue when Nikki stands up in the tub was really well done. Gloria's invisibility to sensors is a great bit, and let's see if it is a critical element in some future standoff.

PS: Jeff, Don't you count the splatter on the snow after the AC "accident" as a check on the 'Blood on the Tundra" box?

[AzureOwl]

3 minutes ago, Lorimac said:

Finally, the one thing that rang false to me was Ray choosing Maurice to do the dirty work. It seemed amazingly clear that Maurice was stupid - even stupider after pot and booze. Ray may not be a genius, but picking Maurice out of all the petty criminals that Ray must know seemed really bone-headed. Plotwise as soon as you met Maurice, you knew this guy was going to mistakenly kill someone - so that was telegraphed.

I don't know, considering the task at hand was a simple burglary, Ray probably chose the petty criminal that he thought less likely to blackmail him or ask for a cut of the loot. And that means getting the guy who would be too stupid or stoned to realice that he now has leverage on Ray.

[Lorimac]

  8 minutes ago, Lorimac said:

Finally, the one thing that rang false to me was Ray choosing Maurice to do the dirty work. It seemed amazingly clear that Maurice was stupid - even stupider after pot and booze. Ray may not be a genius, but picking Maurice out of all the petty criminals that Ray must know seemed really bone-headed. Plotwise as soon as you met Maurice, you knew this guy was going to mistakenly kill someone - so that was telegraphed.

I don't know, considering the task at hand was a simple burglary, Ray probably chose the petty criminal that he thought less likely to blackmail him or ask for a cut of the loot. And that means getting the guy who would be too stupid or stoned to realice that he now has leverage on Ray.

Good point, although I am still not seeing Ray as a guy who thinks that far ahead - for example, how did he think he would get rid of a stolen stamp that really could only be sold to collectors.

[AzureOwl]

47 minutes ago, Lorimac said:

Good point, although I am still not seeing Ray as a guy who thinks that far ahead - for example, how did he think he would get rid of a stolen stamp that really could only be sold to collectors.

Then maybe it could have been a question of availability. Maurice may have been the the only one of Ray's parolees facing a trip back to jail at the moment. 

Any of the others Ray would have had to pay, and Ray is broke.

[Razzberry]

1 hour ago, Lorimac said:

Anyway, OK, so Gloria is walking around in the dark and finds the dead guy. Then she hears a noise upstairs and runs out to the car to get her gun and secure her son. She goes back to the house and there is no one in it. So who stepped on the loose board upstairs while she was downstairs in the kitchen if we didn't see anyone leave?

I'm thinking that may remain a mystery, like Lorne Malvo disappearing from the basement.

[atlantaloves]

Well, I for one, am loving this show if only for the competitive bridge game, love that Nikki, my favorite character so far! They got third runner up!!! Yahoooooo.  

[Blakeston]

My guess is that the opening scene with the Germans was just to set forth the themes of the season - like the opening of A Serious Man. We've already seen the issue of reality being at odds with an accepted narrative.

[NUguy514]

I have to disagree with the recapper about Kirsten Dunst: she was phenomenal last season, and I'll throw down with anyone who disagrees – and I'd never really been a fan of her before!

I think Ewan McGregor is having a few slight accent issues, just like Martin Freeman did in the first season.  However, Carrie Coon and Mary Elizabeth Winstead make everything amazing, so I am so here for this.

As much as I like Scoot McNairy, his character was starting to annoy me, so I laughed when the AC unit crushed him.  Ah, Fargo, please never change.

[Evagirl]

4 hours ago, Lorimac said:

Evagirl: Could you see what the model was? I am not sure why I want to know this, but since it matches the sci-fi cover, and since an upcoming character is rumored to be a sci-fi writer, it would be interesting to know.

I must have missed something in the scene in the house. It was so dark and that damn soundtrack was completely distracting in that scene. Is it really that hard to turn on the lights? (Maurice did not look like the kind of guy who would have cut the power, and besides the fridge seemed to be running so why not flip on a light?) Anyway, OK, so Gloria is walking around in the dark and finds the dead guy. Then she hears a noise upstairs and runs out to the car to get her gun and secure her son. She goes back to the house and there is no one in it. So who stepped on the loose board upstairs while she was downstairs in the kitchen if we didn't see anyone leave?

Also: Just some guessin' here, but I am trying to place Gloria Burgle. If the dead guy was her step-father, could her real father be the Colin Hanks character? Does anyone remember what his daughter's name was? We know Molly married that guy, but he could have died, and Molly could have remarried. On the other hand, if Fargo 1 really was set in 2006 (why did I think it was set in the 90s?) this makes no sense. I suppose I just like the idea that there is a good cop gene that is running through one family.

Linking into the looking for links, do we think the old dead guy was one of the two Germans in the opening scene?

Finally, the one thing that rang false to me was Ray choosing Maurice to do the dirty work. It seemed amazingly clear that Maurice was stupid - even stupider after pot and booze. Ray may not be a genius, but picking Maurice out of all the petty criminals that Ray must know seemed really bone-headed. Plotwise as soon as you met Maurice, you knew this guy was going to mistakenly kill someone - so that was telegraphed.

Loved the scene in the bathtub with the phones and also Ray's missed cue when Nikki stands up in the tub was really well done. Gloria's invisibility to sensors is a great bit, and let's see if it is a critical element in some future standoff.

PS: Jeff, Don't you count the splatter on the snow after the AC "accident" as a check on the 'Blood on the Tundra" box?

LORIMAC - I looked up Gus' daughter's name in Fargo 1 and it was Greta Grimly.

Also, copied/pasted this from EW recap:

After her son, Nathan, forgets the birthday gift Gloria’s stepdad, Enis, gave him, the chief turns around to retrieve the figurine. The scene Gloria finds is a mess. Enis is dead, and he left some scuff marks on the floor. Maurice ransacked the house searching for the stamp, but he happened to miss the stash of old pulp novels hidden beneath the floorboards. (For those of you who didn’t feel compelled to pause, the books are called The Dungeon Lurk and The Planet Wyh, and no, I don’t know what they mean.) There does seem to be some larger significance to the books, however. Enis appears to be a bit of a sci-fi nerd. When Maurice came a-knockin’, he was waking up after falling asleep in front of a UFO movie that very well may have been footage from Fargo season 2’s climactic shootout. Also, the figurine he gave Nathan looks like it was modeled off of the Dungeon Lurk cover.

[Chaos Theory]

3 hours ago, Blakeston said:

My guess is that the opening scene with the Germans was just to set forth the themes of the season - like the opening of A Serious Man. We've already seen the issue of reality being at odds with an accepted narrative.

That does make sense.  How we view things.  Two brothers both view the stamp story as their origin story.  What reality is true?  Did one brother take advantage of the other or was that the first of a series of bad decisions that made up his life.

[toodles]

16 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Maurice might've been the dumbest character ever to appear on Fargo. Let that sink in for a moment. Either that or Hawley's trying to sneak in a PSA about marijuana abuse. Eden Valley is about 75 miles from Eden Prairie. In the opposite direction. Nikki seems to be on the other end of the spectrum, but everything's relative on this show.

In accent news, Martin Freeman's off the hook.

I'm just fascinated to see how the East German cold open fits in to the overall plot.

I think he is Dewie Crowe (sorry for the Justified reference) stupid.  And that's saying something.

[Lorimac]

  5 hours ago, Lorimac said:

Evagirl: Could you see what the model was? I am not sure why I want to know this, but since it matches the sci-fi cover, and since an upcoming character is rumored to be a sci-fi writer, it would be interesting to know.

I must have missed something in the scene in the house. It was so dark and that damn soundtrack was completely distracting in that scene. Is it really that hard to turn on the lights? (Maurice did not look like the kind of guy who would have cut the power, and besides the fridge seemed to be running so why not flip on a light?) Anyway, OK, so Gloria is walking around in the dark and finds the dead guy. Then she hears a noise upstairs and runs out to the car to get her gun and secure her son. She goes back to the house and there is no one in it. So who stepped on the loose board upstairs while she was downstairs in the kitchen if we didn't see anyone leave?

Also: Just some guessin' here, but I am trying to place Gloria Burgle. If the dead guy was her step-father, could her real father be the Colin Hanks character? Does anyone remember what his daughter's name was? We know Molly married that guy, but he could have died, and Molly could have remarried. On the other hand, if Fargo 1 really was set in 2006 (why did I think it was set in the 90s?) this makes no sense. I suppose I just like the idea that there is a good cop gene that is running through one family.

Linking into the looking for links, do we think the old dead guy was one of the two Germans in the opening scene?

Finally, the one thing that rang false to me was Ray choosing Maurice to do the dirty work. It seemed amazingly clear that Maurice was stupid - even stupider after pot and booze. Ray may not be a genius, but picking Maurice out of all the petty criminals that Ray must know seemed really bone-headed. Plotwise as soon as you met Maurice, you knew this guy was going to mistakenly kill someone - so that was telegraphed.

Loved the scene in the bathtub with the phones and also Ray's missed cue when Nikki stands up in the tub was really well done. Gloria's invisibility to sensors is a great bit, and let's see if it is a critical element in some future standoff.

PS: Jeff, Don't you count the splatter on the snow after the AC "accident" as a check on the 'Blood on the Tundra" box?

LORIMAC - I looked up Gus' daughter's name in Fargo 1 and it was Greta Grimly.

Also, copied/pasted this from EW recap:

After her son, Nathan, forgets the birthday gift Gloria’s stepdad, Enis, gave him, the chief turns around to retrieve the figurine. The scene Gloria finds is a mess. Enis is dead, and he left some scuff marks on the floor. Maurice ransacked the house searching for the stamp, but he happened to miss the stash of old pulp novels hidden beneath the floorboards. (For those of you who didn’t feel compelled to pause, the books are called The Dungeon Lurk and The Planet Wyh, and no, I don’t know what they mean.) There does seem to be some larger significance to the books, however. Enis appears to be a bit of a sci-fi nerd. When Maurice came a-knockin’, he was waking up after falling asleep in front of a UFO movie that very well may have been footage from Fargo season 2’s climactic shootout. Also, the figurine he gave Nathan looks like it was modeled off of the Dungeon Lurk cover.

Thanks! If I were a conspiracy theorist, or writing for X-Files, I would say that Gloria is actually an alien - that why her dad is just her "step"dad, and why sensors don't see her. But this is Fargo, so she is probably just a minnesotan.

[Shriekingeel]

Well, MEW fans are happy today. 

[AuntiePam]

3 hours ago, Blakeston said:

My guess is that the opening scene with the Germans was just to set forth the themes of the season - like the opening of A Serious Man. We've already seen the issue of reality being at odds with an accepted narrative.

And is it relevant that the hapless German man was wearing his house shoes?   Emmit was also in house shoes before he went to meet with the mysterious "investor". 

It's interesting that they're called house 'shoes' and not house 'slippers', or just slippers.

I didn't pick up at all about the sensors not working for Gloria.  Yay for weirdness!

My favorite bit was Ray, entranced at Nikki's nudity and having to be told to go after the gun.

Ehrmantrout -- could that be a shout-out to Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul (the character of Mike)?  Ehrmantrout is an unusual name.

[Suzysite]

Ray looks creepily like Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs. 

I thought the premier last year was odd and disjointed, so I was expecting nothing less this time. It set things up well, and I'm sure it'll come together just fine.

This show brings out a violent streak in me I enjoy a little too much.  I was mentally helping push that AC onto Scoot's noggin. 

[seacliffsal]

So, I'm a bit of an oddball in that I found the premiere kind of slow and not engaging.  Of course, I will stay with the season as I really enjoyed the first two seasons, but other than Nicki, I'm detached from these characters so far.

[LittleIggy]

OMG! That was all kinds of awesome! I loved the nod to The Big Lebowski when the shit for brains tried to throw his joint out the window. Ewan McGregor was great. David Thewlis' teeth needs its own credits. I replayed the AC smashing the guy into the sidewalk! And they played SOB at the end...

Edited April 21, 2017 by LittleIggy

[cpcathy]

I completely agree, I thought it was slow and kind of all over the place, i expected to love Gloria, but at the end of the episode, I have not yet. I was hoping we weren't in for ten episodes of Ennis. I want to love this season, but season two is a hard act to follow. I already miss Ed and Peggy and Lou and Hank.

[PeggyB]

6 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

I have to disagree with the recapper about Kirsten Dunst: she was phenomenal last season, and I'll throw down with anyone who disagrees – and I'd never really been a fan of her before!

I think Ewan McGregor is having a few slight accent issues, just like Martin Freeman did in the first season.  However, Carrie Coon and Mary Elizabeth Winstead make everything amazing, so I am so here for this.

As much as I like Scoot McNairy, his character was starting to annoy me, so I laughed when the AC unit crushed him.  Ah, Fargo, please never change.

I completely agree with your opinion about Kirsten Dunst last season. She was one of my favorite characters last season. Hence my UN. :-D

And I think several of the accents were a tad bit overdone.

Why does it feel like this took place in the 80's or 90's and not in 2010? I kept trying to wrap my head around the fact that it was 2010 and the only thing that made me think 2010 was when Ray and Nikki were both looking at their phones in the tub.

[AzureOwl]

10 hours ago, Lorimac said:

Evagirl: Could you see what the model was? I am not sure why I want to know this, but since it matches the sci-fi cover, and since an upcoming character is rumored to be a sci-fi writer, it would be interesting to know.

I just re-watched the episode and I just noticed something. The thing that Gloria picks up as a weapon when she first searches the house looks an awful lot like a Hugo Award.

That plus the fact that he had a box of old sci-fi books locked away under the floorboards may indicate that the old man used to be a sci-fi writer. 

[AuntiePam]

4 hours ago, Suzysite said:

Ray looks creepily like Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs. 

This show brings out a violent streak in me I enjoy a little too much.  I was mentally helping push that AC onto Scoot's noggin. 

Yeah, Buffalo Bill -- and Dwight Yoakam in Sling Blade. 

The AC on Scooter reminded me of the ATM that Patty the Daytime Hooker tipped over on that douche in Breaking Bad.  A Fargo-My Name Is Earl-Breaking Bad crossover wouldn't be totally inappropriate.

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, PeggyB said:

Why does it feel like this took place in the 80's or 90's and not in 2010? I kept trying to wrap my head around the fact that it was 2010 and the only thing that made me think 2010 was when Ray and Nikki were both looking at their phones in the tub.

Yes! It has an oldish look/feel to it.  Maybe that's why I keep thinking someone from season 2 is going to walk in the door (probably blasting away with a machine gun).

[A Boston Gal]

Are the titles of the episodes ringing any bells with people? The Martin Freeman season episode titles all referred to specific stories/myths, if IRC.  This season's first two episode titles sound very purposefully named, but I'm drawing a blank.

[luna1122]

18 minutes ago, A Boston Gal said:

Are the titles of the episodes ringing any bells with people? The Martin Freeman season episode titles all referred to specific stories/myths, if IRC.  This season's first two episode titles sound very purposefully named, but I'm drawing a blank.

I know, I know! (I didn't, til I read it somewhere). Both episode titles are bridge references. The law of vacant places is a "simple method for estimating the probable location of any particular card in the four hands." And the principle of restricted choice "states that play of a particular card decreases the probability its player holds any equivalent card". I have no idea how to apply that to the episodes, or wtf they actually mean, as I know completely nothing about bridge.

:::waves at A Boston Gal:::

Edited April 21, 2017 by luna1122

[A Boston Gal]

15 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

I know, I know! (I didn't, til I read it somewhere). Both episode titles are bridge references. The law of vacant places is a "simple method for estimating the probable location of any particular card in the four hands." And the principle of restricted choice "states that play of a particular card decreases the probability its player holds any equivalent card". I have no idea how to apply that to the episodes, or wtf they actually mean, as I know completely nothing about bridge.

:::waves at A Boston Gal:::

Thank you, Luna1122! I guess now we've all got to learn Bridge.  Dammit, this show's making us do homework.

:::waves back, with a big goofy smile::::

[Razzberry]

After a re-watch I'm feeling a bit more positive about the show.   Standouts are Nikki Swango, by Mary Elizabeth Winstead.  She's the very definition of confidence as opposed to Ray who just radiates low self-esteem with his beater Corvette, comb-over, shifty eyes and general hostility.   Why she's with him is another mystery, although it could be love, I suspect dating your parole officer has some advantages.

(NSFW pic below)

Spoiler

 

I love this guy Varga who could use some dental attention.

Edited April 22, 2017 by kariyaki
spoiler tagged NSFW pic (added NSFW disclaimer)

[LittleIggy]

I loved Maurice's comment about where the president gets his suits. "Do they close down JC Penneys..?" :-)

[tennisgurl]

Snow, accents, stupid criminals, and bloody murder. Fargo is back!

I thought it was a good opener, even if I don't totally "get" everything going on yet. It had all the typical Coen brother tropes, and that why I love it so much. The one complaint I might have is that the opener has a ton of the hallmarks of the other seasons (normal people get in over their heads with a murder plot, people with funny accents committing crimes politely) but it works so well, I cant say it bothers me very much. I'm in along for the ride, as always.

Congrats Maurice, your the stupidest criminal in the entire Fargo Verse. That's a very impressive achievement, buddy. I like Ewan McGregor in the duel brothers part, even if it means beautiful Ewan has to be ugllied up. Get a new haircut, I know there's a hot guy in there somewhere! And I always like Carrie Coon and Mary E. Winstead, so I'm excited to see more of them. Especially Carrie Coon, who we didn't get to see much of. I guess they don't need to establish much with her right away, because we kind of already know what her deal is (kind but tough female cop), but we need to establish the more morally ambiguous weirdo characters.

I have no clue what the East German opener has to do with anything, or if it was just making a thematic connection. They did have the references to one person having one story, and one person having another, which I can see them fitting into the Fargo verse, as well as the guy in East Germany saying he was being mistaken for another guy who used to live in his apartment, followed by the rich brother telling that story about how he and his wife both lived in the same apartment at different times and she still had a key. But I think it will end up having a more concrete connection.

I wonder if this season will have any weird/supernatural elements, like the last few seasons. The show has always had a magical realism vibe, with the biblical themes and possible miracles in season 1, and the UFOs in season 2. No idea what it could be, but maybe there is something. We also don't have any obvious connections to previous seasons (or the movie) so far, but I'm sure there will be connections eventually.

[Cthulhudrew]

I'm not as excited about this first episode (or season) as I have been for the prior two. I kind of feel like the major roles have either been miscast, or else the cast is just playing the roles too seriously and not quirky enough for a Fargo story for things to connect. Like they're relying on the costuming and accents to carry the story rather than bringing something to the characters. It makes lines like "Got a tip?" "Yeah, get a real job!" and "(you hired this guy to rob your brother for my ring?) That's the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me!" to really fall flat and feel like the kind of trite, cliche lines they are rather than the silly-funny lines they otherwise would have been. 

[Ohwell]

I don't like any of the characters I've seen so far.  Maybe some of them will grow on me, but I'm not holding out much hope for that to happen.

I think that the Fargo writers might have run "quirky" into the ground with this season.  Perhaps they should have stopped with Season 2.  I'll see.

Edited April 22, 2017 by Ohwell

[Andromeda]

Was that the same stamp that Marge's husband designed in the movie? (Though printed backward, thus a collectible.) He won a contest, to design a waterfowl stamp, but his design was selected for one of the little denominations, and Marge told him people use those all the time when the USPS changes the price of a stamp. It was at the very end of Fargo. I'm anxious to see if anyone this season is related to the movie and past seasons.

[preeya]

On 4/19/2017 at 9:58 PM, numbnut said:

Carrie Coon? Mary Elizabeth Winstead? Count me in! Sad to see Scoot go so soon.

IMO, Carrie & Mary Elizabeth could pass for sisters.

[kieyra]

Is the repetition of the name Ehrmantraut a shout-out to the Breaking Bad universe?

[MrWhyt]

didn't know they had United Farmers of Alberta gas stations in Minnesota.

Loved: MEW, Thewlis, Stuhlbarg