The Principle of Restricted Choice
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Episode 2
| "The Principle of Restricted Choice" | |
|---|---|
| Fargo episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Michael Uppendahl |
| Written by | Noah Hawley |
| Featured music | Jeff Russo |
| Cinematography by | Craig Wrobleski |
| Editing by | Henk Vaneeghen |
| Production code | XFO03002 |
| Original air date | April 26, 2017 |
| Running time | 52 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Principle of Restricted Choice" is the second episode of the third season of the American anthology black comedy–crime drama television series Fargo. It is the 22nd overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Noah Hawley and directed by Michael Uppendahl. It originally aired on FX on April 26, 2017.
The season is set primarily in 2010, in three Minnesota towns: St. Cloud, Eden Valley, and Eden Prairie. It follows the lives of a couple, Ray Stussy and Nikki Swango, who, after unsuccessfully trying to rob Ray's wealthy older brother Emmit, become involved in a double murder case. One of the victims is an old man with a mysterious past whose stepdaughter, Gloria Burgle, is a policewoman. Meanwhile, Emmit tries to cut his ties with a shady organization he borrowed money from a year before, but the company, represented by V. M. Varga, has other plans. In the episode, Ray and Nikki work on their next move by attempting to retrieve the stamp, while Emmit and Sy try to find more about Varga. Meanwhile, Gloria finds more information on her stepfather while investigating Maurice's crimes.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.06 million household viewers and gained a 0.3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received critical acclaim, with critics praising the writing, character development, humor, and performances (particularly Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Michael Stuhlbarg).
While checking the books that she found in her stepfather's house, Gloria (Carrie Coon) deduces that Ennis was a sci-fi writer known as "Thaddeus Mobley", by checking some of his older photos.
Emmit (Ewan McGregor) and Sy (Michael Stuhlbarg) talk with their lawyer Irv Blumkin (Hardee T. Lineham), to know anything about Varga (David Thewlis). Irv insults them for making business without properly knowing Varga, so they ask him to investigate Varga on their behalf. However, when Irv searches for Varga's name in Google, the computer tricks him into clicking a "download information" link. The link takes a picture of Irv and his secretary, before shutting itself off. Later, Varga places a truck in one of Emmit's parking lots. While Emmit wants to take action, Sy convinces him to stay quiet about it, fearing that Varga may take action against them.
While Gloria settles in her new joint police station, she investigates a robbery that Maurice LeFay committed at a gas station. Seeing the torn page of the phone book, she deduces that Maurice stopped before killing Ennis, as he didn't know the address. Ray (McGregor) checks his office's database to confirm that Maurice's death was ruled an accident, informing Nikki (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). That night, Ray talks with Emmit outside his house while Nikki sneaks in to steal the stamp. However, Emmit already replaced it with a portrait of a donkey, so Nikki writes "Who's the ass now?" in the portrait and then leaves her used tampon in the desk before exiting. She meets with Ray, who seems to want to mend the past with Emmit after their talk. Nikki states that Emmit replaced the stamp, suggesting he won't trust Ray and that the donkey was used to represent Ray.
Varga's enforcer, Yuri (Goran Bogdan) intercepts Irv at a parking garage and kills him by throwing him off the roof. Emmit shows Sy what happened at his office, with Emmit revealing that he replaced the stamp as the frame was broken. Sy tells him he will handle the situation, before they are notified of Irv's death. Later, Sy visits Ray at a restaurant, telling him to stop talking to Emmit. He then gives him a $20 bill, telling him that is the last money he will ever get from his brother. Sy exits and rams Ray's Corvette twice, although he accidentally hits a civilian's car as he exits. Varga visits Emmit at his office, stating that he is moving into an unused wing of his offices and has his men bring in boxes, surprising Emmit and Sy.
Production
Development
In April 2017, it was reported that the second episode of the season would be titled "The Principle of Restricted Choice", and was to be directed by Michael Uppendahl and written by series creator Noah Hawley. This was Hawley's 18th writing credit, and Uppendahl's fourth directing credit.[1]
