Why is that so ridiculous? It is a fictional story, not real life. I’m personally enjoying the show more by not asking “hey, how did Malvo do that…” and just thinking “he can do X because he can do X”. It’s more fun to not constantly question the plausibility of everything he does as if real world limitations applied to him. That’s not quite the same as deciding that he has supernatural powers, but it’s in that ballpark.
Do you really think Lester would try to leave the country without facing the police re his wife’s death?
I have no idea if he would or not. If he did decide to flee, it could well be because he didn’t think things through and failed to realize that he would prob not get into a whole lot of trouble for his wife’s death (providing he had a good lawyer). After all, he didn’t kill her and it would be very difficult to prove he caused her murder. But if he did flee the country, he would probably get into a whole lot of trouble and he would likely be investigated and chased forever and possibly charged with some serious crime related to her murder. Maybe some conspiracy charge or as an accessory?
Of course, on the other hand, if Lester decides to stay and face the police, he may have to answer a whole lot of questions about the crimes from a year ago. Lester does not know the FBI are now onto him and he does not know Bill the Chief is no longer protecting him. So, Lester will have to face some questions about the murders 3 years ago, I would think the clever thing for him to do would be to just face the police. IMHO, it would be very difficult to convict Lester of those old crimes - providing he had a good lawyer. He prob does not have to say anything at all to the police. They have to prove he did those crimes and if they don’t have Malvo in their hands, they would have a very difficult time in doing that).
It’s an interesting discussion what Lester should do re Malvo. Should he tell the police something to try and cover himself but also tell them he recognized Malvo as the one who murdered his wife? I really don’t know if his doing that would lead to more questions and likely cause him more trouble than if he remained silent.
In Lester’s position, I would think it would be best for him to:
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Given that he does **not **know the FBI now suspect him in the original murders, he should probably stay in town. That could be a good way to enlist the FBI to arrest Malvo and prevent him from killing Lester.
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If he did know the FBI now suspect him, I think it would depend on his financial condition. How much cash can Lester get his hands on? If it’s not a significant amount, then there is really little point leaving the country. The only way it makes sense for him to leave is if he can get access to a number of millions. Otherwise, he might be able to avoid jail. But he will still be broke in a country like Mexico and after a little while, he will be in big trouble due to a lack of resources.
I guess we can debate the successes and otherwise of Fargo but the most notable decision for me has been to play Martin Freeman completely against type - and also for him to it so brilliantly (the audience is so reluctant to turn against the, literally and metaphorically, ‘little guy’).
At the moment, although he only killed his wife, approaching 30 deaths originate from his decision to decline Malvo’s invitation in the hospital emergency room.
Lester should never have approached Malvo in Vegas, then he should have walked away when Malvo whispered that to him as he stood up, and he should have said ‘no’ when Malvo gave him the final opportunity to back off in the elevator. On each of those three occasions his arrogance and sense of entitlement over rode sense.
Also, this is the guy who sent his wife to bed so he could check out another woman.
The only thing we have seen him value in the entire piece is his award - for being a bullshit salesman.
Maybe Malvo and Lester have very similar pathologies, they just manifest very differently.
I really liked Malvo listening to his death tape collection … LOL.
It really isn’t. This is an adult-orientated drama with adult themes. Honest.
Gus arrested Malvo afterwards, remember? That’s when Malvo found out, and we got to see his reaction in the ride to the station and right after he was released. We also later saw Malvo doing a little recon outside his house…
I liked how the decor was all red, I liked that he drove a red (rental) car. He’s clearly being set up as a devil-figure, whether he’ll be truly supernatural I dunno (I hope not, I think that would ruin the whole effect.)
In the discussion about whether Lester might flee the country, you’re focusing on what the police/FBI might know or do. I think he’s more worried about Malvo, who’s still out to get him.
I don’t understand the elevator sequence. Why did Malvo think Lester wanted those people killed? Why did he not kill Lester as well? Or did Malvo think that Lester was bright enough to know that exposing his under-cover identity would require Malvo to kill those people, when obviously Lester had no clue? And Lester KNOWS Malvo is a cold-hearted killer, Malvo killed the police chief, so why did Lester think they were old friends? I suspect the finale won’t make any of this clear…
It’s kind of amusing that the only person to actually arrest Malvo is effectively the village idiot, and he was still accusing Malvo as he was released.
I think, like deaf guy, Malvo either sees something in him (reminds him a little of himself) or he just likes people that kill - could be both 
My read: Lester and Malvo both have murder on each other, so it’s a double lock. Unfortunatley, Lester paniced.
As for forcing the point (that they knew each other), Lester is so full of hubris and self-importance even Malvo should bend to him.
In normal circs, a conversation might sort this out but Malvo is all about choices and consequences, inc. for himself. For Malvo, Lester made his last choice when he hit him on the head with his award. The fact of it being the award not being coincidental.
As an acolyte. A follower. He took Malvo’s advice and became a mini-Malvo. Self confident, willing to believe he can manage any set of circumstances and come out the other side in one piece. A ‘man’s man’, to Malvo.
Malvo protects Lester so long as Lester doesn’t betray Malvo. That would be the final straw, apostasy.
Lester clearly reaffirmed his fealty to Malvo in the elevator just before the silenced pistol came out. He might as well have fallen on his knees and kissed Malvo’s feet. Malvo is responsible for all the confidence Lester now has, all the success. He changed Lester’s life, in Lester’s mind, 180 degrees for the better.
Malvo is the person Satan would be if he came to earth, contrasting to the person God was when he descended. Loki at best, pure evil at worst.
Hitting Malvo on the head, a la his first wife, had no effect on Malvo. None.
The FBI agents had Malvo walk by them with a rifle and kill 22 people while they were arguing about lunch. Not the best and brightest. I don’t think Lester is the central point of their investigation, they are after Malvo to clear their reputations. I bet they are working off the books on this. Their presence has already impressed the chief and may open his mind to Molly’s theories.
Did I miss another time jump? I thought they were a year removed from the Nygaard/Malvo murders.
Awards I’ve held are pretty rubbish as killing tools. Hammers tend to work better.
How many tickets did Lester print off for Mexico? Was it two? I think that he was using his wife as bait…to see if Malvo was even in town.
Remember that in the elevator, Malvo kept asking Lester, “Is this what you want?” I interpreted that to mean, “Do you want me to drop the facade of a normal person and show you my true colors?” Lester seemed to think that he had something in common with Malvo, but Malvo demonstrated that he’s far more dangerous and evil than Lester (who is hardly an innocent in all of this).
I’m not sure what you mean by that, but I think he was legitimately planning to skip town (to avoid Malvo more than the cops) with her. It was only when he had to go and pick up the passports and saw the light on in the office that he realized he was stuck. He could send her in and if she came back out with the passports they could continue on their way, if she got killed he’d have to figure out what to do next, but at least he was still alive.
If he had the passports at home this wouldn’t have happened.
The next question is, why was Malvo sitting in the office. The only answer I can come up with is that he was just going to wait there until morning.
He could also have gone to Florida, Hawaii, or another place within the US and wouldn’t have needed the passports in that case.
I thought about that, but, in the heat of the moment, he let her pick the place to go and I don’t think he realized the passports weren’t at home.
Also, I don’t think he knew that Malvo was going to be at the office until he drove by.
So maybe sacrificing his wife was the understood price for putting things right with Malvo … interesting.
What does that have to do with anything? Have you heard of the genre of magical realism? Have you heard of The Bible?
I think it’s a more satisfying story if I assume that Malvo is just able to do things than to have to wonder about the precise logistics and details of everything we’ve seen him do. If Malvo is just a plain old human being then suddenly we need to nitpick the locusts and the big gun fight and the time he got arrested and the whole dentist thing. I don’t think that’s what the show’s creators want us to be thinking about. The point is not “here are things that a real human being could plausibly do”, it’s “enjoy this story about interesting characters”.
I think the security cameras only showed Lester getting into the Elevator with them, not the murders. If they showed the murders, they’d be at Lester’s door with a team of agents.
That’s what I meant. They show him, Malvo and the victims entering the elevator but not in the elevator. Presumably Malvo took the elevator down to the basement where there wasn’t security cameras.