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<i>Fargo</i> – “Did You Do This? No, You Did It!” Recap. Manifest Destiny.

Season 2, Episode 7

Air Date: Monday, November 23, 2015, 10PM E/P on FX Network.

Rating: ★★★★★

“I think we just chose a side.” – Lou

Back at the house.

“Did You Do This? No, You Did It!” opens with a bang, literally, as the war between the Gerhardts and the Kansas City mafia reaches a critical level. Set to “Locomotive Breath” by Jethro Tull, a montage of assassinations on both sides shows how out of control the fight has become. Will the remaining cooler heads be able to negotiate peace or will things continue to escalate until only one side is left standing?

Lou (Patrick Wilson) accompanies Ben Schmidt (Keir O’Donnell) back to the Gerhardt compound. The tone of the visit is much different this time as the losses on the Gerhardts’ side have taken a toll. Not in the mood for games after burying her husband Otto (Michael Hogan), as well as holding a symbolic burial for Rye (Kieran Culkin), Floyd (Jean Smart) willingly accompanies the officers back to the station for questioning.

Floyd having a heart to heart.

Listening to Floyd’s side of the story is fascinating, considering much of her information is based on lies told by her own son, Dodd (Jeffrey Donovan). It’ll be interesting to see if Floyd experiences a come to Jesus moment when she realizes the devastation Otto’s caused. There’s an interesting shot of Floyd as her interview with Lou and Ben concludes where she gives a subtle grin, almost as if the interrogation was all part of her plan.

Not one to be taken seriously, Dodd’s daughter Gerhardt (Rachel Keller) has stayed off her family’s radar for much of the season despite sleeping with the enemy and doing everything she can to irritate her father — until now, that is. What a surprise when Bear (Angus Sampson) suddenly shows up demanding Simone go with him. What appears like an uncle protecting his niece turns into something more sinister when Bear drives Simone into the woods. Are his actions less about Simone’s betrayal and more about getting back at Dodd for putting Charlie’s (Allan Dobrescu) life in jeopardy?

Visibly upset as he emerges from the woods alone, Bear takes his aggression out on the cast on his arm. Is his frustration a result of his actions or non-actions? Fargo has never shied away from bloodshed, yet when it comes to Simone, there isn’t so much as a gunshot. Even as the drone camera pulls away, until the trees look like mere toothpicks, I kept waiting to see a muzzle flash. Is Simone really gone or will she be one of the last ones standing when the season ends?

What happened to Simone?

Speaking of drones, I’ve praised their use on Fargo before but “Did You Do This? No, You Did It!” takes things to a whole new level, or in this case, height. While previous shots have been taken from the same elevation, director Keith Gordon pushes the drones until vehicles and people look like ants, presenting stunning images that show off the landscape in a unique way that I absolutely love.

Like Simone, it is hard to figure out how Betsy Solverson (Cristin Milioti) fits into the big picture. Besides being Lou’s cancer-ridden loving wife, it seems Betsy’s story line revolves around her sitting at home waiting for her husband. The scenes between Betsy and her houseguest Karl (Nick Offerman), who is staying with her while Lou is away, are touching, making me wonder whether the writers have something bigger in store for Milioti’s character.

As the mafia’s losses continue to grow, Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine) receives word from Kansas City that the Undertaker (Markus Parillo) will be arriving from Kansas City to clean things up. While little is known about him, the name alone is ominous enough to know he isn’t coming to have coffee. Not waiting to find out the undertaker’s intentions, Milligan is quick to take matters into his own hands the moment they lay eyes on each other. I can’t imagine the mafia will be too happy when they learn what Milligan did.

With only a few key players left on each side, “Did You Do This? No, You Did It!” is a game changing episode in that each side finds their second wind. The biggest surprise of the night comes as the episode winds down. Still covered in the undertaker’s blood, Milligan receives an unexpected call from Ed (Jesse Plemons) with an offer he can’t refuse. I admit, I didn’t see the twist coming as Ed reveals who is tied up in his trunk. Suddenly, Ed becomes a major player, but is he up to the task of going head to head with Milligan? Perhaps now we will finally learn what happened to all that ground Rye.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Did You Do This? No, You Did It!”

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

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Photos ©2015 FX Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

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.

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.