Fargo

Jeremy Kleiner up in Winnipeg writes...

"Feel better, boss man."

That's nice.

And then, uh...

Carter Bunch says, "Keep fighting, you old cuss.

You'll outlive us all."

Indian Joe sent porn.

Get these to the chinaman-- the usual disbursement.

Get your dad and uncles.

We need to talk.

You finish your chores?

Yes, sir, I've been helping grandma with the bank.

Uh, she sent me to get you.

Wants us all together up in the house.

Dodd's inside.

Fought in the trenches in France-- World War I.

He was an artillerieschuetzen, my granddad, a gunner.

Blasted mustard gas at the Allies.

Had them dancing like poisoned rats.

Brits caught him in a raid,

hung him by his thumbs for six days straight.

So this, what we're doing, this is nothing.

Are you listening to me?

Is he listening to me?

Cut off his ears.

Wake him up.

He's dead, I think.

Weak.

Uh, Uncle Dodd?

Doc's finished.

Grandma wants us.

Who were the goons?

Kansas City.

They want to buy us out.

So they came to you, then?

They came to see your father, but he's not well.

So they talked to me as his surrogate.

I should've been there.

Geez, dad. Don't be such a baby.

Shut up.

She shouldn't be in here.

She's old enough.

I told her to stay.

She's a girl.

And girls grow up to be women...

and change boys' diapers.

Where's your little brother?

Rye? Haven't seen him.

Who knows with that kid? Probably neck deep in some pussy.

With a girl, you know.

What's the offer?

He talks to you. Where is he?

Said he had things to do out of town.

- I saw him yesterday. - What things?

What's the offer?

The world's becoming more corporate--

this was their pitch to me.

And in this new world,

there's no room for family business.

So war.

They're offering to buy the whole operation,

then pay us to run it.

Bottom line.

Bottom line-- very little changes on the ground.

We may actually earn more.

But instead of running it, we report to them.

- To who? - Kansas City.

Balls. What'd you say?

I said, "Thank you very much. I'll consult with my partners."

Meaning grandpa.

No.

The stroke.

Your father's not in a lucid state.

Nor will he be...

possibly ever.

What are you saying?

I'm saying your grandpa built this business,

but he's no longer capable of running it.

We should have a moment of silence, maybe.

As new boss, I say we tell these Kansas City schvantzes

to go to hell in the fast lane.

- Now, hold on. - What?

You think it should be you?

No, stupid. Mom.

Boss can't be a woman.

Who says?

Think about it.

Mom's the one with ties to Winnipeg.

History with Carter B and the Solkerk crew.

Suppliers trust her.

Should be mom.

Hell, yes. I vote for grandma.

Shut up. We're not voting.

I'm oldest.

I'm boss.

End of story.

Give us a minute.

Not you.

Sit.

Eat something.

This moment...

How things go in the next few weeks--

will decide--

- That's why I-- - Let me finish.

Your grandfather left the ashes of the Weimar Republic

and came to this country to build a name for himself.

He built an empire from a shoe-shine box.

And then, and only then,

did he send for your father.

Ma, I know the story.

No, you don't.

'Cause if you did,

you'd know that you are just a small part of it.

That's what an empire is.

It's bigger than any son or daughter.

Eat.

I'm not hungry.

I'm your mother. You will eat with me.

Your time will come.

It will, but this isn't it.

And if you stand by me now,

I promise you that as soon as this crisis is over,

I'll hand you your legacy,

and I'll turn my thoughts to the grave.

Now, we need to find Rye.

Can you do that for me?

Yes, ma'am.

Wherever he is, whatever he's doing,

bring him home.

If you're a betting man, I'm saying.

Well, I think history's proven people

of the Germanic persuasion don't surrender easy.

But you can kill them.

Unless the woman, being a woman--

maybe we can scare her.

No.

I think we cut a deal with one of the sons.

The youngest maybe-- Rye.

The olders are--

Well, you know, how a lobster's got

a pincher claw and a crusher claw?

Which one's which?

Pardon?

Which son is which claw?

You know what? Forget it.

I don't want anything to do with your facacta metaphor.

Management says acquire the territory, we acquire it.

Whether that's cash down or sending bodies to the morgue,

that's up to the Krauts.

First Gerhardt to switch sides gets a shiny, red apple.

No, I know.

I know, uh-huh.

No. No, Sheriff says it's a local matter.

Yeah.

Okay, then.

Yeah.

- Papa. - That's me.

- Papa! - Did you get some sleep?

Oh, a couple hours.

You know, went pretty late.

- Papa, papa! - What? What?

What can I make ya?

Uh, eggs would be good. Not a bother.

I could do oatmeal, maybe.

Tell me a story.

Something about the smell of eggs right now...

Okay, coffee's fine.

Uh, okay, uh...

Once upon a time, there was, uh, an oyster.

What's an oyster?

- It's a shellfish. - Fish?

Yeah, close enough. Lou sleeping?

Uh, he had a call with the brass.

Should be down soon.

Apparently, one of your victims was a judge.

- A judge, huh? - Uh-huh.

The older woman.

Out of North Dakota.

Huh.

Papa!

Hello. Yes?

What's the story?

What story?

About the oyster.

Oh, uh, yeah.

Sorry, Lieutenant called.

Judge, huh?

- Ah, Betsy told ya? - Yeah.

Yeah, a municipal judge up in Fargo.

Huh. Oh, yeah.

One day, the, uh...

The oyster got caught in the net.

Fisherman pulled him up, all set to eat him.

Uh, except, he happened to have his--