Why do some Fargo characters sit back and watch the violence unfold?
This week’s uncompromisingly courteous installment of Polite Fight finds Gus Spelman and John Teti analyzing what Gus deems a “stylistically overt” episode of Fargo, paying special attention to the use of Sonny as an audience stand-in during the police station showdown. Gus stubbornly tries to dismiss John’s culturally grounded interpretation of the character, but John finally manages to convince him by making a compelling connection between Sonny and Simone.
Then comes a segment unofficially titled “Peggy’s Maze And Dodd’s Gaze,” as Gus notes that the absence of split-screens in the Blumquist basement sets Dodd’s pursuit of Peggy apart in an episode dominated by the device, and John points out that a limited perspective is perfect for the narrow-minded Dodd.
Gus and John also note an insightful “Jabberwocky” interpretation from the humorously named Sharkophagus, who illuminated the Lewis Carroll poem vis-a-vis Fargo in the comments on Zack Handlen’s review. Our hosts conclude by presenting an unpopular opinion about Nick Offerman’s performance in this episode, perhaps a fight for commenters to take up on the other side.