I think Nikki is the most likely, since there will presumably have to be some form of confrontation/reconciliation between them before the season wraps up.

Yes, I think we're meant to understand that Yuri is dead, and that Ray Wise is a mythic being in charge of people's transition from this world to the next.

The whole bathroom sequence with the sink and the soap dispenser was unexpectedly moving.

I think they are trying to avoid killing people - they didn't even hurt anyone when they stole the truck.

To be fair, the hijacking also involved the use of a machine gun.

Good catch!

They usually have some thematic relevance I think, although they are typically 3 times longer than what is warranted by their contribution to the show. Yuri suffers from a similar problem. I think the key to contextualizing his speeches is to consider how their intended messages conflict with the philosophy that…

He acquits himself reasonably well in my opinion, but his performance is hamstrung by the fact that there does not seem to be have been any non-gimmick motivation for casting the same actor as both brothers.

It's also worth remarking that thematically this season seems to be intended as a rebuke of Varga's worldview, and presumably both Nikki and Gloria will serve as the vessels of his comeuppance.

It was definitely the most 'horror movie' sequence of this season, which has leaned much more heavily on a horror vibe than past seasons. The circle of blood around the tree (and neck) stump was an arresting image.

It did seem weird to focus on the fortuitous appearance of Mr. Wrench as "a sort of self-conscious bit of authorial intervention" but draw no connection between that and the literal deus ex machina of Ray Wise and his divine Volkswagen.

Scott Tobias' (somewhat critical) recap at the NYT is also worth a read.

I guess they had to steal ranged weapons because they never expected Nikki to escape the bus (thus creating a scenario in which a ranged weapon would be useful). Of course, it is a huge contrivance that they didn't bother to bring so much as a handgun to this brazen assault on a prison transport vehicle. But Fargo is…

Haha, fair point.

Interesting, good memory.

I think you're right. I missed it even though it was right under my nose because I was trying to find some specific connection to Varga in that nursery rhyme, but it was just a restatement of the broad theme of the show.

This is the best interpretation of his character that I have seen yet. It's too bad the writers couldn't find a way to make his scenes more enjoyable to watch, even with the help of Shea Wigham.

Yeah, I didn't recognize him, nor did I remember his or his partner's name. I knew from the camerawork in that scene that he was supposed to be of some significance to the viewer, but I couldn't figure out why. Maybe it's time for me to rewatch season 1.

According to the Fargo wiki, in episode 9 'Wrench's photo is seen on the board of evidence. Next to his photo reveals a new article that's says in bold words "Officer killed as shootout suspect escapes custody."'

Anyone have a theory of the significance of that rhyme? Went over my head.