Fargo – “The Gift of the Magi” Review. Butcher of Luverne.

Season 2, Episode 5

Air Date: Monday, November 9, 2015, 10PM E/P on FX Network.

Rating: ★★★★★

“I thought they’d negotiate.” – Floyd

Hunters or hunted?

Tension escalates between the Gerhardts and the Kansas City mafia (KC mafia) after negotiations fall apart. As both sides prepare for war, Peggy (Kirsten Dunst) and Ed (Jesse Plemons) try to figure out what to do after learning the Gerhardt family might be onto them. Meanwhile, Lou’s (Patrick Wilson) investigation is put on hold when he is assigned to escort a politician passing through the state. Will Lou get back in time to protect Peggy and Ed or will he be too late?

Upon Ohanzee’s (Zahn McClarnon) return to Fargo, he reports Rye’s (Kieran Culkin) fate to Floyd (Jean Smart). Dodd (Jeffrey Donovan), despite his mother’s anguish over the loss of her son, quickly takes advantage of the news by concocting a story and referring to Ed as “The Butcher of Luverne,” a contract hitman who works for the KC mafia. Dodd is ruthless as he continues to spin the news, pinning everything on the mafia. Needless to say, thanks to Dodd, the Gerhardt family is at war.

As “The Gift of the Magi” opens, the KC mafia prepares for battle by laying out an assortment of firearms. But things aren’t as they appear. It turns out Joe (Brad Garrett) and his cohorts from Kansas City are letting off some steam by taking a hunting trip. They soon become the hunted as Ohanzee and members of the Gerhardt crew launch a bloody attack on the unsuspecting group.

Director Jeffrey Reiner takes some creative liberties with the timeline of events during the attack in order to increase the shock value of the onslaught. He beautifully captures the shootout, turning the blood spatter into an art form. I’ve raved about the cinematography several times in earlier reviews and “The Gift of the Magi” is no exception. There’s a picturesque aerial shot of Joe running through the woods during the attack, a scene I wish had lasted a few seconds longer.

Donovan gives an outstanding performance as Dodd continues to manipulate both the mafia and his family. He is an expert at providing a disturbing level of humor during the darkest of scenes. The grin on Dodd’s face following the onslaught is telling as he declares, “You can bet they’re going to come back at us hard.” Dodd seems to relish the chaos he creates regardless of the growing body count.

The Gipper.

As Lou’s investigation heats up, former California Governor Ronald Reagan (Bruce Campbell) makes a presidential campaign stop in Luverne, Minnesota. Campbell does an admirable job portraying the late Reagan, capturing his tone and speech patterns remarkably well. This marks a return for Campbell to the Fargo world as he played an actor in a soap opera that was seen on a television set during the original 1996 film. The restroom scene is hilarious when Lou and Reagan swap war stories as they relieve themselves. While Lou’s story is real, Reagan reminisces about a war film he starred in. Reiner and the writers do a wonderful job overlapping the scenes of Reagan’s speech, cutting away while his dialogue continues. Reagan’s continuing discourse serves as an ironic narrative to the events of the episode and a reflection of times back then.

Still reeling from Lou’s confrontation, Peggy and Ed are at odds with each other over what to do next. Having not been on the same page with each other the entire season, it comes as no surprise when these two are unable to agree whether they should stay or run. I enjoy seeing Ed put his foot down with Peggy, even if he’s slightly delusional about putting the events of that fateful night behind them. Plemons does an excellent job conveying a variety of emotions as his world crumbles around him.

Is Charlie good or bad?

When I wrote in my review of “Fear and Trembling” that I wished a character would rise up and become someone the audience can cheer for, I never thought Charlie (Allan Dobrescu) would be that person. Charlie adds a human element to the Gerhardt name as he seeks to establish himself in the family legacy. You can’t help but feel for Charlie as he struggles with his conscience in the butcher shop.

Even though Charlie’s attempt to kill Ed goes horribly wrong, burning down the butcher shop in the process, I suddenly found myself concerned about the fate of Ed and Charlie. Both display admirable qualities that make me excited to see them survive the season, or at least a few more episodes. What will become of Charlie and more importantly, how will Dodd and Floyd react to Charlie’s colossal failure to take out the Butcher of Luverne?

With the body count rising so quickly during “The Gift of the Magi,” one has to wonder if reinforcements will be needed—perhaps in the form of a contract killer named Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton). I’d love to see Malvo tie seasons one and two together even if he is played by a younger actor. Either way, the second half of season two is shaping up to be an exciting one.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “The Gift of the Magi.”

Tune in to Fargo Mondays at 10PM E/P, only on FX.

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.