I was one of the many viewers who guessed early on that Gus would be the one to bring Malvo down. The symbolism painting Malvo as a rabid dog and Gus as a literal dogcatcher (who has a speech about putting down rabid dogs), was just too good for the show not to deliver on.
And deliver it did. The moment Malvo walks back into his cabin, I was scared out of my mind. Then, the second Malvo put his gun down, I knew it was all over. It was great (and nauseating) watching him snap his bone back into place and mend his wound, but the moment he saw the wolf and let his guard down, I knew that was it. Gus tells him the thing about the riddle (though, to be fair to Gus, Molly is the one who solved that riddle), and plugs a few bullets in him.
The second that Malvo breathes deeply and looks back up at him, I almost lost it. Some had predicted that Malvo wasn’t actually a man, but some supernatural force or a physical embodiment of the devil. If that had proven true, I would have turned off the show right then and there. Luckily, Gus fires a few more shots and Malvo goes down for good, though he gives Gus one final smirk before passing away. In the end, Malvo wasn’t the Devil, but a mere mortal doing what he felt was the devil’s work. I can’t help but feel that the world will be a bit brighter now that he’s gone.
I could go on and on about my thoughts concerning this finale, but all they really add up to is one slow clap, followed by a standing ovation and maybe an “Aces!” with some gun hand movements. Fargo can’t really be judged episode to episode, and must be seen as one long story, spread across ten incredible segments that all add up to a well structured, impeccably paced, and gripping series.
If we’ve learned anything from Fargo, it’s that cleverness and cunning only get you so far. Lester manages to murder his first wife, pin it on his brother, send his second wife to die, and lay the blame at the feet of Lorne Malvo. He weasels his way out of every situation he finds himself in. He stutters his way through several interrogations and even catches Malvo in a bear trap. But he can’t run from his sins forever.
In the end, Fargo is not just another show about good vs. evil. It’s a show about good defeating evil, with heart, kindness, and decency. It’s about evil getting quashed by warmth. And it’s about our heroes sitting down to watch Deal Or No Deal, happy, content, and safe after sending evil back to the cold, frozen depths from whence it came.
Additional Thoughts:
- In the end, I don’t think we really needed Budge and Pepper. Good comedic effect, yes. A vocal display of the show’s various parabolic themes. But really, they could have just been Bemidji police officers instead.
- I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Bob Odenkirk is phenomenal here. His final scene as Bill, surrendering to his mistakes, admitting his wrongs, and offering Molly the chief’s job, was sad and heartwarming at the same time. She really earned that moment from him.
- Where’s Wrench? I was really hoping he’d show up at some point, though I could see it feeling like Deus Ex Machina. Maybe in another season he’ll be the next person to find the case full of money?
- All of the performances in this show are fantastic, but I love what Martin Freeman did with the part of Lester. He took a guy we were supposed to hate, and made us loathe and root for him at the same time. That scene where he places the car keys in Linda’s dead hands and then heads over to Lou’s was the perfect display of how low he’d really fallen.
- Malvo gets caught in the bear trap! I was kind of joking last week when I asked if it would pop up again. I almost chalked it up to wishful thinking, and then BAM! Awesome moment.
- I knew that those tapes Lorne had would bring Lester down. The moment when Molly finally hears that confession was so satisfying.
- Greta and Lou sitting on the porch together with a BB gun and shotgun? Can we get more of that, please?
- No Fargo story is complete without DLR plates.
- This is that last Fargo review I’ll write. I’m still not sure how to feel about that. It’s been a good run, eh? Thank you all for reading these reviews. It’s been a ton of fun. Now let’s just hope that Noah Hawley has another season or two up his sleeve! The Sioux Falls case, anyone?
