Season 5 of Fargo kicks off by delving into the concept of โMinnesota nice,โ accurately described as โaggressively pleasant.โ However, this niceness takes a backseat at the Scandia Middle School PTO meeting when a brawl erupts. Dot Lyon (Juno Temple) is determined to leave with her daughter Scotty (Sienna King).
In an attempt to escape, Dot encounters resistance from Mr. Abernathy (Dusty Bews), who holds her back while rushing Scotty along the aisle. In a surprising move, Dot uses a taser on Mr. Abernathy, causing him to collapse. When a police officer tries to intervene, Dot tases him as well. Subsequently, Officer Indira Olmstead (Richa Moorjani) apprehends Dot and places her in the Scandia prison.
Fargo Season 5 Episode 1 Recap
Straying from its source material, Joel and Ethan Coenโs 1996 neo-noir thriller, โFargo,โ the TV series appears to be inching back towards its roots.
In recent seasons, the show has primarily operated as a regional crime drama with nods to โFargoโ and various other Coen brothers films, often complemented by period elements. The new season commences in Minnesota in 2019, a contemporary setting where politically-connected figures pose for Christmas photos brandishing assault rifles.
The latest episode kicks off with a reference to the conclusion of โFargo,โ where Deputy Indira Olmstead (Richa Moorjani) engages in a philosophical exchange with Dorothy Lyon (Juno Temple), also known as Dot, who was apprehended for tasering a police officer during a fracas at a middle-school board meeting. While Dot claims it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Olmstead remains unmoved, lamenting, โWhatโs the world coming to?โ and quoting directly from the original movie: โItโs a beautiful day.โ
These moments, laden with references, represent the show at its weakest, glibly alluding to a scene that reflects on the senseless tragedy in the pursuit of money. In contrast to the filmโs grim events surrounding a ransom plot, Olmsteadโs concerns arise from a P.T.A. altercation culminating in an accidental tasering. The homage-heavy episode falls flat in delivering the resonance achieved by unexpected pivots from the Coens in the past.
Noah Hawley, the series creator who wrote and directed this first hour, has shown a tendency to be indiscriminate in his use of quotations throughout the showโs run. However, โFargoโ shines when it deviates unexpectedly from the Coensโ style rather than merely paying homage.
Fargo Season 5 Episode 1 Ending Explained
The fifth season of Fargo, the American black comedy crime drama series that has significantly contributed to this specific genre, returns with a brand new narrative. Once again, the setting is the midwestern state of Minnesota, a familiar backdrop for previous Fargo iterations, including the Coen Brothersโ original 1996 film. This time, the story unfolds in the town of Scandia, Minnesota, during the relatively recent period of 2019. The season opener immediately references the iconic scene from the film, evoking a sense of nostalgia for viewers. Fargo Season 5 holds the promise of being one of the standout iterations of the show in recent times.
Who Is Dot Lyon?
Fargo Season 5 begins in the midst of complete chaos, as a seemingly ordinary middle school board meeting descends into extreme violence for undisclosed reasons. Amidst the melee of parents exchanging blows, a woman and her young daughter, Dorothy โDotโ Lyon, witness the senseless aggression around them. Dot, clearly frightened and anxious, instructs her daughter Scotty to carefully leave the hall to avoid trouble. Dot, armed with a taser gun, is prepared to defend herself and Scotty against potential threats.
When a school teacher approaches Dot from behind and taps her shoulder, he is promptly tased to the floor. Unfortunately, a similar fate befalls a police officer as well. Dotโs actions, driven by nervousness rather than malice, lead her to tase the officer without verifying his identity. Despite her lack of malicious intent, assaulting a law enforcement officer is a criminal offense, resulting in Dotโs immediate arrest by the police.
Lorraine Believes Dot Faked Her Kidnapping
The affluent in-laws are the parents of the husband, not the wife, and they adamantly reject the notion that a kidnapping occurred.
Lorraine holds the belief that Dot orchestrated her own kidnapping and returned home because she grew dissatisfied with the entire plan.
Prior to the kidnapping, Lorraine harbored suspicions about Dot, fueled by Dotโs non-affluent background, leading Lorraine to believe that Dot might have ulterior motives, perhaps financial. The misunderstanding surrounding the kidnapping only intensified these pre-existing trust issues.
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Dotโs Kidnapping
That night, Dot experiences a dream where she is seated at an expansive outdoor farm table, with Roy Tillman (Jon Hamm) at the head. The following day, as Wayne drives Scotty to school, Dot prepares Bisquick pancakes.
Upon returning home, Dot settles in front of the TV to knit. During her knitting session, she notices a tall man in a kilt and heavy boots peering through the windows, accompanied by a hessian bag with eye holes carved into it. Ole Munch (Sam Spruell), wielding a hammer, enters the house through the sliding glass door.
Another man (Devon Bostick) arrives through the front door, also wearing a mask. The two individuals head upstairs, only to find Dot missing. They search the main bedroom and discover the bathroom door closed.
Dot reappears as the second man slowly pushes open the bathroom door. She uses hairspray and a lighter to create a makeshift blowtorch, causing the second manโs mask to catch fire. Dot then shoots at Ole Munch, forcing him out of the room. However, as she rushes for the stairs, she stumbles over the laundry basket and falls.
Pretending to be lifeless, Dot lies on the floor while Ole Munch looms over her. When he kicks her, Dot retaliates by injuring him in the skull with an ice skate. She swiftly gets back on her feet. As the second man descends the stairs, Ole Munch advances toward her, holding a roll of paper towels over his injured head.
One night, Wayne returns home and notices the door is open. Upon entering, he discovers blood and promptly calls the police. Officer Olmstead responds to the call and informs Wayne that Dot has been kidnapped. The investigation reveals two distinct blood types in the house, none of which belong to Dot, prompting the police to initiate a thorough inquiry.
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Dotโs Bold Escape
The housewife demonstrates her ability to fight back in the show. When the police intercept the kidnappersโ car, Dot escapes to a nearby gas station. There, she ingeniously eliminates one of the kidnappers by covering the bathroom floor with ice cubes, causing him to slide and land head-first on a toilet bowl. Although the second kidnapper, Ole Munch, survives, Dot successfully makes her way back home.
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Dot Keeps Her Past A Secret from Her Family
Dot is not only concealing her dark history from the police investigating her kidnapping but also from her entire family.
Under the influence of his motherโs skepticism, Dotโs husband, Wayne, is starting to scrutinize her narrative. Discrepancies in her story emerge: Dot asserts that she went for a drive to clear her head, yet the car remained parked throughout. She struggles to provide plausible explanations for the burnt hat in her bedroom and the blood in the entryway. As Fargo Season 5 unfolds, the Lyons will uncover some unexpected details about Dotโs past.
