The Law of Vacant Places
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| "The Law of Vacant Places" | |
|---|---|
| Fargo episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Noah Hawley |
| Written by | Noah Hawley |
| Featured music | Jeff Russo |
| Production code | XFO03001 |
| Original air date | April 19, 2017 |
| Running time | 66 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Law of Vacant Places" is the third season premiere episode of the FX anthology series Fargo, and the twenty-first episode of the series overall. It was written and directed by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley. The title refers to a method in bridge known as the principle or law of vacant places.[1]
As each season of Fargo follows its own self-contained narrative, "The Law of Vacant Places", set in December 2010 over several towns in Minnesota, introduces a new storyline and cast; in the episode, probation officer Ray Stussy (Ewan McGregor), in need of money for himself and his new fiancée Nikki Swango (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), blackmails one of his parolees, the drug addict Maurice LeFay (Scoot McNairy), into stealing a valuable stamp from Ray's brother Emmit (also played by McGregor). Meanwhile, Emmit contacts a mysterious company he borrowed money from two years prior, wishing to pay them back, to surprising results.
The episode was first aired on April 19, 2017, and was seen by 1.42 million viewers.[2] It was acclaimed by critics, with particular praise given to its writing, directing, and acting; McGregor's dual performances, in particular, were singled out.[3]
In 1988, in East Berlin, Jakob Ungerleider is interrogated by Colonel Horst Lagerfeld, inside what appears to be a basement. Ungerleider is accused of being a man named Yuri Gurka who murdered his girlfriend. Jakob claims it is a case of mistaken identification, as he is married and his wife is alive. Lagerfeld becomes more aggressive and threatens and forces Jakob to "tell the truth."
In 2010, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, the self-proclaimed "Parking Lot King of Minnesota" Emmit Stussy celebrates his 25th wedding anniversary. Emmit's less successful younger brother Ray asks him for money. Emmit refuses the request. They discuss their past and it is revealed that their father, upon his death, bequeathed to Emmit a Corvette Stingray and to Ray a collection of rare stamps. Ray ended up with the Corvette, and still drives it though it is showing its age, and Emmit got the stamp collection. Ray feels that Emmit took advantage of him to get the better deal; Emmit disputes this perspective. Ray is a St. Cloud parole officer who needs money to marry his new fiancée (and parolee) Nikki Swango. Giving up on asking Emmit for money, Ray manipulates a parolee, Maurice LeFay, who has failed his drug test and therefore faces revocation of parole, into stealing the last remaining stamp from Emmit. However, on his way to Emmit's house, a stoned Maurice loses the paper on which Ray had written the address; trying to remember, Maurice confuses the town of Eden Prairie with Eden Valley, and, remembering only the name Emmit Stussy, finds in a phone book the address of an E. Stussy, who, unbeknownst to him, has no relation whatsoever with the Stussy brothers.
Ennis Stussy is the stepfather to Police Chief Gloria Burgle and adoptive and kindly grandfather to Gloria's son. Burgle is the Chief of Eden Valley, but the department is being folded into a larger municipality, so she will soon lose that title. After spending an evening with Ennis, Burgle begins the drive back home with her son. Realizing that her son Nathan has forgotten a birthday present Ennis gave him, she drives back to his home, only to find Ennis dead in his kitchen and the house ransacked by Maurice as a result of mistaken identification. Upon searching the house for the killer, Gloria finds, hidden under the wooden floor, science fiction novels she had no idea her stepfather had. Back in St. Cloud, Maurice suddenly appears in Ray and Nikki's apartment, explaining that things went south with the robbery. Realizing not only that Maurice killed a man, but also robbed the wrong house and did not obtain the stamp, Ray becomes aggressive; in return, Maurice threatens him with a gun, and blackmails him into giving him $5,000 by the next day. Maurice leaves, but as he exits the building, Nikki and Ray kill him by dropping a window air conditioner on his head.
Meanwhile, Emmit and his business partner, Sy Feltz, contact a shady organization, which they had borrowed money from two years ago, to pay them back fully with interest. However, the man sent by the company, the strange V. M. Varga, explains that the company does not want their money back, and that it was an "investment". He then leaves, as Emmit and Sy wonder what they have gotten themselves into.
Music
The music for the episode was provided by series composer Jeff Russo. The episode features several notable pre-existing songs: "Crazy on You" by Heart, "Moanin'" by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, "Prisencolinensinainciusol" by Adriano Celentano, "Oskus Urug" by Radik Tyulush, and, over the end credits, "S.O.B." by Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats.[4][5][6]
