Fargo S1E4 - "Eating the Blame" Recap

First, a flashback shows a young Stavros Milos who ends up stranded after running out of gas in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota with his wife and child. They're running away from debt and Stavros ends up face down in the snow where he takes a moment to pray. He then spots something sticking out the snow and goes over where he finds it is a windshield scraper. He uses it to dig at that spot and finds a briefcase full of hundred dollar bills. It is safe to see this as a nod to the "Fargo" film. Stavros gets back into the car and repeatedly tells his wife that God is real.

Present day Stavros learns from a plumber that there is no explanation why he was showered with blood. The plumber asks if he knows the Bible and quotes, "And God sent a plague of blood upon the land," before teasing Stavros and saying he had better get right with the Lord.

Gus spots Malvo standing outside Stavros' home and pulls his car over, holding him at gunpoint and telling him to put his phone down. He tries to arrest him, but doesn't have a proper reason to cuff him and take him in to the station, but does so anyway. Also, he doesn't read him his rights so anything Malvo says wouldn't be inadmissible in court. He later calls Molly to let her know about the arrest he made and she promises to be there as soon as she can. She lets her boss, Chief Oswalt, know and he is annoyed that she was notified instead of the officer in charge. He then heads to Duluth without her.

Lester returns to his home with his brother and note that the blood is still as it was. Lester's hand is still bothering him and his hand is swelling more. When he is alone, he gets a call from one of the Fargo men asking him if killing Sam was worth it since now he had been seen by them cozying up to Sam's widow. They discuss the theory of his being after her insurance money. Mr. Wrench angrily signs at Mr. Numbers in a diner that Lester needs to confess to his crimes. But Mr. Wrench insists that they need solid proof of his being the one to commit the crime.

At Duluth, Chief Oswalt notes that they need solid proof that the man they have in custody is indeed the one who was driving Lester's car. The security footage is too grainy by his standards. When the two police chiefs question Molvo, he claims to be Frank Peterson, a minister with a catarct in one eye and a heart condition. He employs a Minnesota accent and changes his body language to make himself seem non-threatening. He claims to have been playing bingo and had concocted support for his alibi by threatening one of his contacts.

Molly is still pursuing the investigation and is able to track down the owners of the motel where Malvo stayed and finds the name "Lorne Malvo" in their books. She calls Gus to give him the name and Gus then tries to tell Chief Bill, who is already letting Malvo go as his story checked out. As Malvo is walking out, Gus asks him how he can lie like that. Malvo is prepared to walk out again but then Gus calls him by his real name. Malvo simply presents him with a riddle: "Did you know the human eye can see more shades of green than any other colour? Why?" He says once Gus figures out the answer to that, he will have the answer he seeks.

Lester gets a call that his car isn't ready yet since a forensic team is looking at it. Right as he finishes the call, the men from Fargo blindsight him and throw him into the trunk of their car. He calls his brother while trapped but when his brother offers to call the cops, Lester tells him not to and plays it off like it's not a big deal. Lester does have a taser he had stolen from Chaz and keeps it in hiding while the Fargo brothers drag him out onto a frozen lake. While one drills a hole, the other is trying to make him admit his guilt. Lester manages to tase him and runs away into the woods. He comes across a police officer and tries to ask for a ride, which the officer initially refuses. But then Lester lightly punches him in the nose, he is arrested, and then gets that ride he wanted while the brothers watch from afar.

Stavros is losing patience fast and snaps at his son. Stavros spots a cockraoch on his desk and then smashes it with his memoir. He then begins to hear more, spotting some around them and then hears scream from his store where he finds that a countless amount are loose while his customers are running out. He then receives a voice-modulated call demanding a million dollars and warning him that God is watching. Stavros repeats the sentiment, "God is real," while Malvo stands on the roof of the store watching the chaos below.

Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench deliberately get into a fight at a bar in order to get arrested and end up in the same jail cell as Lester.

Gus meets Molly at a diner and tells her that she was right about Malvo's name and mentions the riddle. She has the answer: Predators. When people used to be monkeys in the wood, they needed to be able to discern many colours so they could detect enemies and prevent themselves from becoming prey. Gus asks where they will go next and she replies, "Lester."

Fargo airs on Tuesdays on FX at 10PM.