Gus and Molly, on the other hand, are transformed more subtly by the events that took place last week. Molly has thankfully lived through Gus’ moment of panicked stupidity, and has only lost a spleen. However, the organ isn’t the only piece of herself that’s been lost. She is beginning to lose her grip on the investigation, as witnessed by the look of absolute horror and despair that comes across her face at the end of the episode.
She’s faced adversity before on this case, mostly because of the stupidity of those around her, but the fact that things have slipped so far from her grasp is unbearable. We just saw her successfully map out the entire case on the window of her hospital room, but to come back to work and find that the case has been “solved” is heartbreaking. She’s had a hard enough time convincing her superiors that Lester was a viable suspect, so they will never listen to her now that they feel that the case is closed and that their man has been caught. They are off celebrating the horrible lies of a murderer, and she’s the only one who knows the truth. Whether or not she can do anything about it is another story, but I definitely see some under-the-table police work in her future.
Gus, meanwhile, is slowly shaping up and admitting to his various mistakes. He understands that most of this mess is on his hands, and now that Molly has become a victim of his paralyzing fear, it appears that he may try and gather some courage for the events to come. His scenes with her in the hospital were nice, and helped solidify their connection and strengthen the bond between them.
Malvo’s vendetta only helped build him up as a seemingly unstoppable force, and someone that won’t easily be reckoned with. We’ve seen him act cold before, but the scene with him in the Reno office was great, though probably self-destructive in the long term. However, he’s not acting on any sense of code or honor here; he’s out for blood.
The sequence in which Malvo raids the office building was wonderfully shot, and is perhaps the second most impressive sequence in the entire series so far (second to the whiteout shootout last week). That’s high praise considering it took place completely on the outside of the building, which is what made it so special and innovative. The directors continue to find smart ways to create effective action scenes and memorable sequences on a small television budget, and the way this scene played out was more impressive than anything they could have filmed from within the building.
In fact, both of Malvo’s retaliatory actions were committed off camera. We hear a blood-curdling scream from within the Reno office, and hear nothing but gunshots and yelling from within the office building. Perhaps that’s a subtle way for the show to paint Malvo not as a man committing these crimes, but as a simple force of nature, leaving a trail of bodies in its wake almost magically. That, in many ways, makes him even scarier and more formidable than we once thought.
While “Who Shaves the Barber?” acted more as a throat-clearing than another conversation in the show’s larger narrative, it did so with enough showmanship and finesse that its shortcomings are easily forgiven. In fact, the lull before the storm is almost more tense than the storm itself, as we’re now left to wonder what horrors may befall our characters in the remaining three episodes.
Additional Thoughts:
- I suspect this is the last we’ll see of Wrench. I found his silent mourning poignant, and liked how that scene mirrored the final scene between Marge and Gaear Grimsrud in the film.
- While I liked seeing Key and Peele in this episode, and found their two incompetent FBI agents hilarious, I wonder if they are two bafoons too many, especially this late in the game. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how they factor into the events going forward.
- The Reno office scene was very reminiscent of the scene from No Country For Old Men, when Chigurh kills Carson Wells, his old partner.
- I cant’ help but feel devastated for what’s happened to Chas. He really, really didn’t deserve this, nor did his wife and son. What a great opening though, eh?
- I loved the opening shot of the episode, when Gus holds his head in his hands, as the camera pulls back, the scene rewinding around him. He’s obviously desperate to go back in time and stop these things from ever happening.
- Bob Odenkirk killed it this week. He just looked so heartbroken for Lester that it was almost sickening. No, scratch that. It was sickening. I can’t wait to see his reaction when he finds out the truth. I just picture a long sigh and a loud “Aw jeez!”
- Best line of the episode? When Gus apologizes for shooting Molly in the spleen and says, “I’ll get ya a new one, I swear!”