# Fargo S01E02 \[Open spoilers\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 22, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696 "2014-04-22T17:05:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/41 "2014-04-25T03:51:49Z")
That kinda sorta makes sense. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/42 "2014-04-25T03:55:00Z")
Brainerd does _too_ have a [library](http://www.krls.org/branches/images/branches_br_01u575.jpg)! Also, the accents remain largely terrible, but I can’t really hold that against the show. Molly’s is good at least. I thought this episode was better than the first, but it’s still a bit rough around the edges. There are some great moments but also some inexplicable ones. I like the overall tone of the show but they’re trying too hard to shoe-horn in the quirkiness. Billy Bob remains very watchable, and at least the new villains are intriguing. All in all an improvement. Hopefully it will continue to improve. I’m in for at least another couple episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/43 "2014-04-25T06:00:44Z")
> [@BlackKnight](#): > > I thought this episode was better than the first, but it’s still a bit rough around the edges. There are some great moments but also some inexplicable ones. I like the overall tone of the show but they’re trying too hard to shoe-horn in the quirkiness. Billy Bob remains very watchable, and at least the new villains are intriguing. > > All in all an improvement. Hopefully it will continue to improve. I’m in for at least another couple episodes. I agree with all of this, except I’m a bit less positive overall. So far, my primary problem is that it doesn’t _feel_ believable. I totally bought into the premise and characters of the original movie, but here, it feels less authentic. As if you can see the plot points they’re trying to hit before the story gets to them. It doesn’t feel real. ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/44 "2014-04-25T10:47:36Z")
Well, that’s the Coen brothers, the intention is not to feel _real_. Also, in the context of high end series drama, have no idea what “a bit rough around the edges” means. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/45 "2014-04-25T13:55:30Z")
I really got a kick out of Chief’s wife discussing a freak fatality where the guy was just standing in the parking lot of Dairy Queen drinking a milkshake when he was killed by a huge hailstone. “What flavor?” asks Molly. A pause; a pause not to consider the impropriety of the question, but to recollect. “Strawberry” came the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/46 "2014-04-25T19:28:23Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > Well, that’s the Coen brothers, the intention is not to feel _real_. The Coen brothers aren’t making this; they only lent their name. And I’m confused by your statement. As I said, I found Fargo to feel real; here it feels largely contrived and inauthentic. ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/47 "2014-04-25T20:04:29Z")
Your proposition is the makers would purposely take the name of something quite distinct in style and tone with the blessing of those who created that sub-genre, and then create something entirely different. Okay, then you should go with that. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/48 "2014-04-25T20:23:23Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > Your proposition is the makers would purposely take the name of something quite distinct in style and tone with the blessing of those who created that sub-genre, and then create something entirely different. That isn’t at all what I said. My point was that it’s failing to do even that; in fact, I’d love for it to. Instead, it comes across as a cheap imitation, not doing any individual element as well as the movie did ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/49 "2014-04-26T04:36:04Z")
> [@BlackKnight](#): > > Brainerd does _too_ have a [library](http://www.krls.org/branches/images/branches_br_01u575.jpg)!.. They’re in Bemidji, not Brainerd, but your point still holds: [http://www.krls.org/branches/branch\_bj.html](http://www.krls.org/branches/branch_bj.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/50 "2014-04-26T14:27:53Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > First, I didn’t notice Keith Carradine last week. Heh. I was watching this with a friend and he recognized him the instant we first saw his face. I was feeling smug because I had recognized him two seconds before that, from his voice. Also, I know it’s terribly immature of me, but I’ve been struggling to keep a straight face all day thinking about Malvo taking that dump. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/51 "2014-04-27T02:39:49Z")
:: plop :: ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/52 "2014-04-27T02:52:56Z")
> [@planetcory](#): > > See, I got the impression that he was. That he was the guy that usually handled that sort of thing and that he resented Malvo being called in. He seems to be more the “Supermarket King’s” hired muscle rather than a killer. The fact that he was unable to deal with Malvo’s characters makes it clear that he is easily rattled when people don’t act afraid fo him. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/53 "2014-04-27T03:33:44Z")
> [@nevadaexile](#): > > He seems to be more the “Supermarket King’s” hired muscle rather than a killer. The fact that he was unable to deal with Malvo’s characters makes it clear that he is easily rattled when people don’t act afraid fo him. Which makes you wonder what will happen when Malvo meets that someone. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/54 "2014-04-27T03:59:12Z")
I thought the package was picked up at a package delivery company, not a post office (so it’s not a federal issue). Why send it to some made-up fake name instead of “Duluth”? And why make his new ID a priest? Where’s that going? Was Colin Hank’s apartment part of a Jewish living community? (a tank?) According to [Temple Israel of Duluth](http://www.jewishfederations.org/IR/community-directory.aspx?id=3194) there are 800-900 Jewish people in Duluth; I doubt there’s a market for a dedicated apartment building, if that’s what it is. And what about the flasher neighbor? I don’t like being hit over the head with the flash-backs, but I guess that’s the price of doing a TV series. I liked the first episode much better than the second, but I heard that the third episode and later departs dramatically from the movie; Ill keep watching. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/55 "2014-05-02T19:53:58Z")
If it was just a short spurt of blood, you could remove the shower head, pump it in from there, and then close it back up again. I can’t recall: did the shower run clean first and then bloody, or did it start out with the blood? Also, I don’t think Molly knows about the wound on Lester’s hand, does she? Or, if so, she just saw it during her “drop the papers” gambit. But I’m pretty sure she was focused on watching his face when he saw the photo. One more question: Why put the deer in the trunk? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/56 "2014-05-02T19:59:02Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > I don’t like being hit over the head with the flash-backs, but I guess that’s the price of doing a TV series. The alternative is to open with “Last Time on FARGO…” as so many other shows do. I guess they thought that’s been done. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/57 "2014-05-02T21:56:11Z")
Has anyone noticed the names are really obvious? Nigard means something like dark world Malvo means I’m bad Salverson son of the salve, a cure Hess sounds like a hissing snake ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/58 "2014-05-02T22:58:27Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Has anyone noticed the names are really obvious? > > Nigard means something like dark world > Malvo means I’m bad > Salverson son of the salve, a cure > Hess sounds like a hissing snake I grew up next to the Halversons, was babysat by the Seversons, had Ms. Anderson in kindergarten, Ms. Hendrickson in 1st grade, Ms. Swenson in 3rd grade, Mr. Olson in 4th grade, Mr. Swanson in 5th grade, Mr. Wilson in gym class, played hockey with Carlsons, Knutsons, Samuelsons, and Johnsons, and went to prom with a Johanson. Never heard of a Salverson! ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/59 "2014-05-02T23:52:48Z")
I can tell you this for certain, those of us who lived in the DC area during 2002 shiver with horror at the name [Malvo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Boyd_Malvo). ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696/60 "2014-05-02T23:54:09Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > If it was just a short spurt of blood, you could remove the shower head, pump it in from there, and then close it back up again. I can’t recall: did the shower run clean first and then bloody, or did it start out with the blood? It ran clean for quite a while, and then it ran red for quite a while. It wasn’t a short spurt. I think we just have to accept that Malvo has magical powers. “The Great Malvo” isn’t a bad name for a wizard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargo-s01e02-open-spoilers/686696.md?page=4)