S01.E10: Morton's Fork

[shapeshifter]

Remember Gus DID redeem himself, followed up and arrested Malvo.  His Lieutenant and Chief Bill cut Malvo loose even AFTER seeing the picture of him from the security camera.  I don't think we can blame Gus for all the following violence between the stop and his subsequent arrest.  (I don't think anyone actually was killed in between the traffic stop and the subsequent arrest except the dog)

 

I can't hang any of the rest on Gus - he tried to arrest the guy and was denied based on lack of evidence

Very good point.

Yes, there was plenty of blame to go around, including Bill, Pepper & Budge, and most of all, Lester.

[Catherinewriter]

Eyes, Glazed, I think Malvo realized that if he didn't get somewhere to deal with his leg, he was dead. We're talking bear trap here, not mouse trap. Actually, it's pretty unbelievable that he didn't bleed to death even taking off like a bat out of hell.

 

Just realized. Lester bought in in Montana? Then it couldn't have been the same lake in which the two hitmen dumped one of their hits. I thought it was at first and laughed at the connection. But it can't be.

[Mindymoo]

Catherinewriter, Malvo had the presence of mind to wrap a belt around his leg to use as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. That was a pretty brilliant maneuver to slow down the blood loss, so I can buy that he didn't bleed out. Besides, that was a really bad leg wound with a compound fracture, but it wasn't like he severed his femoral artery. 

[Ujio]

Finally had a chance to watch the finale. 

 

While the finale felt awfully anticlimactic, I loved the series as a whole.  It started and ended on a perfect note.  And a nice nod to the movie, that final scene.

 

The actors were excellent all around.   I hope they all get rewarded come Emmy time.  Whether or not there is a second season (and whether or not it features Molly), discovering Allison Tolman (who just won a Critic's Choice Award) was extremely satisfying.  Thank you, show!

 

So the supermarket guy's money is buried again, right?  Could that be the one common tie throughout the series -- should there be another season?

[SimoneS]

I thought that it was unbelievable that Malvo could get to the car and back to cabin on that leg even with the belt as a tourniquet, but then again TV and movie characters always have amazing tolerance for pain compared to people in real life.

[Milburn Stone]

I thought that it was unbelievable that Malvo could get to the car and back to cabin on that leg even with the belt as a tourniquet, but then again TV and movie characters always have amazing tolerance for pain compared to people in real life.

 

Yes, it could go in the What I Learned from Watching Television thread: Handy home tips for dealing with that nasty little bear trap kerfuffle.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Milburn Stone

[LisaM]

Thanks for the replies regarding when Malvo threatened Greta. I now remember both of those scenes and can definitely see how Gus believed that Malvo would come after his expanding family.

 

If the show is renewed with Molly/Gus/Greta/Lou as the leads, I would probably watch because I'm interested in their family dynamic even more than the crime solving. If not, I doubt I'll be back.

[DanDanNoodles]

When they showed the wolf, a thought popped into mind that it was a tie-in to something that had happened earlier, but I can't remember what.  Anyone?

[ChipBach]

The wolf led Gus to the hideout earlier in the show, or did you mean earlier in the series?  I'd like to think it was the soul of the dog Malvo killed gettin' even...

Edited June 20, 2014 by ChipBach

[A Boston Gal]

So, did we decide that the Oliver Platt subplot really had no bearing on the story as a whole, and just served to provide a link with the film's hidden cash, and see it returned from whence it came?

[halgia]

So, did we decide that the Oliver Platt subplot really had no bearing on the story as a whole

Well, it's the reason that Malvo was in the area at all, and why he hung around Duluth to have Gus interact with him twice. But yeah, it wasn't tightly integrated into the other main story arc of Lester/etc.

 

Hawley has talked a few times about how even though obviously everything is fictional, he wanted to make it seem like a "true story," where not everything necessarily fits together as tightly as a typical show's might. (Of course, this is somewhat at odds with fish falling out of the sky, but whatever.)

[Catherinewriter]

Chip Bach: "The wolf led Gus to the hideout earlier in the show, or did you mean earlier in the series?  I'd like to think it was the soul of the dog Malvo killed gettin' even..."

 

I like this. A lot.  

[shapeshifter]

The wolf led Gus to the hideout earlier in the show, or did you mean earlier in the series?  I'd like to think it was the soul of the dog Malvo killed gettin' even...

I love this too, and I haven't even had a pet in over 10 years.

Thinking a bit more about the deaths of Budge and Pepper: I think in any contest of the two of them against Malvo, they would die. They're not good field agents, and Malvo is (was) a master serial killer.

[aliya]

 

i thought she was completely shortchanged

 

Only in the short term. So she didn't get to bring down Malvo or Lester. Everyone knows she had earlier ideas about the case and she is being rewarded for that police work (and prior work, I assume) by being made Chief.  I think she got a great reward. It's what she wants to do, she's good at it, and people will have to listen to her now.  I'm OK with it and think it's better than a commendation.

 

OK, will somebody tell me what that darned wolf was supposed to mean?

[Rhetorica]

I think the wolf was Malvo's spirit animal and he was just fed up with Malvo so he led Gus to him. Then went to the window to make sure his plan was carried out. ;)

[wellread]

I think that all the suggested interpretations of the meaning of the wolf have some of the truth.  Overall, I think the wolf represents the ever-present wilderness just outside the parking lots or just beyond the plowed roads.  The time had come to remove an evil force that had released too much evil into the Fargo world and the wolf was sent to restore the balance.

[Galloway Cave]

The wolf is also one of the ultimate predators, which tied in with the green riddle Malvo told Gus. Gus sees a wolf in the road, slams on the brake to avoid hitting it and guess who is hiding out just to the left? Malvo. Who sees the wolf just moments before he is killed by Gus (shades of greeen....)? Malvo.

[Peggy Sue]

The wolf did two things. It stopped Gus so he had the opportunity to look around and see Malvo's car. It appeared to Malvo just before Gus crept out of hiding and killed him. It had positive and negative (depending on who you are) significance.  I looked up the Native American symbolic meaning of 'wolf' and found this as the short answer: "Positive meanings emphasize a deep connection with your intuition and instincts (Gus). On the negative side, the wolf could represent a perceived threat or a lack of trust in someone or your own feelings or actions (Malvo). This spirit animal also reflects sharp intelligence in dealing with important matters (realization by both)."  Makes sense to me on both sides of the coin.

 

I've had a problem with Malvo's behavior in the last episode. It just didn't ring true.  While he was confident, he never seemed reckless or unstudied.  I often thought, throughout the course of the show, that he was a master of human behavior. Seemed to me he had a good handle on predictable human reaction. After he told 'the deaf guy' that they got closer than any ever had, I believe he would have upped his game; possibly realizing he might be slipping.  Obviously that didn't happen and he never struck me as fatally arrogant.  I can't for the life of me figure out why in the hell he would wade into a bear trap instead of just taking Lester out.  I also have a hard time with him returning to that cabin. Seems like a rookie mistake. He could have moved his stuff anywhere before going after Lester.  I think Malvo was tired and just over it. Completely falling OFF his game and that he didn't care anymore.  The wolf appearing in the window for him to see and his response to Gus about the riddle makes that plausible for me.  I don't see it as being in character for Malvo to sit there unarmed, no matter how hurt he was either.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Peggy Sue

[bosawks]

I had always looked at that initial Gus/Malvo scene though the perspective of the repercussions of Gus letting Malvo go and for the end to be the repercussion of Malvo letting Gus go I thought was quite well down.

As long as Molly got to be chief!

[Catherinewriter]

Well Read: "I think that all the suggested interpretations of the meaning of the wolf have some of the truth.  Overall, I think the wolf represents the ever-present wilderness just outside the parking lots or just beyond the plowed roads.  The time had come to remove an evil force that had released too much evil into the Fargo world and the wolf was sent to restore the balance."

 

Thank you, and others who posit meanings for the wolf. None of them see the wolf as threatening, predatory, or any of the other things that wolves have had to suffer throughout their history. So obviously, none of you commenters would fit in well with the FWS or any other government agency.  !!!

[ShellSeeker]

I did love that Malvo got away from Lester by throwing that stupid award at him and whacking him right across the bridge of his nose. 

[Should Be Working]

The TV version of Fargo far exceeded my original expectations. Excellent all around. Watched the entire season in one 24-period.

 

The unfolding relationship between Lester and Malvo was very strange and yet compelling to watch. Sort of like a master psychopath and his Milquetoast apprentice, Malvo obviously felt some kinship with him from the start. To the weakling Lester, Malvo embodied everything he himself lacked: a complete absence of fear and a dazzling skill at terminating those who annoyed or threatened him, even his ability to intimidate and even torture everday people with terrifying truths. No doubt these were traits that Lester very much wanted to acquire to settle the score for a life full of humiliations. The strange bond was forged with the murder of Lester's former high school bully and persisted to the end, even after he watched Malvo cooly dispatch his three guests in that Las Vegas hotel elevator and execute his wife at the insurance office. Even knowing that Malvo was in town and after him, he refused to help the police track him down. Perhaps he knew that Malvo would always prevail in any encounter, until that final scene with the bear trap. 

[becauseIsaidso]

All in all, I liked the finale.  At first, I was pissed off that Molly was deprived of the capture - but - I didn't see her choice as much knuckling under to Gus as deciding Malvo wasn't worth risking both her life and that of the baby. She had done ALL the work, made the connections, proven herself right and received acknowledgement of that from Bill and others, and set the wheels in motion for LE and FBI to FINALLY do their jobsl. 

 

For most of the season I have seen Molly as more the detective than the patrol cop...she has the brains to  solve things and serve justice best in that way.  Also, it seemed to me that her lack of anger toward Gus for shooting her was a tacit acknowledgement of her rash behavior in running after Messrs. Numbers and Wrench and Malvo, ignoring Gus's calls for her to wait for backup - Gus was right. I don't think Gus was in any way responsible for any of the killings Malvo committed after leaving the cabin - but then, it always frosts my ass to see some badguy try to put the blame for what HE does on some other schmuck because the schmuck doesn't do what the badguy wants them to. Badguys have a choice, that's on them and them alone.

 

Lester solving the fox/rabbit/cabbage riddle was a foreshadowing - a signal that he thought fast on his feet (shortsighted as he was), so the bear trap (a move which had been telegraphed at least one episode earlier) made sense. It did not make sense to me that Malvo fell for it - he seemed to really have Lesters number early on. I plan to watch the episode again to try and decide if Malvo's move to where the trap was located was a move he would have been expected to make to avoid fire from Lester's hiding place, or a move he thought would be different from what Lester would expect of him (splitting hairs, I know,).  It just doesn't make sense to me that Malvo underestimated Lester so badly.  I can see him overlooking Gus, as Gus does not come across as inherently evil or courageous - Gus is one of those quiet people who surprise everyone when they rise to the occasion under the most severe of circumstances.

 

I was VERY surprised when Malvo left his firearm clear across the room when he went to try and fix his leg.  I can not see someone as focused as he ever doing something like that as long as he was conscious.

 

The scene I liked the most was at the end, when Greta snuggles down and seems to be using Molly's baby-bump as a pillow. Ending the season with Molly still preggers was just one of many nods to the movie - I loved it. I am hoping for a second season and I am hoping Molly and Gus, et al,  will be core characters. I seem to recall that Norm never tried to stop Marge from doing her cop-thing, and I am hoping the same of Gus.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Of course, everything Malvo did is "on" Malvo.

 

Yet, how I, or anyone else, reacts when confronted by evil is on me/us.  A major theme of this show was the nature of good and evil.  When a good person remains silent in the face of evil, does that good person necessarily become a part of the evil?  I say yes.  The classic quote that all it takes for evil to flourish is for good folks to stay silent about it fully applies here, in my opinion.

 

For me, the hardest choices are between two goods.  Which should take precedence?  Molly had the closest call to make:  Don't risk the baby, or go after Malvo on her own, if necessary (and it was necessary for weeks and weeks).  All the others had lesser goods to weigh.  Self survival is not, in my belief, a valid concern in a moral decision.  The survival of others most definitely is.  If it IS about others, then it is on each one of us to act as sentinels.  To my eyes, Molly is the only one who did this fully.

 

While I am usually hard on inconsistencies, Malvo's failure to keep a firearm within reach didn't feel that way to me.  He had little cause to believe his hideaway had been discovered.  I also give him the benefit of the doubt due to his extreme physical problems.  

[Babalu]

While I am usually hard on inconsistencies, Malvo's failure to keep a firearm within reach didn't feel that way to me.  He had little cause to believe his hideaway had been discovered.  I also give him the benefit of the doubt due to his extreme physical problems.

To me, Malvo's death was a little bit "suicide by (ex) cop." He was very coolly weighing his options when he got back to the cabin and knew none of them were good. His injuries were so severe that he was likely to die without medical treatment and seeking care would almost certainly result in arrest/life imprisonment. Or he could die, like the bear, in the (literal or figurative) woods.

When he saw Gus, a third option, of ending it right then, was presented, and he acquiesced to it. And saw some humor in the fact that the man who had backed down from him would now be the one to bring things to a close. He probably even felt a little respect for Gus, like he had for Mr. Wrench.

[ChipBach]

 I don't think Gus was in any way responsible for any of the killings Malvo committed after leaving the cabin - but then, it always frosts my ass to see some badguy try to put the blame for what HE does on some other schmuck because the schmuck doesn't do what the badguy wants them to. Badguys have a choice, that's on them and them alone.

 

 

I agree, while Malvo was a killer looking to hunt down Lester and the deaths of the FBI agents could have been prevented had Gus rushed the car, or perhaps called in to the station.  I believe Gus wanted to finish it.  I would have no confidence in the local PD to protect his family.

 

I interpreted Gus' initial actions cautious.  He was not prepared to confront Malvo having found him through a rather troubling stare-down from a wolf.  I think he gathered himself and went into the cabin to search for evidence to help Molly be exonerated.  Once he decided to lay in wait of Malvo (probably the only way he actually stood a chance against a healthy Malvo), he made his decision to kill him.  He had to be delighted to find Malvo incapacitated.  I don't think he would have stood a chance in hell against Malvo if he rushed the car with a revolver.  Heck, Gus knew that Mr. Numbers, a professional killer had a fully automatic rifle and probably 100 rounds of ammunition and still ended up on the wrong end of their duel.  I would have waited until Malvo was far more vulnerable...

[John Potts]

Not entirely happy with the resolution here - I guess it's "truer to life" (and hey, it is a true story!) to have things end somewhat ambiguously on what, by law, was a vigilante killing. Sure, I can see all the law enforcement* "agreeing" that Malvo was a "suspicious looking" character and that Gus thought he was "going for his gun" (or something along those lines).

 

Ruby24  I hated the fact that Molly didn't get to do anything in this finale. I at least wanted her to be the one to take down Lester, if not Malvo

 

That's actually one of the things I liked. It wasn't "neat" (although I suppose you can see Gus as redeeming himself for letting Malvo go in the beginning) even if good triumphed at the end.

 

Shapeshifter Was it implied that the massacre from the '70s that Lou experienced was also Malvo?

 

I was wondering that, too (though apparently the answer is "No").

 

SimoneS TV and movie characters always have amazing tolerance for pain compared to people in real life.

I’ve heard an account of a guy who amputated his foot with a hasp knife after getting it trapped under a tree and "Touching the Void" tells the (true) story of a guy who fell down a crevasse and still managed to make his way back to camp after a week with a broken leg. People have an amazing tolerance for pain if their life is on the line.

 

* I presume that LE stands for "Law Enforcement" even though I instinctively read it as "Lawful Evil"!

[Raja]

Not the ending I expected.  The good guy with a gun never follows through. 

 

.

I beg to differ, but then I am middle aged and watching Magnum PI in 1982. Did You See The Sunrise, where Magnum and Ric murder the Soviet spy Ivan on his way to deportation

 

Now it did work for Fargo also but for a second there after the chest shots I was thinking that Malvo was the Devil himself.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Raja

[Mattipoo]

This was a good finale, but I felt that it was a little anti-climactic because Malvo was killed so easily. After all the badassery he pulled off throughout the season, I expected him to put up more of a fight. Kudos to Billy Bob Thornton for an amazing performance. I also wish there was more of a resolution regarding the supermarket king's story, specifically what caused the fish to fall from the sky, and whether Malvo picked up the money left in the snow by the highway. Guess we will never know.

[ChipBach]

This was a good finale, but I felt that it was a little anti-climactic because Malvo was killed so easily. After all the badassery he pulled off throughout the season, I expected him to put up more of a fight. Kudos to Billy Bob Thornton for an amazing performance. I also wish there was more of a resolution regarding the supermarket king's story, specifically what caused the fish to fall from the sky, and whether Malvo picked up the money left in the snow by the highway. Guess we will never know.

 

The flying fish was explained on the show through a news broadcast.  It was the result of a winter tornado as it was explained by the Fargo news person.

[shapeshifter]

The flying fish was explained on the show through a news broadcast.  It was the result of a winter tornado as it was explained by the Fargo news person.

That's a little too close to being a shout out to Sharknado, don't you think?

[Holmbo]

I just finnished watching the finale. I've very much enjoyed the series and I've also anjoyed being able to read comments on each episode without being spoiled about the remaining ones.

Overall I really liked the finale. I wasn't bothered by Molly not making the arrest because, as mentioned by other posters, she'd done all the work on this case and her reward was it being aknowledge. Also I agree with the one posting that her strenght seems to be as a detective rather than a law enforcer. I also liked that we got such a happy ending. The bad guys died and all of the people that I cared about (sorry FBI agents) got a happy ending.

 

One thing that bothers me though is how Gus killing Malvo was handled.

I was so scared for Gus even as Malvo was sitting unarmed with his leg messed up. I thought Gus was gonna try to restrain him and bring him in to the police station and Malvo would manage to kill him somehow. I just couldn't figure out what he planned to do with him. When he shot him I first though something like: oh no he'll go to prison for that. Because what he did was straight up murder. Then I realized that if he left there was no way anyone would be able to tie him to the murder, or even consider him a suspect. So I thought: How clever Gus! Now you can just walk back to your car, drive down to the police station and make up some explanation for why it took you unusually long time to get there. The cops would find the body in a few days. So that's what I thought he would do at that point. But then we see him still being there with all the cops.

 

Don't get me wrong I don't see anything ethically wrong about what he did. Malvo was clearly irredemable and Gus wanted to make sure he would never hurt anyone else. I just don't see how he could have gotten out of it, even if he didn't tell them about waiting around for Malvo instead of calling the police and placed Malvo's gun within grabbing distance. How did he explain even going in to the cabin instead of calling the police? I'm not from the US so maybe it's like a cultural difference in what's seen as self defence or in how ok it is for private citizens to take the law in their own hands when it comes to dangerous futetives. Anyway it bothered me quiet a lot that they didn't aknowledge at all what a serious crime he commited.

 

That complaint was still balanced out though, by an otherwise excelent series finale and a great season overall.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I truly didn't care about the niceties of man's law.  Justice demanded Malvo be eliminated ASAP that he may do no more harm. 

 

This was very much like Magnum famously shooting a defenseless Ivan on Magnum P.I. back in the day.  Ivan was a war criminal, torturer, and murderer.  Magnum simply cut out the middle man (man's law).

 

Glad you were able to enjoy the show as you did, Holmbo.

[ChipBach]

One thing that bothers me though is how Gus killing Malvo was handled.

I was so scared for Gus even as Malvo was sitting unarmed with his leg messed up. I thought Gus was gonna try to restrain him and bring him in to the police station and Malvo would manage to kill him somehow. I just couldn't figure out what he planned to do with him. When he shot him I first though something like: oh no he'll go to prison for that. Because what he did was straight up murder. Then I realized that if he left there was no way anyone would be able to tie him to the murder, or even consider him a suspect. So I thought: How clever Gus! Now you can just walk back to your car, drive down to the police station and make up some explanation for why it took you unusually long time to get there. The cops would find the body in a few days. So that's what I thought he would do at that point. But then we see him still being there with all the cops.

 

Don't get me wrong I don't see anything ethically wrong about what he did. Malvo was clearly irredemable and Gus wanted to make sure he would never hurt anyone else. I just don't see how he could have gotten out of it, even if he didn't tell them about waiting around for Malvo instead of calling the police and placed Malvo's gun within grabbing distance. How did he explain even going in to the cabin instead of calling the police? I'm not from the US so maybe it's like a cultural difference in what's seen as self defence or in how ok it is for private citizens to take the law in their own hands when it comes to dangerous futetives. Anyway it bothered me quiet a lot that they didn't aknowledge at all what a serious crime he commited.

 

 

I guessed that Gus, being a retired officer after Malvo made him look like a schlub, was given some empathy from the cops at the crime scene.  They all knew what Malvo was and probably didn't feel the need to ask too many "hard" questions of Gus.  (Passive complicity)  They may have actually worked with Gus on his story.  Given Malvo's ability to get out of trouble, the police were probably relieved he was gone...

[Inquisitionist]

After seeing Malvo self-medicate a massive bear-trap leg wound, I'm even more confused about why he visited the hospital for a minor bump on the head in the first episode.   I suppose he could have been there to scout information about his escaped hostage.  He couldn't very well go to the police station.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Inquisitionist

[Desperately Random]

I believe the reason he didn't go to the hospital for the bear trap injury was he knew that that kind of wound would draw attention and he was trying to lay low. Malvo was a stranger and someone coming into a small town hospital with that kind of injury is going to stand out.  Also, that kind of injury might require he stay in the hospital for a day or two. The police were looking for him and so he needed to hide out and being in a hospital bed was too risky for him at that point. When he got the bump on the head, no one was looking for him. And a bump on the head is a common injury and easy to explain without raising suspicion.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Desperately Random

[EtheltoTillie]

On June 19, 2014 at 7:56 AM, JudyObscure said:

I think Molly's moment of triumph came in the penultimate episode when the FBI guys praised her work.  Then in the finale it was backed up with her boss admitting she had twice the brains he had and handing his job over to her.  I think it's the detective work that Molly is all about.  Her satisfaction comes from figuring out who the bad guy is, she doesn't have to be the one to actually point her gun and shoot him.  The ending with "scared of spiders," Gus getting a citation for bravery and Molly getting promoted to  police chief was perfect for me.

 

Molly is one of the best female characters I've seen in years.  I was getting heartily sick of the blood thirsty, vengeful heroines who seemed to be created by writers who thought "strong woman," meant a woman who acted like a man.

Yes. Molly's name is SOLVErson for a reason. This came to me yesterday.  I've  only just watched this season. 

PS. didn't Malvo tell a story about a bear trap earlier?  Or did I remember that from a something else?  

[DonnaMae]

On 6/18/2014 at 4:40 PM, car54 said:

This time it didn't work out, and I know it was probably spring so the ice was thinner and melting, but I love the idea that the weak spot he fell through was the one they dug with the auger in a previous episode.   That would be so fitting.

That didn't happen in Montana!  The augering was done somewhere close to Bemidji.