Fargo - “Rhinoceros” Recap. Jailbreak.

Season 2, Episode 6

Air Date: Monday, November 16, 2015, 10PM E/P on FX Network.

Rating: ★★★★★

“Bring back my grandson, no excuses.” – Floyd

No Nonsense

Pleading he is the victim, Ed (Jesse Plemons) is taken into custody for his involvement in the attack at the butcher shop. Lou (Patrick Wilson) isn’t in the mood to hear excuses, having already given both Peggy (Kirsten Dunst) and Ed a chance to come clean. Charlie (Allan Dobrescu) is also arrested for his part in the botched assassination attempt on Ed.

Furious upon learning of his sons’ arrest, Bear (Angus Sampson) lashes out at Dodd (Jeffrey Donovan). The fight between the brothers is brutal until Ohanzee (Zahn McClarnon) steps in. Despite knowing Ohanzee’s allegiance to Dodd, this is the first time we’ve seen him take a side when it involves an internal Gerhardt matter. As Dodd prepares to enact payback on his brother, an outraged Floyd (Jean Smart) steps in. Somehow, I doubt this is the last time the two siblings will go head to head.

With a majority of the Gerhardt clan heading to Luverne, Minnesota to hunt down Ed, Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine) takes the opportunity to attack Floyd by riddling the Gerhardt compound with bullets. It isn’t clear whether anyone inside dies, but Milligan’s message is received loud and clear.

I wish I were more sympathetic towards Peggy. Perhaps the writers have their reasons for creating such an indifferent character but I have never felt an emotional connection to Peggy, especially given how she treats Ed. Instead, I found myself relating to Sheriff Hank’s (Ted Danson) frustration as he tries to persuade her to confess. Peggy does have one rare moment during “Rhinoceros” that resonates with me; it is her response after Hank asks her why she didn’t seek help immediately having done nothing wrong. “You say it like these things happen in a vacuum, like it’s a test, check A or B. But it’s like, decisions you make in a dream.” It’s a powerful statement that many can relate to given the choices we make; I wish we could see that side of Peggy more.

Peggy isn’t the only one who’s delusional. Ed also tussles with the gravity of his situation. Plemons does a marvelous job conveying the struggle of what to do as it plays out in Ed’s mind. Knowing trouble is coming, Lou tries to persuade Ed to come clean until Ed finally asks for a lawyer. Thankfully, Lou knows just the right person to call.

Having only sporadic moments on screen, I wondered how Karl Weathers (Nick Offerman) fits into the Fargo world. During “Rhinoceros,” we finally get the answer.

Karl: “Hear that, Sonny? There is a crisis at the highest level so who do they call? The best lawyer in town.”

Sonny: “Aren’t you the only lawyer in town, Karl?”

More Karl please.

Karl’s drunken rants to anyone within earshot are hilarious; I could listen to him talk for hours. That said, Offerman turns “Rhinoceros” into a very enjoyable comedy for about ten minutes. While the writing is superb, it’s Offerman’s mannerisms that bring Karl to life. One moment in particular becomes comedic gold as Karl suddenly finds himself at a loss for words.

Things quickly become serious when Bear and his men arrive at the police station looking to spring Charlie. I love the dialogue as Lou tries to talk Bear down. “This kind of thing didn’t work in westerns and it’s not going to work tonight.” Bear isn’t persuaded and gives Lou five minutes to send Charlie out. Given how little Charlie knows, it would have been interesting to have a scene between Charlie and Ed in adjoining jail cells.

Angus Sampson as Bear Gerhardt.

What seems like an inevitable bloodbath takes a surprising turn when Karl takes a shot at talking to Bear. The scene is so intense it’s impossible not to be riveted to the TV screen. Sampson’s performance is captivating, especially when the audience realizes the weight Karl’s words have on Bear.

When it comes to writing powerful scenes, the writers of Fargo are brilliant. “Rhinoceros” is no exception as we are treated to three extraordinary standoffs, including the ones among Lou, Karl, and Bear. Hank has problems of his own with protecting Peggy when Dodd and his men show up at the house looking for Ed. I love Hank’s humor even in the face of danger.

The problem is, there are countless times throughout the season when these standoffs go nowhere because both sides walk away. While the writing is excellent, one must assume that at some point, one side isn’t going to be able to talk their way out of the impasse. The only question is, who will it be?

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Rhinoceros.”

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

Visit the show’s website at http://www.fxnetworks.com/fargo.

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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.