FX’s Fargo
Season 3, Episode 7: “The Law of Inevitability”
Directed by Mike Barker
Written by Noah Hawley & Ben Nedivi & Matt Wolpert

* For a recap & review of the previous episode, “The Lord of No Mercy” – click here
* For a recap & review of the next episode, “Who Rules the Land of Denial?” – click here
Happy holidays in North Dakota!
Under the Stussy Christmas tree, using a knife with care, V.M. Varga (David Thewlis) was opening all the gifts that were there. He unwrapped one, then he unwrapped another, and meanwhile Chief Burgle (Carrie Coon) and Officer Lopez (Olivia Sandoval) find Emmit’s (Ewan McGregor) dead brother.
And as Ray (McGregor) lies dead with the blood round him, shocking, Nikki Swango (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) stays at a motel, paranoid, and the cops have come knocking.
Out to dinner, Sy Feltz (Michael Stuhlbarg) and Emmit meet with Ruby Goldfarb (Mary McDonnell). What disturbs me is that there’s a seemingly total absence of remorse on the remaining Stussy brother’s part. Obviously he’d hide that, yes. But he seems almost… more confident in himself, now that the hump on his back is gone forever.
Emmit: “You don‘t get where I am by stickin‘ to the plan”
At the station, Moe Dammick (Shea Whigham) interrogates Nikki, who’s now put square in the spotlight for the murder of Ray Stussy. Those bruises, her record. Oh, my. It ain’t looking good, for damn sure. I’ll never bet against Swango, though. Not until she’s in the ground, that woman has got nerves of steel. And her mind’s as sharp as a fucking tack.
Officers Burgle and Lopez lay out their case to the higher-ups, everything from the Stussy connection to Maurice and all the other pieces. Nobody’s giving them the time of day, sadly. These women are pretty much the only hope for Nikki to walk out clean, far as I can see. Maybe cops and criminals will come together in order to see justice fully served? A guy can hope.
Later that night a call comes in to the station, sending Donny Mashman (Mark Forward) out to check out a break and enter, possibly burglary. When he has to run back inside before heading out he finds Yuri Gurka (Goran Bogdan) reading a book in the dark, threatening even when he’s not actually threatening. The cowardly officer goes on, as the big Ukranian claims he’s not even there, walking away with a file on the Ennis Stussy investigation.
Sy: “What‘s the saying? If you love somethin‘, let it go…”
Ruby: “If it comes back it‘s yours…”
Emmit: “If it doesn‘t, hunt it down and kill it… is the version I heard.”
There’s a real danger going on with Emmit. He drinks and rambles about his life. He talks about how people are menacing, out to get others. We know that he’s actually raging at his dead brother Ray, trying to justify himself to himself. At the same time, Sy’s trying to keep things from going off the rails, which isn’t helped by the fact Officer Lopez turns up again. Y’know, with the bad news Emmit already knows. Right away he slips up, before she can even tell him his brother’s dead he gets going with his alibi. Immediately, Winnie sees the strange way Emmit acts. Holy Christ, he can’t keep it together at all.
There are worse things happening, as well. Emmit starts accusing Sy of being in cahoots with Ray before his death. So, of course, the good friend and partner blows up. Even calls the dead Stussy a “libtard“; sort of quietly affirms my thoughts about certain aspects of this season relating to the current sociopolitical climate of the US, how Varga and these business types represent some elements of the current administration running the show. The extortion of Varga specifically is well represented visually in a shot juxtaposing him against Emmit; he on the side of a large, upright, stuffed bear, the last Stussy on the other with his bright Christmas tree and the gifts all wrapped up again.
Nikki, she’s still sitting in a cell, and Gloria’s imprisoned in her own way within the constraints of not just the legal system, a bit of a patriarchal bureaucracy holding her back. That night, Swango is visited by a man (DJ Qualls) who cuffs her and goes to slip a syringe in her wrist. Interrupted by Gloria. When the man escapes, Moe and other officers find her there looking a bit crazy. Only the security footage will tell the tale; when they check it, the computers go down. Very suspicious.
The only advice Nikki has for the cops: “Follow the money.” She’s carted off to jail in a bus full of creepy, greasy dudes. Next to whom? Mr. fucking Wrench (Russell Harvard), that’s who. That familiar drum-heavy theme plays again. So nice to see him after all this time. I wonder if it’s a one-off, or if he’ll wind up playing some kind of part in Season 3’s last few episodes. Well, for now, someone wanders into the road – Yuri with the bear head on – and sends the prison transport bus crashing to its side. The Ukranian is there for our lady. Perhaps Mr. Wrench might help defend her? Here’s to hoping.
Just, whoa! Another fascinating chapter in this series. Love the way they bring back characters, connecting pieces. I’m still curious if the former life of Ennis as Thaddeus Mobley will come back into play, too. I don’t doubt it for a second. But how? So many questions. All hail Fargo. We’re not worthy.
Next episode is “Who Rules the Land of Denial?” and there’s a ton of shit about to crack open wide for our grim pleasure.