Fargo - FX Greenlights Limited Series

[David H.]

Omg, she's a cop just like Kev!

Truth be told, I was hoping Meemo would be revealed to be using a Gordon Cole style hearing aid.

 

[Luigi]

Nikki and Mr. Wrench make an extremely formidable team.

 

[MadVillainy]

I hope everyone dies or go to jail except for the cops.
I just don't really like any of the characters really. I really don't like Nikki. She reminds me of Kirsten Dunst in the second season as this harbinger of destruction and the show I feel like is trying to play her up like a good guy.
And somehow now this small time crook, 3rd rate bridge player can get the drop and outsmart on this criminal mastermind up there with Malvo and Mike Milligan? Getouttaherewiththat

What i expect to happen:
Everyone will get away clean other than David Thewlis and his crew and Emmit.

 

[NotNickFury]

Well, I'm curious whether Wrench dies or makes it out of this alive. We don't know what he's been up to since Season 1, but he just shows up on the same bus as Nikki and he finds a new partner in her. And for this to come up so close to the end of the season makes it feel like he's being set up to die or be a self-sacrifice.

 

[Matt]

I hope everyone dies or go to jail except for the cops.
I just don't really like any of the characters really. I really don't like Nikki. She reminds me of Kirsten Dunst in the second season as this harbinger of destruction and the show I feel like is trying to play her up like a good guy.
And somehow now this small time crook, 3rd rate bridge player can get the drop and outsmart on this criminal mastermind up there with Malvo and Mike Milligan? Getouttaherewiththat

What i expect to happen:
Everyone will get away clean other than David Thewlis and his crew and Emmit.

I actually think this season will end with Varga, the villain, winning.

 

[Matt]

Well, I'm curious whether Wrench dies or makes it out of this alive. We don't know what he's been up to since Season 1, but he just shows up on the same bus as Nikki and he finds a new partner in her. And for this to come up so close to the end of the season makes it feel like he's being set up to die or be a self-sacrifice.

I am of the mind that Wrench should pop up every season, even if only a cameo ala season 2. At this point he is the only character to hit the hat trick. I don't anticipate Lou or Molly popping up in the finale, so Wrench will be the only character in every season. Let's keep that trend going!

 

[MadVillainy]

I actually think this season will end with Varga, the villain, winning.

I guess I wouldn't mind that. But I don't see it

 

[BestGirl]

Holy ****! Move over Gus Fringe, Negan, and Varys! Nikki is officially the most bad ass character on television!

That scene was outstanding.

So this is a stretch that not even Reed Richard would make, but the fact that Winnie's hug somehow helped to get electronics to work for Gloria reminded me of Holy Wayne taking away Nora's pain in The Leftovers.

Hey, it was Carrie Coon both times. Hashtag it's all connected.

Yeah, I didn't get how Gloria is somehow visible to electronics after the hug from Winnie. What's the significance? And will this now leave her vulnerable to Varga?

 

[BestGirl]

I hope everyone dies or go to jail except for the cops.
I just don't really like any of the characters really. I really don't like Nikki. She reminds me of Kirsten Dunst in the second season as this harbinger of destruction and the show I feel like is trying to play her up like a good guy.
And somehow now this small time crook, 3rd rate bridge player can get the drop and outsmart on this criminal mastermind up there with Malvo and Mike Milligan? Getouttaherewiththat

What i expect to happen:
Everyone will get away clean other than David Thewlis and his crew and Emmit.

OTOH, it's being implied that Varga isn't much of a mastermind. Nikki made it clear that he's the boss of a smaller operation than he likes people to think, and he thoroughly flubbed his interview with Gloria. Plus, his attempts to keep his activities quiet (like stealing the Stussy file and killing Nikki) would, in most places, actually result in more attention being called to the crimes. He's fortunate that Dammick is either extraordinarily dumb or corrupt so he's gotten away up to this point.

 

[Matt]

That scene was outstanding.



Yeah, I didn't get how Gloria is somehow visible to electronics after the hug from Winnie. What's the significance? And will this now leave her vulnerable to Varga?

This is going to sound odd, but I honestly took the scene to mean Gloria is a lesbian. She felt like she was an incomplete or artificial person, as she told the other cop. This is because she was concealing her true nature from the world. So that woman hugs her, tells her that what she feels is validated and real. They then exchange "I like you"s and suddenly Gloria can be detected by soap dispensers and faucets? I took that to mean that Gloria had stopped hiding her true self and coped with the fact that she has feelings for women. In other words, she stopped being artificial like the android and let out her real self.

Also, regarding Varga, something odd just struck me. We still have no idea what exactly he does, do we? We know he is some kind of criminal. We know he uses Stussy's business as a front. We know how he goes about intimidating and controlling people. But we know absolutely nothing about what his criminal activities are. That is funny to me for some reason.

 

[Matt]

OTOH, it's being implied that Varga isn't much of a mastermind. Nikki made it clear that he's the boss of a smaller operation than he likes people to think, and he thoroughly flubbed his interview with Gloria. Plus, his attempts to keep his activities quiet (like stealing the Stussy file and killing Nikki) would, in most places, actually result in more attention being called to the crimes. He's fortunate that Dammick is either extraordinarily dumb or corrupt so he's gotten away up to this point.

I don't think Nikki was implying that he is the boss of a smaller operation than he likes people to think. I think she was saying he likes people to believe thathe is small beans, middle management in a much larger organization, rather than at the top, so people overlook him.

But that's the thing. As you point out, Varga doesn't seem to care about being subtle, does he? He takes steps to hide himself, but then is willing to kill a woman in a hotel lobby or act all creepy toward a cop or break into a police station or overturn a prison bus, killing dozens, to kill one woman.

 

[BestGirl]

This is going to sound odd, but I honestly took the scene to mean Gloria is a lesbian. She felt like she was an incomplete or artificial person, as she told the other cop. This is because she was concealing her true nature from the world. So that woman hugs her, tells her that what she feels is validated and real. They then exchange "I like you"s and suddenly Gloria can be detected by soap dispensers and faucets? I took that to mean that Gloria had stopped hiding her true self and coped with the fact that she has feelings for women. In other words, she stopped being artificial like the android and let out her real self.

That is an interesting interpretation. Perhaps she and her husband were both gay without realizing it.

Someone on reddit came up with another intriguing theory: up till now, Gloria has constantly existed in dual states: she was both chief and not chief, she was both married and not (she's separated but not divorced), and Ennis was her father and yet not. It's almost as though she's a hypothetical, like Shroedinger's cat. Remember Paul's allusion to that story in the plane? But now Ennis is dead, she's been officially demoted to deputy, and she signed divorce papers in the last episode. She finally exists in one state, and so machines can recognize her.

I don't think Nikki was implying that he is the boss of a smaller operation than he likes people to think. I think she was saying he likes people to believe thathe is small beans, middle management in a much larger organization, rather than at the top, so people overlook him.

But that's the thing. As you point out, Varga doesn't seem to care about being subtle, does he? He takes steps to hide himself, but then is willing to kill a woman in a hotel lobby or act all creepy toward a cop or break into a police station or overturn a prison bus, killing dozens, to kill one woman.

I thought she said that there was no Narwhal (the corporation that Varga is supposed to work for). I took that to mean that his actual operation is very small. But my memory could be wrong or I'm misinterpreting.

 

[Kane52630]

I'm all caught up with the last few episodes. I can't believe it took them this long for it to get really good. Great to see Mr. Wrench again and while I still don't like or care for Varga, his henchmen are far more interesting.

 

[NotNickFury]

Okay, Nikki brought that on herself. That death could've been averted and I was wondering if she'd make it to the end, but no, she had to go for her weapon. A very Coen Brothers type of ending for that situation no doubt.

 

[Matt]

I loved the resolution with Emmitt. Also very Coen. But that ending...

 

[NotNickFury]

The ending might be more open-ended and ambiguous than The Leftovers, but hey, if this is indeed the last we see of Fargo, whether for good or for awhile, it's more great work from Noah Hawley. I still think Seasons 1 and 2 were stronger than this, but that's not a fault on the show at all as this was still great television.

 

[Matt]

I actually liked this season a lot. It was a bit more disjointed, but I think that was fitting with the themes of the season regarding the nature of truth, perception, and reality. And while I usually dislike ambiguous endings, I found this one to be fitting. What happened is up to the viewer to decide based on his or her perception.

 

[flickchick85]

I loved this season. Nikki was an unexpected highlight (not that I doubted MEW, I just could not have predicted her character would be...all that when the season 1st started, lol).

 

[antsman41]

Damn...

 

[Matt]

You know, if I only had one knock on this season, it would be that Gloria and Varga only had two scenes together. They were the yin to each other's yang, yet they barely interacted. But when they did it was brilliant.

 

[NotNickFury]

Incidentally, I don't think Molly EVER interacted with or saw Malvo until Gus had killed him in the first season. At least Lou had a long conversation with Mike Milligan in Season 2.

 

[MadVillainy]

Well my theory was wrong.
I liked the finale overall. The ambiguous ending i thought was really good.
[BLACKOUT]Very happy Nikki died. I love MEW and she should be a bigger star, but they did not develop this character well at all to me. As I said, all the sudden she was able to get the best of Varga who was built up all season as this huge badass. Also I don't understand why Mr. Wrench became so devoted to her. They could've made it so she saved his life when they were on the run or something idk.
Kinda wish Emmit got out alive. Maybe in jail but not dead. [/BLACKOUT]But it's whatever

Immediate reacion: I think this season wasn't the strongest. It's not bad but after 2 great seasons this was just "fine" to me. Varga grew on me but none of the characters were that interesting other than Ray Wise's. I felt the pacing was off.

Eh I dont think I'd watch this season again, other than a few scenes but it was fine

 

[NotNickFury]

I would agree that it's strange we never got any indication of Wrench's motivation to stay devoted to Nikki unless it was part of Paul's divine intervention. Even then, he still stuck with her, but I think it makes even less sense if anyone was coming into this season without seeing the first two, and you see this random, mute guy who isn't named just helping Nikki out of the blue.

And yes, for Emmit, I'm curious if Mr. Wrench just stayed in waiting for five years to do that. Emmit got probation, so not like he was locked away in some prison. Chances are Mr. Wrench had plenty of opportunities.

 

[Guts]

Little fun fact. What Varga said about the value of human life is a paraphrase from what Robert Mercer said. Robert Mercer is a billionaire who funded Trump's campaign.

Magerman told me, “Bob believes that human beings have no inherent value other than how much money they make. A cat has value, he’s said, because it provides pleasure to humans. But if someone is on welfare they have negative value. If he earns a thousand times more than a schoolteacher, then he’s a thousand times more valuable.”

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/the-reclusive-hedge-fund-tycoon-behind-the-trump-presidency

 

[BestGirl]

Loved the ambiguous ending. Fit in nicely with the season's theme of uncertainty. I choose to believe that Gloria was correct.

One thing that bugged me was how Gloria's sudden visibility to technology never came into play. There's no indication it made her vulnerable to Varga.

Also did Winnie have her baby? I must know!

I'm glad poor Sy made it out of this mess even if he is brain damaged. Maybe he'll recover someday.

Something has me puzzled: the consensus on reddit is that Nikki was killed as punishment because she went after Emmit (basically an innocent) instead of fulfilling her mission and killing Varga. Okay, then why was Mr. Wrench allowed to kill Emmit?