Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
The latest episode of Fargo, “Loplop,” seeks to answer one question: What were Peggy (Kirsten Dunst) and Ed (Jesse Plemons) doing while the Gerhardts were having their latest stand off? Turns out the answer is as hilarious as it is violent.
The tale of how Dodd Gerhardt (Jeffrey Donovan) ended up in the Blumquists’ trunk starts in Peggy’s magazine-filled basement. After being hit with cattle prod multiple times, Dodd is now sitting bound at an “actualized” Peggy’s feet.
The three pack up with Dodd in the trunk to seek out shelter before the police arrive. As usual with Peggy and Ed, their biggest foe is communication. Peggy sees their kidnapping situation as a way to grow; Ed sees it as a way to go to jail.
State Trooper Lou (Patrick Wilson) and Sheriff Larsson (Ted Danson) soon arrive at the Blumquist house and find two dead Gerhardt lackeys and no Dodd. But guess who else showed up to this party? Hanzee Dent (Zahn McClarnon).
Dent proves that he’s a better detective than the police by finding Peggy’s hotel confirmation for her upcoming empowerment session. You remember, the one that cost $500 and almost ended her marriage.
Back with the Blumquists, the pair arrive at a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Ed decides that their best bet is telling the Gerhardts who they’ve kidnapped, and he leaves Peggy alone with Dodd to place a call we know won’t be answered.
Dodd is trying to play the good hostage and failing miserably. He soon sets Peggy over the edge, and she tries to teach Dodd some manners with the help of her knife.
With Dent, it looks like Mike Milligan isn’t the only one who has to put up with the racism that was so prevalent in the ’70s. He asks for water at a random bar and receives insults and spit. How does Dent respond? By shooting the kneecaps of the two bar jerks, and killing the bartender and two cops. Don’t be racist.
At the session in Sioux Falls, Constance, Peggy’s hairdresser friend, is preparing for a romantic evening with her work crush when who should arrive but Dent, looking for Peggy. As luck would have it, Peggy calls, and Constance tries to find out Peggy’s location with marginal success. No word on what happened to Constance.
Back in the hostage situation, Peggy has lost her hostage. Coincidentally, this happens right as Ed decides to hand Dodd over to Mike Milligan (Bokeen Woodbine). Oops.
Ed returns to the cabin only to be hanged by his newly-released hostage, giving Dodd plenty of time to work on his women-hating monologue. Just as he’s ramping up to a big finish, Peggy sticks a knife in his foot because that’s what she thinks of this human embodiment of the patriarchy. She then cuts the thankfully-alive Ed down.
However, they’re not out of trouble yet, as Dent makes another appearance. Dodd yells at his righthand man for taking so long, but Dent has other plans. He asks Peggy for a haircut, and when she agrees, he ends his relationship with Dodd. Permanently.
Peggy and Ed are torn between being grateful and terrified, but all Dent cares about is getting a hair cut that will put his current life behind him. Several things then happen in short order: Officers Lou and Larsson arrive; Dent shoots at them; Peggy attacks Dent, and Dent escapes. But do you know who doesn’t escape the cops? Peggy and Ed.
Dontcha Know
Seeing a day through Dent’s eyes was heart-breaking, and it touched on something that the series is doing a masterful job of this season: discussing race. With Mike Milligan and now Dent, Season Two has not shied away from the day to day horrors of racism, which brings me back to Dent. After seeing the bloodshed that consists of his regular life paired with overt racism, no wonder Dent wanted Peggy to at least try to give him a new life. Unfortunately, that opportunity literally slips away through Peggy’s fingers. Fargo, can you please stop making me feel for cold-blooded killers?
On a similar note, if the subjects of this season are racism and sexism, then Dodd was the ultimate face of oppression. It seems fitting that his life would end at the hands of the certainly psychotic Peggy and Dodd’s own abused righthand man. Don’t rest in peace.
Other stray thoughts:
- There is definitely some significance to the Nazi movie Peggy was watching.
- I love the time frame between this episode and Episode Seven.
- There was a great use of dramatic musical cues all throughout this episode.
- I may be too excited that Dodd is finally dead.
Winning Quotes
“Think or be. You can’t do both.” — Peggy’s actualized hallucination
“You called me a whore. I heard.” — Peggy Blumquist
“I’m not sure I wanna sell alcohol to a man who doesn’t want to be an American.” — Rude bartender
“How about a man who did three tours in Vietnam who’s got a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star?” — Hanzee Dent
“I think Satan is a woman. Think about it.” — Dodd Gerhardt
You can stream Fargo on FXNOW and Hulu. Season Two is also available for purchase on Amazon.
Kayla Cobb is a proud graduate of Clemson University and loves her cat and TV shows more than some people love their kids. You should really follow her on Twitter at @KaylCobb.
