Fargo: “Eating the Blame” Review

The secret of Stavros’ fortune is revealed, we see Malvo in a different light and Lester has another run-in with the men from Fargo.

Note: The following review goes into detail about the episode. SPOILER ALERT!

I had been hoping from the very start that “Fargo” the TV series would have some direct links to “Fargo” the movie. Before this week, we’ve had several little easter eggs and a pretty big one last week, but the opening moments of “Eating the Blame” simply blew that out of the water. The flashback sequence showing Stavros breaking down on the side of the road will surely have had movie fans on the edge of their seats as soon as they noticed those little fences. Having the money from the movie be what helped Stavros start his empire is a fantastic way to tie the two “Fargos” together while keeping them as separate entities in the process.

The characters are what keeps “Fargo” an enjoyable show to watch. While Molly will surely remind some people of Marge Gunderson, the rest of the characters are all unique to the show. Lester stands out so far as the one who has changed the most in these four short episodes. When we first meet him, he is just about to reach his boiling point, and Malvo is the one who pushed him over the edge. It’s amazing to think that Lester was afraid to take on Sam Hess back at beginning and here he is comfortable with taking on two hit-men with a taser he stole from his brother. Even though he was in mortal danger, he still couldn’t risk exposure for the murders, so punching a cop in the face was the best option to him! That wound on his hand sure isn’t getting any better though. I’m beginning to wonder will it end up being fatal.

(Credit: FX)

Malvo was yet again a joy to watch but for completely different reasons this week. After a chance run-in with Gus Grimly, he found himself in the back of a squad car on the way to the police station. I had wondered when we would see the law catch up with Malvo as he hasn’t exactly been subtle with any of his misdoings. Here we got a look at how resourceful he can be as he basically morphed into a completely different person to fool the cops into believing him. Watching him take on the persona of a mild mannered minister (the ID he picked up from the post depot a few episodes ago coming into play) was absolutely hilarious, considering we’ve watched him commit some pretty heinous crimes recently. Within a few hours Malvo was back on the streets.

Stavros Milos was once a God fearing man, evidenced by his “God is real” reaction after finding that money all those years ago. Considering the type of man we are first introduced to here, it’s safe to assume that he didn’t retain that attitude throughout the years. Malvo’s campaign of biblical terror may just be enough to bring all that back for him as he isn’t holding back at all. Following last week’s dog killing and shower of blood incidents, Malvo stepped it up a notch by hitting Stavros’ store with an honest to goodness storm of locusts. Fantastic scene all around here as a stuttering Stavros beholds the locusts in his store, all the while feeling the effects of the Adderall Malvo has been drugging him with. “God is real” indeed.

THE BREAKDOWN

Overall, this was another strong entry into a show that has fast become required weekly watching. Malvo is a devilish delight to watch, while I just can’t seem to take my eyes of the trainwreck that is Lester Nygaard’s life. With Molly and Gus having a name to match their photo of Malvo, it’ll surely be a matter of time before a confrontation, while Lester now finds himself locked up in a jail cell with the two men who had been about to torture and kill him a few hours previously. Next week should be fun!

How did you enjoy Billy Bob Thornton’s performance this week? Will Lester’s hand heal? Let us know in the comments below.