| Before the Law | |
| Season 2, Episode 2 | |
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|---|---|
| Episode Information | |
| Air Date: |
October 19, 2015 |
| Viewers: |
0.96 million |
| Written by: | |
| Directed by: | |
| Episode Chronology | |
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| Crew • Gallery • Transcript | |
Before the Law is the second episode of Season 2 of Fargo, as well as the twelfth episode overall. It premiered on October 19, 2015.
Description[]
The Gerhardts get a surprising offer; two unlikely murderers do their best to clean up their mess.
Plot[]
While Dodd Gerhardt and Hanzee Dent torture a man to death in the Gerhardt ranch's barn, Kansas City Mafia members Joe Bulo and Mike Milligan meet with the now paralyzed Otto Gerhardt about selling the family business. Floyd Gerhardt speaks to them on Otto's behalf. After they leave, she calls Dodd and Bear to her to discuss the deal: Kansas City wants to buy them out for $2 million. They'll be allowed to keep their operations running as is, and even make a little more money, in exchange for kicking up to Kansas City. Bear supports his mother taking charge of the clan, as does Dodd's daughter Simone, but Dodd dismisses her because she is a woman, demanding control of the family. Floyd promises him control once the Kansas City conflict is over, and orders Hanzee to search for Rye Gerhardt. Dodd privately tells Hanzee to bring Rye directly to him.
As Bulo and Milligan return to their hotel, they discuss what to do next to persuade the Gerhardts. Bulo rejects Milligan's idea of intimidation and posits cutting deals with one of the brothers. Milligan decides on Rye.
In Luverne, Hank Larsson and Lou Solverson discuss the Waffle Hut shooting over breakfast with Lou's family. Hank mentions that Irma Mundt was a judge, causing Lou to wonder whether or not she was being specifically targeted. Elsewhere, Peggy and Ed Blumquist both think about Rye's murder. Peggy shrugs it off and goes to work, but Ed, distressed and guilt-ridden, takes a day off to clean up the crime scene.
Peggy talks to coworker Constance Heck on the job, the one who had gotten her interested in the Lifespring seminar. When Peggy expresses hesitation about the price of the seminar, as she and Ed have been saving up so Ed can buy the butcher shop he works at, but Constance encourages her to stop putting Ed's needs in front of hers.
Milligan and his two underlings, twin brothers Wayne and Gale Kitchen, track down and threaten Skip Sprang into telling them Rye went to follow Mundt. Ed cleans the garage and car, and burns his and Rye's clothes in the fireplace, not noticing Rye's belt buckle remaining unmelted. Lou picks up Betsy Solverson from chemotherapy with their daughter Molly, decide to stop at the Luverne Waffle Hut when he passes it. He notes the bug spray and empty cash drawer, while Betsy finds Rye's gun in the snow. As Lou bags it as evidence, Milligan and the Kitchen brothers drive by, and Lou stares them down. He calls in their car, and Hank initiates a traffic stop on them a few miles down the road. As Hank IDs the three, he tries to match Rye's shoe to the three. Unable to find anything to detain them for, he lets them go with explicit orders to leave the state or else face arrest. Mike, flippant, subtly threatens Hank and the three leave.
While at Peggy's house, Constance notices dozens of rolls of toilet paper that went missing from the salon, which Peggy has denied any knowledge of. Regardless, she flirts with Peggy, who nervously rebuffs her and ushers her out. Lou and Hank meet up outside of the Waffle Hut to discuss their findings. Lou confesses his attachment to the case coming from the look on Henry Blanton's face, which reminded him of a soldier he saw die in Vietnam. Hank empathizes with him, telling him of a case in the sixties that reminded him of a death from World War II.
Ed takes Rye's body to the butcher shop in the middle of the night and chops up Rye's corpse, grinding up the pieces. Lou, seeing the lights on and assuming that the butcher's is still open, decides to stop in since he needs a fresh batch of bacon to cook up for Molly. Ed is startled by Lou knocking on the door, causing him to miss a swing and chop off Rye's fingers instead of his hand, which scatter. One rolls under the counter as Ed gets Lou's meat order, and Lou almost discovers the finger when he drops a quarter, only stopped by a phone call from Peggy. As Lou leaves, Ed goes to the back to finish disposing of Rye's corpse as narration from "Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds" is heard. A green light is seen reflected in the window of the butcher shop, and rises into the air.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Kirsten Dunst as Peggy Blumquist
- Patrick Wilson as Lou Solverson
- Jesse Plemons as Ed Blumquist
- Jean Smart as Floyd Gerhardt
- Ted Danson as Hank Larsson
Recurring cast[]
- Cristin Milioti as Betsy Solverson
- Jeffery Donovan as Dodd Gerhardt
- Bokeem Woodbine as Mike Milligan
- Brad Garrett as Joe Bulo
- Mike Bradecich as Skip Sprang
- Elizabeth Marvel as Constance Heck
- Kieran Culkin as Rye Gerhardt (corpse)
- Zahn McClarnon as Hanzee Dent
- Angus Sampson as Bear Gerhardt
- Michael Hogan as Otto Gerhardt
- Rachel Keller as Simone Gerhardt
Co-starring[]
- Todd Mann as Wayne Kitchen
- Brad Mann as Gale Kitchen
- Allan Dobrescu as Charlie Gerhardt
- Raven Stewart as Molly Solverson
- Anna Cummer as Denise
- Matt Cooke as Ollie Stein
- Emily Haine as Noreen Vanderslice
- Eric Keenleyside as Bud Jorgenlen
- Kate Corbett as Gloria Wuddle
- Gayl Veinotte as Sue Colson
- Chris Enright as Doctor
- Wilma Pelly as Native American House Keeper
- Paul Toman as Man in chair with no ears
Deaths[]
- One unnamed man
Trivia[]
- The episode's title is a reference to a section of Franz Kafka's novel, The Trial.
- First appearance of Charlie Gerhardt.
- First appearance of Simone Gerhardt.
- First appearance of Constance Heck.
- First appearance of Denise.
| Season 2 episodes | ||
|---|---|---|
|
01. "Waiting for Dutch" |
06. "Rhinoceros" | |