‘Fargo’ episode 9 review: Lorne Malvo strikes again

“Fargo” has been in many ways about a decent into darkness, contrasted almost by the imagines of white and purity. Lester Nygard was at once by some estimations a reasonable man, albeit a cowardly one not knowing what to make of his life. In the end, this journey has made him a cold-blooded killer, and accessory, and more.

Tonight, he became a victim and a widower the second time over. He was not the one to pull the trigger, but there is no escaping that he put his second wife in the line of fire by sending her into the insurance office. All we learned through this that Lorne Malvo does not like to be trifled with, and while he may giveth, he certainly also can taketh away. This is a terrible, terrible man, played brilliantly by Billy Bob Thornton. His scene with Keith Carradine in the coffee shop was perhaps the night’s greatest, to the point where we didn’t mind the convenience of him leaving the moment that Molly entered.

Yes, Lester is just as terrible sending his wife in as an obvious decoy sporting the coat and all. The motivation to kill was not the same as the first time around, but in the end, how much does it really matter? By far, this is one of the greatest and worst TV cowards in existence.

Also significant in here was the path that will get Molly so much closer in the end to actually uncovering where Malvo is, now that she actually has the help of the FBI. Who would’ve thought that Key & Peele would be so instrumental in a drama series? This was a such a brilliant move on the part of showrunner Noah Hawley to bring them in, and it is paying off. She finally proved herself to be competent at her job, so who knows what she can do with actual resources?

In the end, this was nothing short of an exceptional hour that raises the stakes so much more for the finale. Everyone knows the devil in the town, and the race is to see who can take him out? While Lester may be a pest, the predator should be the top priority … if he can be stopped before he preys on them. Grade: A.

What did you think about this episode as a whole?