Television: Fargo, "Before the Law"

I noticed while watching this episode how long some of the scenes are. It's unusual these days to have scenes go on for so long because the prevailing school of thought is to keep things moving, have lots of cuts and jumps, make it all look dynamic. But part of what makes Fargo is the stasis. The frozen Midwest, the town where nothing ever happens. There's deadliness in the quiet. And when things do happen, it's shattering.

We start with Dodd champing to be the new boss while his mother puts the offer on the table from the corporation thinking to take over the Gerhardt operations. Lines are drawn as some back Momma as the new head of the family. And Rye is, of course, missing, so there's a drive to find him.

Little Molly gets a trip to a crime scene! And does a better job than her old man in finding evidence (namely a Get Well balloon).

Ed Blomquist takes the day off work to clean up the blood and mess that was Rye, then goes to the butcher shop after hours to do the really dirty work of getting rid of the body. Lou Solverson stops by for late-night bacon and nearly fingers Ed for murder. Har.

Peggy, meanwhile, steals toilet paper from the salon she works at? Also, was that woman hitting on her?

Fargo continues to manage great tension; it is the master of the slow build. Slow but never dull.