Fargo: Before The Law - Episode 2.2
Before the law is the second episode of season 2 and it builds on the premiere quite nicely. We learn more about Lou and we also get to see the UFO again.
The episode starts off with the Gerheardt's arguing about who should take over the family business. The oldest brother Dodd thinks that he should take over the business, but Floyd Gerheardt thinks that she would do a better job. Dodd suggests otherwise though, saying that she is a girl and that she shouldn't. Bear, the middle brother, sides with Floyd. Floyd and Dodd argue over the dinner table, while everyone else waits outside. She says that it isn't his time yet and that his time will come. The dialogue in the scene is impressive and is acted brilliantly.
Next we see Hank, Molly, and Betsy eating breakfast at Lou's house and Betsy tells Hank how one of the victims of the Waffle Hut shootings was a judge. This leads to a conversation between Hank and Lou questioning if the killer had motive or if it was just a coincidence. Next we are introduced to Mike Milligan and his Henchmen who are twin brothers. They visit the Gerheardt's house and offer to buy the business from them. The mother tells Bear and Dodd of the deal and she tells Dodd to find Rye, because he has been missing for more then a day. Next, Mike questions the store owner that Rye goes to by putting his tie in a typewriter and questioning him. The owner eventually breaks and tells them that he was looking for a judge. Next Lou and his family stop by the Waffle Hut and while Lou is inside, Molly and Betsy wait outside. Molly finds a balloon which leads Betsy to find a gun. When they're about to leave Lou looks onto the road and we see Mike and his crew driving by. We then see Mike and crew pulled over on the side of the road and then we see Hank who pulled them over. Hank asks for I.D's, but then lets them go, but he does threaten them saying they have to get out of the state immediately or he'll put in APB out on them.
Then we see Ed waiting for Peggy and her coworker to leave their workplace. Once they leave he pulls in at the butcher shop. He then gets Rye's body out of the back of the truck. Lou is driving in town and he stops at the butcher shop because the light are on and he wants to get bacon for Molly. Erstwhile Ed is churning Rye's body through the meat grinder. Then we see Ed about to cut off Rye's hand when Lou knocks on the door and spooks Ed. He chops off some of Rye's fingers and one goes under the door into the shop. Ed welcomes Lou in. He gets the bacon and Lou is about to pay for it when he drops his quarter. Ed drops to the floor quickly to get the quarter and so Lou doesn't see the finger. Ed closes the shop and leaves. We then see lights outside the shop which only can be the UFO which also made an appearance in the previous episode. The story was slow, since it was a 90 minute episode, but it was still effective. The character development was okay. We learned more about Lou, but not much about other characters. The acting was amazing and I thought Jesse Plemons stood out the most. The direction was great, the creator of the show directed his first episode of Fargo and it was a solid first effort.
