[For Fargo “Rhinocerous” or any other recaps on Fetchland, assume the presence of possible spoilers.]
FX Summary:
Rhinocerous Lou and Hank try to prevent an altercation and the Gerhardt clan attempts to get back one of their own.
The episode’s title likely refers to the absurdist play “Rhinocerous” by Eugène Ionesco, from 1959. It’s the story of small town where every inhabitant turns into a rhino except the man they all consider a drunken, paranoid fool. This directly parallels the events of this episode as usually capable characters get thrown out of whack while the drunken, paranoid fool (perfectly portrayed by Nick Offerman) saves the day. In fact, the whole episode revolves around the theme of underestimating the apparent fool.
The curtain opens as Ed finally faces the music, a single silent tear sliding down his cheek in the back of the squad car on the way to the station. Meanwhile Charlie sits, head bandaged in a cell until it’s time for his one phone call. Bear and Dodd battle it out on the Gerhardt front lawn as usual until Floyd intervenes and sends them to Minnesota – Bear to pick up his son from jail and Dodd to “take care of this butcher fella.”
Meanwhile Mike Milligan and Simone have a split screen convo and she tells him where they went with instructions to kill her dad, Dodd. After this Mike whimsically recites the famous nonsense poem “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll as he collects guns and men to hit the road. But he’s not headed where Simone said, so Mike either doesn’t believe her or he doesn’t care about killing Dodd and Bear but would rather take out whomever was left behind at home base. Either scenario could be true. Then just as Floyd begins an inspiring lecture to Simone on feminine leadership, they’re rudely interrupted as Mike and his Kansas City crew bros attack the house with a torrent of gunfire through the Gerhardt kitchen window. War has hit the homestead. The theme of underestimating fits here because no matter the reason Milligan chose to hit the homestead rather then do as Simone said, he underestimated her. Clearly that was a mistake because this move has little impact on the war. If he’d gone to Minnesota as she’d suggested though, Mike would have caught the crucial Gerhardt family members in a vulnerable state and potentially won the war in one Milligan swoop.
Back at the Blomquists Peggy avoids answering Hank’s questions until he says, “You’re a little touched aren’t ya?” but she can’t really see what he means even after Hank reminds her they tried to kill her husband and torched his shop. “Life’s a journey, ya know…” she responds. Peggy’s so wrapped up in new age sillyspeak, she’s as nonsensical as Lewis Carroll’s blathering Jabberwocky. Right when Hank’s given up on Peggy, Dodd drives up to the house and Hank tells her to hide inside. Dodd asks for Ed and Hank says he’s at the police station. The Gerhardt gang approach the porch where Hank stands alone. Then Hanzee knocks Hank out with a whack and leaves to look for Ed at the police station while Dodd searches the house with two minions. Dodd’s so tense he shoots one of his own men in a panicked reflex all the while threatening Peggy as he searches, “When I find you, darling, I’m gonna make you bleed,“ but Peggy’s an unexpectedly formidable opponent in her own basement. She bashes the other minion with a sink basin and shocks Dodd silly with his own favorite weapon, the electric zapping stick. He’d foolishly set it aside while taunting her. Never underestimate your enemy in battle, Mr Gerhardt, even if it happens to be seemingly silly, nonsensical Peggy Blomquist.
Lou interrogates Ed at the station, bringing up the cleaver in Virgil’s head at his butcher shop and the fake car accident. But Ed isn’t listening and says he just keeps thinking of Sisyphus and his boulder, a reminder that it doesn’t matter what happens because he’s just going to “take care of what’s mine.” Ed’s right about the “it doesn’t matter” part but he’s not just misinterpreting the significance and lesson of Sisyphus. He’s also missing the crucial element in his own situation, which Lou keeps trying to remind him. The Gerhardts are coming to kill him. Having seen detective and courtroom shows on TV, Ed then asks for a lawyer, like ya do.
Turns out the only lawyer in Luverne, Minnesota is Karl Weathers, played by Nick Offerman. So, though he may be three sheets to the wind intoxicated at amy point, Karl’s also always ready to do some serious lawyering. Once at the station, Karl’s not just drunk but ranting paranoid declarations with unparalleled passion. He can’t be silenced or even hushed until Karl faces a gang of Gerhardt guns cocked and pointed at him in the parking lot. Then he goes back inside and reports that, “The jackboots are upon us,” so Lou calls for reinforcements. Unfortunately, it’ll be an hour before they show up. Lou faces Bear and the others out front, seemingly unafraid. He says they’ve got his son Charlie in a jail cell on attempted murder. Bear asks about the butcher and Lou says he’s under armed protection and they can’t get to him either because they’ve “got enough men and guns to hold them off until morning,” but even Bear knows he’s bluffing. Bear says Lou’s gotta send his Charlie out. Lou goes inside and enlists the quickly sobering up Karl to help “talk some sense” into Bear then heads back to the interrogation room where he left Ed and says there’s a lynch mob outside. “So am I released?” Ed asks and Lou says for simplicity’s sake let’s say so. But really, Lou stays tightly beside Ed as they slip out the back of the station and into the woods. Hanzee’s already on their tails from the moment they exit.
Meanwhile Hank awakens on the Blomquist porch and goes out to his car where he gets a call with an update from the station on the CB radio. He says, “Tell Lou to sit tight. Can’t have him getting killed without me. I’ll never hear the end of it at dinner.” But Lou’s not sitting tight. He’s roaming the woods behind the station with Ed. Even so, a bit later Hank drives up and finds him so they commiserate a bit about their evening. While they chat Ed makes a run for it even though they’re standing beside a squad car that can easily catch him. So, Hank and Lou get in the car to collect silly, nonsensical Ed while behind them in the shadows Hanzee lurks, the expert tracker and always right on the tail of his man. But, just like Ed, Hanzee walks on foot as he follows the squad car. As usual Lou finds himself surrounded by those who underestimate him, one runs ahead of him while the other walks behind.
Back at the station Karl goes outside and introduces himself to Bear as Charlie’s lawyer. He says the police will meet his demands and send the boy out but as his lawyer he’d recommend a different course of action. It would be better for Charlie to face the charges, which will be minimal as things stand. If the police have to send the kid out under duress, though, much harsher consequences will fall upon Charlie. Bear responds that they’ll just take the butcher then. Karl says again this will come down on Charlie with more serious charges. If they don’t beat it and retreat the kid will have to face the music for their deeds as well as his own. Then, luckily for all involved, the Gerhardts take Karl’s advice and drive away to leave Charlie in jail.
Thus “Rhinocerous” concludes with yet another underestimated character overcoming adversity. This episode’s an underdog story in triplicate, which in true Fargo style points to the absurdity of blind confidence. Dodd literally put his weapon down while searching for Peggy, thus availing to her the very cudgel of his undoing. Similarly, if Mike had just listened to Simone he could have taken out the Gerhardt’s primary heads of state, Dodd and Bear, but of course Mike didn’t listen to her. In fact, by attacking the very spot where she stands, he could be destroying his one insider into the Gerhardt clan. Simone, it seems, may be Mike’s achilles heel without him even realizing it. And then there’s Karl Weathers, the most parallel character to the episode’s namesake theatrical production, Rhinocerous. He appears a mere drunk and disorderly fool yet Karl’s the only one who can reason with the Gerhardts. A smooth talker in a Jabberwocky disguise, he’s the hero of this one.
–Katherine Recap
