Ethelrida Pearl Smutny is a character in Fargo Season 4. She is the Deuteragonist of Season 4.
Overview[]
The narrator of our story, 16-year-old Ethelrida Pearl Smutny is innately self-possessed and wise beyond her years. Daughter of a white father and a black mother, Ethelrida is determined to leave her parents’ mortuary business behind and improve her lot in life through her education.
History[]
Ethelrida came home from school one day, after being physically disciplined at school, which she says was the result of her being maligned. She realized quickly that there was a funeral going on at her home, though her father said it was almost over. On her way in, Ethelrida met Oraetta Mayflower, a nurse at St. Bartholomew's, who thinks Ethelrida is quite wise for someone of her complexion.
Not long afterward, Ethelrida came home to find several men in the kitchen, though she was immediately sent to her room. She asked her parents at another time, but they refused to tell her who the men were.[1]
Zelmare's Arrival[]
Ethelrida was awakened one morning by her mother's sister, Zelmare Roulette, arriving along with Swanee Capps. She was excited to see her aunt, though her mother sent her to her room as soon as she realized that Zelmare and Swanee had broken out of prison and were planning to rob banks to get money.
Ethelrida encountered Oraetta again at Donatello's funeral, which she was secretly watching. Oraetta took an interest in her and offered her a housekeeping job, which Ethelrida turned down. Unbeknownst to her, Oraetta then went home and made an apple pie with apples soaked in ipecac syrup, which she then left on their front porch.[2]
Later that night, as Thurman went to the porch and retrieved the pie, Dick Wickware entered the house in search of Swanee and Zelmare. They searched the house even as Ethelrida and her parents insisted that Zelmare was still in prison. Zelmare and Swanee managed to hide from them throughout the search and then Thurman smuggled them out of the house in a hearse.[3]
Desperate to help her parents make money, Ethelrida went to Oraetta and took her up on her previous job offer. Oraetta left her with a list of tasks to go while she went to work. She worked through the day. There was one door in the apartment Oraetta had told her not to concern herself with. After working for a while, Ethelrida decided to open the door. Inside, she found various medications and poisons, as well as a box full of obituaries cut out from newspapers. There was also a box of trophies Oraetta had taken from the people she'd killed. When the phone rang and startled her, Ethelrida rushed to put everything back and fled the apartment, leaving her journal behind on a shelf.[4]
After her discovery, Ethelrida decided to write a letter to Dr. Harvard about Oraetta. She asked her father about the bottles she'd seen in the closet and learned they were things Ethelrida shouldn't have had at her house. She also asked about her aunt and learned where she was staying. She went to visit her and Zelmare and Swanee explained that they were outlaws and Ethelrida was a bit, too, though Ethelrida denied it.
Later, Ethelrida was called into the principal's office at school, where she was forced to give up her aunt's location or be expelled from school. She gave up her location, but before the police could get there, Loy's guys had already taken them.[5]
After giving up her aunt at school, Ethelrida came home to the celebration her parents had set up for her, not knowing that they'd been forced to hand their business over to Loy.[6]
Ethelrida came home not long afterward to find her parents' business being taken over.[7]
When Lemuel came into her room, they briefly flirted with each other until her mother came in and warned her that he was not her friend but her captor.[8]
Ethelrida did research at the library, looking for the owner of the ring she'd stolen from Oraetta's place. She then went to ask her mother about their family being haunted and learned the story of her great-grandfather, who was brought over on a slave ship and strangled the ship's captain. The family's been haunted ever since.
Oraetta confronted Ethelrida, demanding that Ethelrida return her ring, but Ethelrida denied any knowledge. Oraetta threatened to go to the police, but Ethelrida knew she wouldn't with everything that Ethelrida knew about what she was doing to patients. She then asked Lemuel to set up a meeting for her with his father. She met with Loy and told him she could help him win his war, in exchange for her parents getting their home back. He was reluctant until she showed him the ring and told him it belonged to Donatello Fadda.[9]
Ethelrida and her parents happily watched as Loy's men removed all his merchandise and returned control of their business to the Smutnys. Lemuel himself was impressed that Ethelrida managed to do that.[10]
Episode appearances[]
Season 4[]
- 401 - "Welcome to the Alternate Economy"
- 402 - "The Land of Taking and Killing"
- 403 - "Raddoppiarlo"
- 404 - "The Pretend War"
- 405 - "The Birthplace of Civilization"
- 406 - "Camp Elegance"
- 407 - "Lay Away"
- 408 - "The Nadir"
- 410 - "Happy"
- 411 - "Storia Americana"
Trivia[]
To be added.
References[]
| Season 4 characters | |
|---|---|
| Main | Loy Cannon • Oraetta Mayflower • Josto Fadda • Rabbi Milligan • Odis Weff • Gaetano Fadda • Ethelrida Pearl Smutny • Thurman Smutny • Dibrell Smutny • Leon Bittle • Lemuel Cannon • Omie Sparkman • Opal Rackley • Ebal Violante • Constant Calamita • David Harvard • Zelmare Roulette |
| Recurring | Doctor Senator • Donatello Fadda • Antoon Dumini • Dick Wickware • Swanee Capps • Mort Kellerman • Lionel "Happy" Halloway • Paolo Endrizzi • Buel Cannon • Satchel Cannon • Joe Bulo |
| All characters | |