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Fargo Review: “Buridan’s Ass” (Season 1, Episode 6)

Aw jeez, what an episode of Fargo. This show has only gotten better week to week, but "Buridan's Ass" is by far the strongest hour yet. The work of the Coen Brothers has often walked the line of dry, witty humor and absurdity (The Big Lebowski, Inside Llewyn Davis, Burn After Reading) and the unbelievably macabre (Blood Simple, True Grit, No Country For Old Men). What their 1996 film Fargo accomplished, more than the rest of their impressive filmography, was a brilliant balance of both; offering us a glimpse at the darkest corners of humanity and the most wonderfully bright spots of the human spirit. The show has managed to accomplish much of the same thing, though its multi-episode structure has allowed the writers and directors to choose which side of the line they want to walk on from week to week.

Malvo

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The biggest constant in this episode, and the most tragic, is the fact that everyone trying to do the right thing ultimately ended up getting punished. Stavros, in his attempt to do right by God, decides not to give Malvo the money and instead rushes back to the spot where he found it and buries it. Almost immediately, his son and bodyguard die in a a car crash caused by fish literally raining from the sky.

Chas tries standing up to his brother, and confronting him about his heinous crimes only gets him framed for them.

Then there are Gus and Molly, simply trying their hardest to piece the various crimes, victims, and culprits together in some complete fashion, continuing their investigation into Malvo and Lester’s involvement. When a shootout breaks out, Molly races into the whiteout after Malvo, only to be shot by Gus in the process. Gus could have very well been the Buridan’s Ass in the episode, caught between chasing after Molly or staying behind and letting the events take their course. Instead, he does what he thinks is right, and though he fires his gun mostly out of fear, it’s that choice that hurts someone he cares about.

So, what could this all mean? Are the writers trying to tell us that your choices don’t matter, or that good cannot conquer evil? Perhaps Buridan’s Ass made the right choice, by making no choice at all and letting the inevitable wash over him. Or, perhaps the series is making the suggestion that life isn’t so black and white, and that while your choices may move you down your respective path, you’ll need to do more than choose a side if you want to bring down not just an evil man, but a force of nature.

Additional Thoughts:

  • Please don’t let Molly be dead! I had a bad feeling about her fate the second she stepped into Gus’ flat. It seems no one on Fargo is allowed to remain happy and hopeful for long.
  • We know that Mr. Numbers bit the dust this week, but what of Mr. Wrench? While the other characters had the sound of gunfire to lead them, he’s deaf, which I’m sure left him especially lost in the chaos that ensued.
  • The second that Stavros pulled into that garage, I knew that they would repeat the parking attendant gag from the 1996 film. Only, Stavros’ reaction to being charged for not parking is more effective than Steve Buscemi’s.
  • I wish I had an answer about how the fish fell from the sky. An actual act of God seems unlikely; perhaps they were picked up in the storm and thrown about? Or is Malvo somehow behind it?
  • I loved the scene where Stavros re-buried the case of money. It had a very balanced feel, like all was finally right with the world. Too bad he was wrong and will likely never find that money again. Maybe someone else will come across it in season 2?
  • We are going to get a season 2 of Fargo, right? Please?
  • Again, how great was that hospital escape? Lester putting on that guy’s bandages was absolutely brilliant. Lester may not be the smartest man, but he sure is clever in a pinch.
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