Fargo - “The Rooster Prince” Retrospective. Hubba Bubba

Season 1, Episode 2

Air Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2014, 10PM E/P on FX Networks.

Rating: ★★★★★

“She was a good woman you know, good wife.” – Lester

Brian Markinson as Bruce Gold, Adam Goldberg as Mr. Numbers, Russell Harvard as Mr. Wrench

Mr. Numbers (Adam Goldberg) and Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) are sent from Fargo to find out if the Hess (Kevin O’Grady) murder was some kind of retaliation that might cause the police to look into the crime syndicate. Mr. Wrench is deaf but he and Mr. Numbers are able to communicate through sign language — although I believe it’s their own unique brand of sign language. Despite being cold-hearted killers, it’s entertaining to watch the two bicker like an old married couple using sign language.

Lester (Martin Freeman) attends a gathering following his wife’s funeral at his brother Chaz’s (Joshua Close) house. As family and loved ones mingle, Lester seems to still be in shock over his wife’s death. Is it from guilt over killing her or from watching Chief Thurman (Shawn Doyle) get blown away in a shotgun blast by Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton)? Interestingly, we learn Lester was grazed with a single buckshot to his hand when Malvo shot Thurman. It appears as a small injury but more important, it puts Lester upstairs at the time of Thurman’s murder and not unconscious downstairs as he claimed.

Allison Tolman as Molly Solverson

Meanwhile, Molly (Allison Tolman) pays a visit to Chief Thurman’s grave on her way to a family gathering at Thurman’s house to remember him. Molly tells new Chief Bill Oswalt (Bob Odenkirk) she has some questions about the murders she would like to ask Lester. Oswalt isn’t persuaded that Lester had anything to do with the murders but agrees to go with Molly to pay Lester a visit.

One of the things that makes Fargo so entertaining is the writing. Show creator and writer Noah Hawley takes what should be morbid scenes and adds enough comedic element to make you laugh. For example, in one scene, Ida Thurman (Julie Ann Emmery) is talking to Molly about a boss her husband used to have who was killed by a hailstone:

Ida: “Just standing in the parking lot of the Dairy Queen, having a milkshake. Hailstone comes down the size of a softball, crushes his skull.”

Molly: “What flavor?”

Ida: “Strawberry, I think.”

I love how serious conversations suddenly shift to something completely different by way of a totally unexpected and inappropriate response. It’s not the reaction you expect. Next thing I knew, I was craving a strawberry shake!

The scene with Molly, Oswalt, and Lester is the scene that stands out the most in “The Rooster Prince.” The tension is palpable between Molly and Lester while Oswalt seems to be in his own little world talking about grape bubble gum. Two episodes in and it’s clear Tolman brings the heart to Fargo as Molly. There is something about the way her character interacts with the other characters that makes you feel better about the world we live in. While Freeman and Thornton are the stars of Fargo, Tolman’s name won’t be too far behind when people look back at the series. It’s interesting to watch as Molly keeps trying to ask Lester hard hitting questions. Viewers know her questions are right on track, yet everyone around her, including Oswalt, keeps shutting Molly down, convinced Lester is the victim. Is it because Molly is a woman or simply because Lester is too likable and simpleminded to have any real criminal involvement?

One hundred and fifty miles away in Duluth, Minnesota, Malvo is trying to help Stavros Milos (Oliver Platt), aka The Supermarket King of Minnesota, who is being blackmailed. This storyline seems a little out of place with everything else going on so I hope we learn a little more about the person Malvo is working for, and how Milos plays into it. Did the writers need Malvo to be off doing something, or will we find out later it’s all connected.

Officer Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) continues to question his decision of letting Malvo go following a traffic stop. The matter is compounded even more when Grimly’s daughter Greta (Joey King) talks to him about the lessons in bullying she learned at school and asks for his opinion on the issue. Is Grimly really thinking about his daughter’s well-being when he lets Malvo go or is he simply scared and intimidated by him?

Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench start their search for Hess’ murderer but the only description they have of him is he has a cut on his forehead. Unfortunately for the citizens of Bemidji, there is more than one person who fits that description. Needless to say, the easiest solution seems to be to dispose of them all. Will the two be able to find Malvo before the cut on his head heals?

Martin Freeman as Lester Nygaard, Allison Tolman as Molly Solverson

Despite Deputy Oswalt telling Molly to leave Lester alone, she continues to seek Lester out to ask more questions. Lester finally has enough of her and complains to Oswalt about it after she confronts him in a drug store where he is trying to get medicine for an injury that is getting worse as time passes. Oswalt takes Molly off the case telling her to focus on the man found frozen to death in his underwear in the woods. Will Molly leave Lester alone or will she keep trying to ask questions?

I have very much enjoyed the first two episodes of Fargo, and having seen the first four episodes already, I can say it only gets better. Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “The Rooster Prince.”

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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.