I thought the same thing, and I was sober. Oh, wait, no I wasn't, but I
was sure that Malvo intended to be picked up. Coincidences just aren't
a part of scripted drama, usually. And I also didn't realize the hit
men staged the fight, even with that ending shot. Maybe they were both
coincidences. Deaf guy could…

I'm surprised there was no mention of the Linder plotline (Linder/Linden — yet another Killing parallel) where he takes the girl he kidnapped to his friend's "refuge" village, or whatever cult-like place it is.   That seems to be a major plot-point that DOES move the story forward.  And the creepy way he asks her for…