Fargo

My husband wants to thank you for coming.

Of course. We know what side of the bread gets buttered.

We know how to butter bread!

You don't have to yell. He's not deaf.

Oh, I -- I didn't --

what's wrong with him, then?

-He had a stroke. -A mild stroke.

He can't walk or talk.

For now, he can't.

One day, though.

He's still... Same lion inside.

But until he's better, you talk to me.

Bear: That's right.

Talk to ma.

She's in charge.

Also, we want to thank you for your cards and letters.

Are you kidding me? Cards and letters?

We're in a state of siege, and you're talking about -- boys.

You know about the offer on the table?

Floyd: Kansas City?

The money's good, you know?

More than fair.

Sure, but what they don't tell you is after you sign,

they take your balls with a straight razor

and fatten you up like a housecat.

-Language. -Give me a break.

I'm saying -- this is our business.

We built it with blood and muscle.

It's earned.

And you can't just write a check --

-this family has been -- -you can't just write a check.

Floyd: This family has been a peace-time family since Kennedy.

You think we just, out of the blue,

pick up our guns and it's high noon?

We're talking about the Kansas City mafia.

They're like all the sharks in the sea.

And we're...

Let's be honest, we're small-time.

"Know thyself."

What are you on about?

It's in the Bible.

I'm saying we hit 'em and hit 'em hard.

Otherwise, wither and die. Right, pop?

Look, it's not just the business.

It's the country.

This no-brains Jimmy Carter with his stupid peanut grin,

and now I got to wait in line to fill my tank?

Dodd: Exactly. Where does it end?

Enough -- all of you.

It may be we have to fight, and I'm not afraid of a war.

I'm not.

But on my terms -- as a last resort.

So I need to know now --

are you with me?

Well, look.

We talked.

And we're not saying "yes, we're going to war."

But we recognize promises were made

in blood, generations ago.

What he's saying is

we're not gonna make the first move.

But if these Kansas City mooks come at you shootin',

we'll cut the goddamn nose off their face.

Uh-huh.

Late.

Sorry.

Couldn't get the shampoo out of my hair.

Soft water.

Say what?

This goddamn northern water.

It's slick to the touch.

Yeah.

I thought it was the shampoo.

It could be that, too.

I always carry my own.

Agree.

Agree to what?

That's the brand -- agree.

No additives. It works -- hard water or soft.

Feel my hair.

Yeah, that's nice.

So update's this --

nothing on the Gerhardt frau as to "yes" or "no".

I didn't expect it, but still.

Research thinks that they'll stall, then pass.

So we kill 'em.

Maybe.

If the market says kill 'em, we kill 'em.

The market says offer more money,

we offer more money.

Whatever the pluses and minuses dictate.

And on the Gerhardt kid -- this Rye?

Get this.

He gunned down a judge -- some small hick town

a couple hours south from here -- then disappeared.

On the run now, we're thinking.

On the run is good.

On the run we can use.

Find him. You, not them.

Then he's leverage over the frau,

and maybe turn things our way

without buying a bunch of extra bullets.

Dispatcher: Car 18, over.

This is 18. Over.

I got the rock county sheriff on the line.

Hold. Over.

Hank: Went by the house.

Betsy says you're up in Fargo.

Yeah, I went to see about our judge's caseload.

Maybe there's a connection to our shooter. Over.

Well, I'm callin' 'cause we got a print match

off of that gun you found.

Right index belonged to one Rye Gerhardt,

which, I looked up,

is the youngest male heir

to that Gerhardt syndicate out of Fargo.

You don't say.

Over.

Yup, so there's that.

Okay, well, I'll mention that to Fargo pd.

Uh, I'll probably be back late tonight, though.

You want to tell Betsy not to wait up for me? Over.

Okay, then.

Sounds good. Over.

Over and out, I guess.

How ya doing?

You know, waitin'.

Lou Solverson, Minnesota state police.

I drove up from Luverne.

Ben Schmidt.

Forensics is inside.

Ah.

Takin' their time.

Yeah.

Heard the crime scene was a deal.

Mm.

I'm working things up here.

Thought maybe tomorrow, I'd drive down, take a look.

You're welcome to.

Or I can send ya the photos. They're pretty thorough.

Three dead, including the judge.

Fry cook and a waitress, also.

Shot multiple times.

Got the prints back on the gun just before.

Rye Gerhardt.

That bad, huh?

I'm not saying your life would be easier

if it was your own prints on the gun,

but that's the lines along which you should be thinkin'.

Distribution, right? Gerhardts?

Yeah.

Dieter -- that's Otto's dad --

started running booze during prohibition,

ended up building a truckin' empire.

1951, he gets 19 bullets in the head.

That's when the son, Otto, he takes over, which is like --

the good news is, world war I is over.

The bad news is, "say to hello to Adolf Hitler."

And the shooter is Otto's youngest?

Yeah.

Yeah, the runt --

mm, basically wind and swagger,

except, I guess he's more than that now.

Say...

You ever heard of, uh...

Mike Milligan or the kitchen brothers?

Out of Kansas City.

We caught them sniffin' around the crime scene,

but nothing to hold 'em on, so...

You, uh -- you in the service?

Navy -- two tours.

Swift boat -- i was a lieutenant.

Infantry for me, outside da nang.

And we had a saying -- fubar.

Yeah, we had that, too.

So when you put a dead judge, the Gerhardt family,

and some hitters from Kansas in a bag together,

I go back to thinking it might be best

just to confess to the crime myself --

go live a long life in a cell somewhere

with hot and cold running water.

Hanzee: He got a place in town, then -- your uncle?

Simone: Rye.

Something he doesn't tell people,

where he can do his business?

-You mean nail girls? -Girls, drugs.

I don't know.

I don't.

I mean...Maybe.

Okay.

Maybe I been there with a boy

or to score some weed.

No drugs, your dad says.

Says anyone sells to you gets the axe.

Geez, you're all a bunch of squares.

Sometimes a girl just wants to bust a nut, ya know?

It's over on 13th somewhere.

Near the train station, i think.

Not like I memorized the address.

Show me.