Fargo - The Heap - Advance Preview

If you don’t want to be out of the loop at the watercooler tomorrow, I suggest that you try your very hardest to watch Fargo live tonight - and if you work in an office where people don’t watch Fargo, may I also suggest a new job? In addition to the typical twists and turns we’re used to with this series already, tonight packs an extra something special. How special? Well, FX has asked that we don’t say a WORD about it until after the episode has aired. And truthfully, as a twist and narrative device, what goes down in the last 20 minutes is so out-of-left-field that I wouldn’t give it away even if I could. Still, I CAN talk about the first 30 minutes of the episode, and in typical Fargo fashion, there’s still much to discuss.

Lester (Martin Freeman) is living the bliss of having - literally - gotten away with murder. Now that his brother is locked up and Deputy Oswalt has put the case behind him, Lester really gets to start a new life in “The Heap”. Gone is the awkward, scared, bumbling insurance salesman we met in the pilot: Lester is a ladies man now, and it seems the adrenalin of pulling one over on everyone has made Mr Nygaard fearless. His interactions with various women (including his brothers wife and an adoring co-worker, no less) are hilarious to watch. Plus we finally get another appearance from Sam Hess’ hilariously dim-witted sons, as an enraged Gina (the fantastic Kate Walsh) shows up to confront Lester about her insurance being denied.

Elsewhere, my favorite scene of the episodes actually comes before the big twist in the final 20 minutes. It’s a rather quiet scene between Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) and his failed assassin, Mr Wrench (Russell Harvard). Harvard has been one of the unsung heroes of the season in my eye, at times both terrifying and hilarious. Here, he’s without his other half - RIP Mr Numbers - and totally at the mercy of Malvo. The scene ends rather ambiguously, but I’m definitely hoping there’s more Mr Wrench to come (Season 2 as a prequel set in Fargo & starring Mr Numbers and Mr Wrench? Sold).

Like I said, “The Heap” certainly isn’t an episode that you want to miss. While it may not pack quite the punch that “Buridan’s Ass” did, the final scenes are mesmerizing and a bit puzzling. Noah Hawley has done an incredible job crafting the season thus far, keeping the tone of a Coen Brothers picture but adding his own unique vision, so I trust wherever he’s taking us. After the episode airs check back to SpoilerTV for a piece on my conversation with Hawley, where he discussed the implication of what goes down in tonights episode and what’s ahead.

Hit the comments if you’ve got predictions about tonight, or head back after the show airs to share your thoughts. There's a few more tidbits from the episode below.

Stuff You’ll Love:
- Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele continue their arc as FBI Agents Budge and Pepper. While they spend the majority of the episodes on their own, a final scene suggests they’ll soon connect to the bigger picture.
- Lester wielding a stapler as a weapon. Wait and see.
- The ending. Because I REALLY doubt you’re going to see this coming.

Fargo airs Tuesdays at 10pm EST on FX. “The Heap” premieres tonight.
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