FX’s Fargo season five episode eight begins with Danish Graves (Dave Foley) scanning his handwritten Debtors of North Dakota ledger and selecting three men – Marlin Everett, John Sasquatch, and Blew Noyes – all white and about 6’ tall. Graves takes the three men to the North Dakota Court Services and officially has their names changed. To what isn’t disclosed yet, but all three now have the same legal name.
You wouldn’t expect Dot (Juno Temple) to go quietly as Roy Tillman (Jon Hamm) tries to check her out of the hospital, and she doesn’t disappoint. Instead of signing her name, she writes “Help Me” on the release form. She’s unsuccessful in stealing the pen but succeeds in snagging a paper clip without Roy noticing.
Roy threatens to put the nurse’s brother back in jail if she tries to stop him from completing the sign-out process.
Dot is almost saved from being hauled away by her abusive first husband when North Dakota Deputy Witt Farr (Lamorne Morris) steps into the hospital waiting room. Witt immediately realizes Dot’s in danger, but Dot refuses to go with him, worried that if she tries Roy will kill the deputy.
Before Roy drags her away, Dot whispers to Witt, “Tell Wayne I’ll be there soon.”
Witt calls Minnesota Police Deputy Indira Olmstead (Richa Moorjani) and fills her in on what just went down, describing Dot’s demeanor as that of a trapped animal. Indira, who’s having a bad morning after being forced to evict an elderly couple as part of her job, doesn’t think the FBI will be much help since they never return phone calls.
Roy takes Dot back to the ranch and chains her up in an empty outbuilding. He claims she broke her vow; Dot says he broke multiple bones, including three ribs. After a minute of pulling on her chains, Dot changes tactics and begs to be let go to take care of her daughter. Plus, they’re getting kittens next year, and she’s in love with the most wonderful man who happens to be her best friend. Who will remind him to take Lactaid when he eats cheese?
Dot points out Gator was almost her age – 15 – when she was forced into marrying Roy, but Roy doesn’t care. She’s his property, no matter what’s happened in the years since she escaped.
“I promise to let you go as soon as you beg me to let you stay and mean it,” says Roy.
Dot makes her own promise. She promises to kill him.
Karen enters the building with minimal supplies for Dot, including a cot and a bucket to use as a restroom. She slaps Dot across the face, warning her never to open her mouth in her presence. As Karen makes a quick exit, Dot realizes Roy’s third wife is obviously much more accepting of Roy’s abuse and lifestyle.
After they leave, Dot sets to work trying to free herself using the paper clip. She gets a bolt loose and uses a piece of the metal cot as a saw on her chains, freeing one of her legs.
Indira’s rotten day continues when she returns home earlier than expected and catches her no-good husband with another woman. She finally does what she should have done years ago and kicks him out of her house – and her life.
Meanwhile, Roy Tillman and his family arrive at the 2019 Stark County Election Debate. He’s greeted with applause by the crowd packed into the auditorium but is stunned when he steps on the stage and discovers three men (the ones who legally had their names changed) assembled behind podiums next to his.
The men are all Roy Tillmans but with different middle names.
Roy attempts to take charge of the debate, but it quickly slips away from him. The first question is about spending $500,000 on unnecessary military equipment, including a tank. His claims that he’s all about preparedness and defense are echoed by the three Roys, who go on to mimic his words and gestures. The audience laughs at Roy’s increasing discomfort as he tosses his podium aside – as do the Roys.
He storms off the stage, calling the whole thing a travesty. Photographers ask for a photo of all the Roy Tillmans, and that pushes Roy over the edge. He pushes one photographer away and then punches the female moderator in the face.
Danish Graves appears proud of what he’s pulled off, making his exit as chaos erupts in the auditorium behind him.
Back at the farm, Dot’s temporarily forced to stop trying to escape when Gator (Joe Keery) puts in an appearance. He demands to know what she told the FBI, and Dot says she didn’t say anything. Dot seems to still be under the delusion that she met with Gator’s mom, Linda, and she assures him Linda’s fine and never meant to abandon him.
Gator refuses to believe her, and Dot reacts by pointing out his dad refused to name him Roy Jr, even though he’s the fifth boy in a long line of firstborn Roys and the only one without the name. Dot reveals that it’s because Roy thought he was a loser from the moment he was born.
Gator hopes Dot dies without ever seeing her daughter again.
Witt arrives at the ranch’s front gate and is met by an angry Gator who refuses to allow the deputy onto the property. Gator gives the order to shoot Witt if he returns.
Danish reports in to Lorraine Lyon that the operation was a success; they’ve effectively ruined Roy’s shot at re-election. And as fate would have it, Witt’s passing the gas station where Danish is pulled over. Witt explains that Dot’s being held against her will at the Tillman ranch, and she needs help.
Witt’s called away, but before he takes off, he warns Danish to do something fast. “I don’t know how long she’s got,” says Witt.
Danish appears conflicted about what to do next and decides not to call Lorraine with an update.
Roy and family arrive back at the ranch after the debate debacle, and Karen suggests this is all Dot’s fault. She’s brought a curse down upon their family and is rubbing her sins in their faces.
”Toxic” plays in the background as Roy steps out of the vehicle without saying a word and sets out on a long (as in two minutes) walk to the outbuilding where Dot’s chained up, face fixed in a grimace the entire length of the walk. Once inside, he beats her – the beating takes place off-screen, but the audio and the shot of Dot’s face afterward reveal the brutality of the attack.
Roy stands over Dot, and she warns him it’s his last chance to let her go. Roy appears unconcerned by her threat and Dot channels her inner tiger, wrapping her chain around his neck. An intense struggle ensues, but Dot’s physically no match for the towering Roy.
Dot rolls around the floor, avoiding Roy’s attempts at whipping her with the chain. She picks up the piece of metal she worked loose from the cot but it’s no use because Roy’s a massive man and much stronger, even though she’s fueled by rage. The foreman interrupts with news that Danish Graves is at the gate. Before he leaves, Roy grabs Dot by the throat and snarls, “Only one way you’re getting out of here…”
Dot swears she’ll escape, the same as Linda. Roy handcuffs Dot to the bed and assures her she’ll wind up buried right next to Linda. Dot doesn’t want to accept that Linda’s dead, and Roy’s admission jars her.
Following Roy’s departure to meet with Danish, Dot breaks a small window and screams out, “I’m here!” Suddenly, she falls silent as she stares at the windmill. It’s the same one where she dug up the box with Linda’s postcard in episode seven. Scenes from her imagined visit with Linda at Camp Utopia play through her head, and she’s forced to accept that was all just a dream.
Danish pulls up to the big house and doesn’t answer his phone before meeting with Roy. Danish admits he was behind the Roys at the debate, and warns Roy that as it stands now, he’ll lose his re-election and might be charged with assault. However, Danish can make all his problems disappear – and fix the election – if Roy returns Dot.
Danish believes this is a good deal and that Roy should take it. Roy responds by shooting Danish in the stomach. He finishes him off with another shot.
Night falls and Indira arrives at the Lyon estate, done with her previous life. She takes the job Lorraine offered and informs her new boss that Witt found Dot, and she’s currently being held against her will at the Tillman ranch. (Indira doesn’t know Danish went to see Roy.) Lorraine tells Indira her new job starts immediately.
The episode ends with a truck carrying Danish’s dead body pulling up to the windmill as Dot watches from captivity. A secret compartment below a metal container is opened, and Danish’s body is unceremoniously dumped into the hole. Dot sinks down to her knees, and for the first time in the season, she appears almost defeated.
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New Fargo season five episodes air on FX on Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT.
- Fargo Season 5 Episode 1 “The Tragedy of the Commons” Recap
- Fargo Season 5 Episode 2 “Trials and Tribulations” Recap
- Fargo Season 5 Episode 3 “The Paradox of Intermediate Transactions” Recap
- Fargo Season 5 Episode 4 “Insolubilia” Recap
- Fargo Season 5 Episode 5 “The Tiger” Recap
- Fargo Season 5 Episode 6 “The Tender Trap” Recap
- Fargo Season 5 Episode 7 “Linda” Recap
- Fargo Season 5 Episode 9 “The Useless Hand” Recap
- Fargo Season 5 Episode 10 “Bisquik” Finale Recap
