“I’d give you the bed but I need it because of my back. You’ll have to take the floor.”
“What’s wrong with your back?”
“It hurts when I sleep on the floor.”
I got a real good LOL from that.
Peggy and Ed are pretty tough. Aren’t they? By the time this season is over, I expect they will be in charge of the Kansas City mafia and will also own the Gerhardt’s business and be living in their home.
Seriously though, did anyone else feel like this show lasted for about 2 hours? It just seemed to play forever. I couldn’t believe it.
You have a great sense of humor. But the explanation about them being faster was provided by the Kansas City boss when he told Mike Milligan what Joe Buko had always thought about him. I was definitely shocked they would repeat that kind of stuff in 2015. Seemed more like 1920’s drivel to me.
But aside from that, it was a great episode. The timing seemed very different from previous episodes. Almost like maybe it was directed by someone new?
When Karl referred to himself as “the Breakfast King of Loyola”, I couldn’t help but think of Ron Swanson’s fondness for breakfast foods. Nick Offerman has been so good in the last couple of episodes. Such a touching moment between him and Betsy.
I hadn’t even thought of that. I would guess that there’s a dumpster for old meat that isn’t bought before it goes bad, and Ed could have just dumped it in there. If anyone noticed the extra meat, it shouldn’t be difficult for Ed to think of a story of how that meat smelled or looked funny and better safe than sorry.
I’m very excited to hear that.
Every episode has had great music, perfectly picked for the episode, but I did really like it for this episode. I especially liked the repeated instances of “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)”, because it was a great song perfectly used, and because of course the callback to Big Lebowski.
I thought it was great with the Undertaker set up to be this tough cleaner type, and he and his henchmen were killed instantly. There was a great shot of the Undertaker in the elevator with the mirrors, and the image of him curving off into infinity. And the shot of his feet with his henchmen walking down the hall to the room with the music. He seemed like he could be a significant character for the next few episodes. And then immediately killed. .
That was so touching. Betsy was so great, and I loved how Karl started up with his John McCain story and Betsy shut him down. And then the awkward hug at the end. Also I loved earlier when Betsy got to the house and thought there were intruders and got ready with her gun but it was Karl and his friend.
Also, it’s interesting now that Peggy and Ed are on the run with Dodd apparently in their truck, and both Kansas City and the Gerhardts know where he is. I wonder if Peggy will still be insisting on going to the conference in Sioux Falls, and that’s how both criminal organizations end up there.
Loved the montage of mob violence with Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive Breath” playing. Was the guy who fell face-first in the snow one of the three who was sitting on Ma Gerhardt’s couch a few episodes back, pledging his support? The window-cleaners killing the trio in the office - in the middle of a cliched motivational speech, no less - was brilliant. Very Coenesque.
Could anyone read what Otto and Rye’s tombstones said?
Why wouldn’t Milligan and his gang kill everyone in the Gerhardt ranchhouse during their night attack? I didn’t buy that they’d let Ma, the girl and the others live - and not even burn the house down. Jeez, it’s war. The KC Gang had taken serious losses and I think they’d follow through on their earlier threats (to say nothing of waiting in hiding for Bear and the others to return, and kill them too).
So did Bear kill his niece out in the snowy woods? We never heard a gunshot or saw a body. Wonder if he took pity on her and let her run away. (Have to say, the actor who plays Bear reminds me of a fat, bearded Adam Sandler).
How did “the Butcher” get Milligan’s motel-room phone number?
I guess Sheriff Danson is into UFOlogy.
Loved Ma Gerhardt’s sly little smile in the interrogation room after she’s brought the cops in on her side.
Favorite line: “You’re a shit cop. You know that, right?”
“I’ll have the Rye on rye, hold the mayo. Oh, and some rye whiskey to drink.”
Woohoo! Hope Hawley doesn’t overextend himself.
Also “Danny Boy” from Miller’s Crossing and “O Death” from O Brother, Where Art Thou?. A trifecta of Coen Bros. music in this episode!
Yes, I loved that. The Undertaker! Holy crap, not HIM! The sustained buildup over several episodes, we see him with two ethnic henchmen who look like they might be interesting, he walks in with a confident (and racist) declaration and BOOM STAB STAB they’re gone.
It’s so great to have FX pick up the slack once Justified vacated the scene. I can see Fargo living long and prospering. It’s the best show going today!
Yeah, they had that “erstwhile on Fargo” bit, where the men were pledging their support for the Gerhardts, so I think some of the guys in the montage were the same guys there.
I’m not sure why KC didn’t finish off the Gerhardts. Maybe the higher-ups thought it would be bad for business if they finished them off completely, and it would be easier to take over business and work with former Gerhardt associates if there was the threat of violence but not total destruction. Or Mike and his henchmen were able to kill some men, but there were still enough Gerhardt henchmen to rally and drive them off. The Gerhardts were caught by surprise, but there were probably some men who were asleep and then run outside and get to shooting.
It’s very possible Bear let Simone live. Others have noted the similarities between that scene and a scene in Miller’s Crossing, where the killer doesn’t go through with it.
I don’t know how Ed would have gotten Mike’s phone number. I think he knew the Gerhardt name, and it would have been easy for him to call there, but I don’t remember if he knew anything about KC or Mike Milligan in particular. It’s possible he could have interrogated Dodd for some information, and Dodd for whatever reason told him what hotel Mike was at. Next episode might fill in the blanks some for Ed and Peggy and what they’ve been doing and maybe we’ll see.
Hank’s room with symbols was something. I guess it probably is connected to UFO stuff since that keeps coming up this season. And also he’s just looking for meaning in general. It was a tense scene, I thought a killer was going to leap out and get Betsy when she was wandering around looking for the cat, but discovering that instead of a criminal was a surprise.
That was great with Floyd looking satisfied after snitching. Lou was right, in that they basically picked a side.
It occurs to me that the recurring aerial shots - the ambush of the KC crew, Bear and the girl in the woods, trucks and cars driving along wintry roads - might be intended to suggest the perspective of a UFO overheard, watching what’s going on.
I am pretty sure Bear killed simone - he started to reconsider (he’s not a died in the wool killer, after all) - but then turned back and said “it’s already done” while re-raising the gun. I agree they want us to wonder with ‘no gunshot’ - but I think Simone is done for - he just didn’t want to hurt ma again with it.
Which makes her fate somehow better than it would have been at the hands of Milligan.
Why was the reveal of Hank’s obsession so upsetting for Betsy? or was that just to show how ill she really is?
I agree that that was unclear. But not necessarily impossible.
This show is absolutely captivating. So many tense and fascinating moments. I’m just glued to the screen every second.
I loved the buildup and then anticlimax of The Undertaker.
It looked like an obsession room you see on a lot of TV shows and movies, either that a serial killer has made about his victims, or that an obsessed cop who is too far into a case has made about the killer he’s trying to catch. Just his obsession is with weird symbols. His wife died a year ago, and that room makes it look like he’s become a bit unhinged. I can see why it would be upsetting for her.
This was a pretty serious episode, but the quick cameo of the Undertaker and his henchmen along with the line “I’ve got Dodd in the trunk of my car” were hilarious. Both were surprising and ultimately pleasing; those two scenes made me smile.
Does anyone have the screenshots of the UFO symbols? Maybe he’s onto something. I like Elendil’s observation about the high-overhead shot of Simone and Bear in the woods (does a bear kill in the woods?) being from a UFO - interesting theory.
Many people like to point out logical inconsistencies and I think that can be a lot of fun. Personally, I’m happy to let most of that slide because I watch this show for the entertainment value and the great story telling, acting, directing, production values, etc.
But I’d just like to point out that is kind of ridiculous for the cops to try and intimidate or scare Ed and Peggy as if they are in danger of going to jail for a long time or something. When you come right down to it, if Ed and Peggy just keep their mouths shut and hire a lawyer, what is the worst that would likely happen to them?
OK. They can find Rye’s blood in the car. So what? They don’t have to explain shit. It’s up to the cops to figure out what happened and prove it. And since there is no body, there is no proof they did anything wrong. I thought it was very nasty and untowards for the cop to be nasty to Ed. Telling him to “shut up” and “I gave you your chance to explain”. Where does he figure it is his job to punish Ed? Ed and Peggy don’t have to explain shit.
All of the violence Ed did in the butcher store is all self-defense and justified. The cop telling him, “That man has a cleaver in his head and that is on you!”. That was just B.S.
Bottom line? Unless Ed & Peggy incriminate themselves by telling the cops what happened, I don’t think they are guilty of a thing. What crimes can be proven against them? Not very much. Peggy hit Rye with her car. Technically it might be “hit and run” or “fleeing the scene of an accident”. But with no witnesses and almost no evidence, I don’t think it would never even go to a trial. Prosecuters don’t want to go to court with a case that make them look stupid.
I don’t think the producers like cops very much. Remember how Hitchcock would put a little insult to cops in most all of his movies?
I think Lou is perfectly aware that he doesn’t have enough evidence to charge Ed or Peggy, and that he was sincere when he told them that if they didn’t confess the cops couldn’t protect them, and they’re already dead and just don’t know it.
I thought this was the weakest episode of the season. The girl in the woods reminded me way too much of The Sopranos.
However, the ending just shocked me so much that it kind of makes up for the rest of it. Don’t get me wrong. There were good parts, but just not as great as the others for me. Still better than most other shows at their best.
I wonder if he really had Dodd tied up in his trunk or he’s working with Dodd to trap Mike to get a pass on the hit and run.
Perhaps Dodd was so furious that they wouldn’t take the call at the Gerhards that he decided to change sides and gave up Mike’s number so that he could do that.
Did anyone else understand what the undertaker said just before he was killed? I had to play it back several times before I heard it plainly. It wouldn’t be wise for me to post what he said here.
If Ed really had Dodd in his trunk, he would have had Peggy with him. Wouldn’t he? He was driving a nice new blue car that we hadn’t seen before. Peggy was nowhere to be seen.
Oh! If you stop frame when Lou’s daughter is looking around his room with all the strange symbols, you can see that each drawing contains a symbol and written underneath is is a word or phrase like, “Angry Conversation” or “Sick” or “Dead”. It looks to me like Lou found something and is using it to try and understand some other language. Either that or maybe he is trying to create a new code for himself. If so, that sure would be a strange hobby.