Were Fargo’s two standoffs too many?

By John Teti, Gus Spelman | October 28, 2015 | 5:31pm

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On this edition of Polite Fight, the TV analysis show that’s erudite with a light bite, video producer Gus Spelman and editor-in-chief John Teti direct your gaze to the double-standoff sequence that anchored the latest installment of Fargo, “The Myth Of Sisyphus.” A comment by Pray For Mojo on Zack Handlen’s episode review helps kick off our conversation about Lou Solverson’s two tense confrontations with unlawful types. At first, Gus thinks that the sequence was too repetitive, but as we take a closer look, we see that the similarities between the scenes help accentuate the differences between the approaches of the Fargo and Kansas City syndicates.

Gus and I also examine the set dressing and shot framing that make the salon into Peggy’s “house of horrors.” As a hub of casual information-trading, the salon is where the townspeople are liable to piece together the far-flung pieces of the Waffle Hut mess, and Fargo’s reliably purposeful filmmaking helps us feel the building pressure on Peggy. Plus we tip our cap to a sharp observation made by NadsDikkelson, whose commenter handle appears to delight John.