Last week, “Fargo” continued with another tense episode in “Rhinoceros.” Just like the first season, which started with a slow build-up before kicking into gear, “Fargo” has picked up the pace significantly in the past few weeks. Last week showed a little of everyone in the show, including characters like Noreen with lesser screen time. This episode devoted the bulk of its time to a few prolonged standoffs.
Following last week’s failed assassination attempt, the Gerhardts have two goals in mind — killing Ed (Jesse Plemons) and rescuing Charlie (Allan Dobrescu) — both of which culminate in a prolonged siege of the police station. While Solverson (Patrick Wilson) takes control of the situation, the scene plays out between two secondary characters, Karl Weathers (Nick Offerman) and Bear Gerhardt (Angus Sampson).
As a loyal son with no real claim to the throne, Bear has not yet had a clear role in the family power struggle beyond his animosity towards his conniving brother Dodd (Jeffrey Donovan). Despite his rough appearance and manner — he always seems to be carrying a half-eaten drumstick or eating big chunks of bread — Bear is also the most concerned with family. In accordance with his late wife, he wants his son Charlie to go to school and live a normal life. Even though he appears to be the hardest Gerhardt to reason with, his soft spot for his son allows him to be reasoned with. This deep character development speaks to the writers’ talents in crafting round on-screen personalities.
Up until this point in the show, Weathers has mainly served as comic relief, fluctuating between Walter from “The Big Lebowski” and Offerman’s Ron Swanson from “Parks and Recreation.” His Ron Swanson style shines through when he drunkenly gives a speech about the tyrannies of the justice system, while the barricading-the-wrong-side-of-the-door joke from “The Big Lebowski” emphasizes his Walter style. Ultimately, he is the episode’s hero. Despite his bombastic speech and soiled pants, Weathers is able to play negotiator and calmly stare down danger.
The episode resolves its main conflict, but also leaves some threads untied. Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine), after taking the time to recite Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky,” leads an uncertain assault on the Gerhardt’s ranch, and Dodd’s situation is similarly unclear after a failed assault on Peggy. With these threads still up in the air, it doesn’t look like “Fargo” will be slowing back down in the near future.
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