Fargo: “Buridan’s Ass”
(Episode 1.06)

Well, this was a particularly bloody episode of Fargo. Don Chumph, Mr. Numbers, Dmitri Milos, and Stavros’ bodyguard all went to that great TV heaven in the sky in spectacularly brutal fashion.
Set against the “worst blizzard in Minnesota history,” with snow coming down at a blinding rate, “Buridan’s Ass” was also the most cinematically beautiful episode thus far. I’ve been in storms like that, where you cannot even see your hand in front of you the snow is coming down so hard. There’s a certain grace to freshly fallen snow and putting the death of these characters against that backdrop was a rather brilliant juxtaposition.
The clever trick Fargo is pulling off is creating suspense and mystery even though viewers already know whodunit. So I’ve thought Don Chumph would die since the moment we saw him (he is, as the saying goes, not the sharpest tool in the shed), and after last week’s episode, I was confident Don wouldn’t live past tonight’s episode. But did I expect his death would come because Malvo set him up as a sniper shooting innocent pedestrians? That he would die at the hands of a SWAT team? No, I did not. Also, poor Don Chumph! He was so concerned with getting his 60/40 split of the money that he only mildly wonders why Malvo has covered his windows with newspaper and has a duffle bag full of duct tape.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Martin Freeman’s performance as Lester and this was his best episode yet. After an unpleasant visit from his brother (“You’ve been a burden my whole life. You’re not right in the world”), Lester stages an escape from the hospital. He frames his brother for the murder of Pearl, planting the hammer, pictures of Pearl and a pair of her underpants in his brother’s gun cabinet. Lester hesitates for a moment, looking at pictures of Chazz and his family. But then back at the hospital, a sly smile comes over his face. The put-upon Lester who has suffered verbal abuse from his brother, his wife and bullies his whole life finally thinks he has the upper hand.