Season 2, Episode 8
Air Date: Monday, November 30, 2015, 10PM E/P on FX Network.
Rating:
“What happened to him?” – Ed
Will they found a way to clear their name?
On the last episode of Fargo, Ed Blumquist (Jesse Plemons) was arrested and interrogated at the police station while Hank (Ted Danson) questioned Peggy (Kirsten Dunst) at their home. Dodd (Jeffrey Donovan) showed up at the Blumquist house searching for Ed but was subdued by Peggy who used Dodd’s own stun rod on him. Meanwhile, even though he was guarded by Lou (Patrick Wilson), Ed escaped and made his way back to Peggy.
If you’re scratching your head thinking, ‘Hey, didn’t that happen a couple of episodes ago,’ you would be correct. Director Keith Gordon takes a jump back with “Loplop” to show us the events of “Did You Do This? No, You Did It.” from Peggy and Ed’s perspective.
Teaching Dodd some manners.
“Loplop” picks up shortly after episode six, “Rhinoceros.” Having restrained Dodd, Peggy is contemplating her next move when Ed abruptly arrives after escaping from Lou’s custody. With both law enforcement and the Gerhardts looking for them, Peggy and Ed decide to hide out at a family cabin in the woods, but not before putting Dodd in the trunk to use as leverage. Ed’s plan seems simple enough — contact the Gerhardts to let them know they will exchange their son for their freedom. I’m sure the Gerhardts will see things differently.
Reaching a new level of denial, Peggy is amusing as she spews anything that comes to mind. Writer Bob Delaurentis does a wonderful job creating Peggy’s long-winded dialogue of disjointed thoughts that provide a peek into her mindset. It’s fascinating how delusional Peggy is about her current situation but it’s Dunst’s charisma and delivery that make Peggy’s plight more sympathetic. Poor Dodd; he has to listen to her ramble on while tied to a chair.
Donovan is hilarious
When Ed heads to town to call the Gerhardts, it gives Peggy and Dodd a chance to spend some quality time together. Donovan is hilarious as Dodd struggles with the gravity of his predicament, not to mention the realization that he was bested by a ‘girl.’ Using every trick in the book, Dodd tries to persuade Peggy to free him. Having none of it, Peggy finds an unorthodox method to keep him in line. Since Dodd never hesitated when using intimidation through violence, and it’s interesting to see the roles reversed as the quiet housewife is now the aggressive one in charge.
The funniest moments of “Loplop” come when Ed returns to the cabin. The confused expression on Ed’s face as he notices the various wounds on Dodd’s body is hilarious. It’s hard not to laugh at Dodd’s puppy dog eyes as he tries to alert Ed to what’s going on.
Ed: “Did you stab the hostage?”
Dodd: “Yes.”
Peggy: “No!”
Dodd: “Yes.”
Peggy: “I mean, I had to teach him some manners is all.”
As disturbing as the situation is, Dodd trying to win sympathy from Ed by convincing him Peggy’s crazy is hysterical. Dodd’s situation goes from bad to worse when he realizes he has to use the bathroom. The awkward scene made me giggle as Ed is forced to help Dodd relieve himself. I can just imagine the shenanigans that took place in between takes to break up the tension of the scene.
Time for a haircut.
Fargo has never shied away from violence but the bar scene in “Loplop,” as Ohanzee (Zahn McClarnon) searches for Dodd and the Blumquists, feels out of place. Perhaps the writers wanted to make it crystal clear that Ohanzee is a cold blooded killer so they add a confrontation with some racists. The scene is uncomfortable to watch, which is perhaps what the writers hoped to achieve. The incident was also mentioned during “Did You Do This? No, You Did It” and helps to bridge the two episodes together.
I’ve never been as torn about an ending as I am with “Loplop.” At first glance, it has the makings of a jump the shark moment as the twist involving Dodd and Ohanzee takes a surprising turn. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as the events play out, and found myself wondering, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I understand Ohanzee is a broken man, and fans may want to feel sorry for him when he says, “I’m tired of this life.” That is, until you remember he brought most of it on himself and could have walked away at any time.
Smart writing or Jumping the shark?
On the other hand, Dodd’s fate sets up an interesting dilemma for several characters, making me excited for the next episode. Will Ohanzee take responsibility for what happens to Dodd or will this cause the legend of the Butcher of Luverne to grow? Not to mention, what will happen to Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine), who, out of desperation, has plans of his own to use Dodd as a bargaining chip with the mafia?
While I appreciate the idea of re-examining a previous episode to see events from a different perspective, as a whole, “Loplop” feels bloated and unnecessary. Several scenes drag on while others do little to nothing to move the story forward. With only two episodes remaining this season, it’s hard to see where things are headed, leaving me with more questions than answers. While we’ve known since the first season of Fargo that a massacre is coming, the biggest query is whether any characters will still be around when it happens.
Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Loplop.”
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Photos ©2015 FX Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Greg Staffa
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