Fargo – Season 5 Episode 1 “The Tragedy of the Commons” Recap & Review

The Tragedy of the Commons

Episode 1 of Fargo season 5 begins in chaos at Scandia Middle School. This is the city in Minnesota where this season’s story is set although the opener suggests that it goes beyond that. Dorothy Lyon, a typical Minnesota simpleton protects her daughter, Scotty, at a school board meeting gone wrong. She tries to weave her way out and has a taser in hand. First, she knocks out her maths teacher, Mr Abernathy, and then, more tragically for her, a policeman.

Dorothy shortly realizes the horror of her actions and well…she is arrested. Officer Indira Olmstead takes her in. Dorothy is processed and given cause to wonder if her fingerprints will be put in the national database. Instantly, there is an air of mystery about her background. Dorothy is soon bailed out by her husband, Wayne Lyon, the son of Lorraine Lyon, the millionaire CEO of the largest debt collection company in America. Wayne straightaway takes Dorothy to her mother’s house where the family are brought together for a Christmas card photo.

Wink, Lorraine’s husband, doesn’t have much say in what goes on inside the house. Lorraine is the matriarch and has all the traits a leader should have: dominance, assertiveness, and ruthlessness. Lorraine has taken the help of family lawyer Danish Greaves to represent Dorothy, who wasn’t pleased that Wayne had told his mother about the incident. She puts Scotty to bed and promises to make Bisquick pancakes for her the next morning. However, since Wayne is running late the next day and Dorothy has just had the tazing incident, Scotty isn’t able to have pancakes.

Dorothy faces a much more severe threat at home that afternoon when two masked assailants attempt to kidnap her. She courageously tries to fight her way out of it, successfully burning one of them in the head. However, her efforts go in vain as she is taken. When Wayne comes home, he immediately phones the police and informs Lorraine. It is Indira who reports to check on the house and will be the IO for his issue. Lorraine is miffed that she might have to spend a hefty amount on ransom for Dorothy, someone she does not respect or cherish.

However, Danish assures her that they have enough cash on hand to manage the situation. But the real quandary is whether to involve the FBI or a private hostage negotiation team. Lorraine opts for the latter since she wants to keep this on the quiet. We follow Indira for a bit. Her husband apparently does not work and is an avid golfer. Most of their bills for utilities and mortgages are overdue. But Indira still supports him, in the hopes that his career could work out.

The two men handcuff Dorothy. The one who is burnt gets worried about contracting an infection, spurred on by Dorothy. They are soon chased by a cop vehicle. This is because the burnt kidnapper had stolen the vehicle from someone’s driveway. However, the other kidnapper is prepared and brings out his automatic rifle when the cops stop them and Dorothy slips out the back. She keeps running to reach a nearby convenience store at a gas station.

One of the officers is killed instantly. However, State Trooper Witt Farr is able to get away. He also heads toward the convenience store but not before catching a bullet from the kidnappers. The cashier points him toward a first aid kit as Dorothy tries to free herself. Witt helps her and Dorothy expertly lays out little traps at the front door. She also recognises a bathroom in the back that has a window. Her suspicions are correct as the burnt kidnapper has made his way into one of the stalls.

Dorothy lays ice right outside the door in the bathroom and has a bag of it handy. The moment he steps out, Dorothy strikes him and he tumbles over the ice to hit his head on the commode and bleed out. Now, they only have one kidnapper to deal with. He is able to gain entry into the store unhurt, putting Witt on the backfoot. But he isn’t prepared for Dorothy, who knocks him out from behind. She even holds a rifle in her hands like it is a normal thing for her.

Dorothy then proceeds to help Witt tighten up his wound properly. When the backup arrives, Dorothy leaves the store. The other kidnapper isn’t there either and Witt is confused.

Wayne puts Scotty to bed and rests for a while in his office before hearing voices from the kitchen. It is Dorothy, who pretends like nothing happened and whisks batter for Scotty’s pancakes. She continually denies Wayne’s suggestions that she was kidnapped, further intensifying speculation about who she really is.

The Episode Review

It is almost as if Noah Hawley and co. never left. Season 5’s opener has a mix of familiar and new storytelling elements. The sense of déjà vu is strong as we see yet another kidnapping attempt, which is not successful. Scenes from the 1996 film might run through your memory when Dorothy tries to fight it out. The entire sequence at the store was completely unexpected and took me by surprise.

Dorothy’s past is pitched as a layer of the narrative right out of the gate to us. Juno Temple’s “Hiya hon!” is a delightful highlight for ardent fans of Fargo. Temple is a force of nature in the opener, and if this is anything to go by, the rest of the season will be a treat.

Even though it is just fifty-odd minutes, the cast seems on point. Indira Olmstead marks a paradigm shift as an incompetent and unmasculine husband. Credit to Hawley and the others involved with the production of the show for continuing to remain devoted to the cinematic brand of the original film. Even though we didn’t even hear from Jon Hamm, Episode 1 is already a blistering start.