This article contains SPOILERS for Season 3 of Fargo. You have been warned.
The penultimate episode of season three of Fargo, “Aporia,” set up the events for next week’s final episode. We saw Nikki and Mr. Wrench return, trying to strong-arm Varga. While Gloria was close to getting to the bottom of everything. Overall, the episode was slightly disappointing because it wasn’t quite as good as the last few (which were great).
Before last night’s episode, it wasn’t completely clear what happened with the stamps—whether Emmit really did “trick” Ray, or if Ray was just sour about the whole thing. It turns out, Emmit definitely pulled a quick one on Ray. In a way, Emmit used reverse psychology to get his brother to give up the stamps, and Ray ended up pleading with Emmit to take the stamps, “like it’s his idea,” Emmit confesses.
Then Emmit made built an empire and made a fortune off the stamps, keeping the one two-cent stamp and hanging it up like a trophy that was like a “stick in the eye” for his brother every time. Emmit tells Gloria he didn’t murder his brother, but that he did kill him. “Thirty years, I been killin’ him,” Emmit said. “That’s just when he fell.”
The confession and clear remorse further confirm that Emmit isn’t a terrible guy—with a good family (well, before), that’s been my thought all along. But he was without a doubt a jerk to his brother. Emmit could’ve done more to help Ray—maybe Ray would have been a successful business man if he even had one of the stamps. The realization came a little too late though.
At the end of last week’s episode, I thought for sure the confession by Emmit would go differently. He had a family that could be put in danger as well, but I thought he might tell Gloria all about Varga and the operation that’s been going on. Instead, he just says he killed his brother. I’m not quite sure what he wanted to get out of the confession besides maybe helping his conscience. He probably thought being honest would be a lot better than getting caught deeper and deeper in a lie (he might even avoid jail time—or at least serious time—as it was a clear accident).
Meanwhile, Nikki and Mr. Wrench perform a heist on Varga’s trailer, using a paper weight fake grenade as their main weapon. They must have meticulously planned this out over the last few months; they knew exactly what they had to do and what they had to get. And while they are very much alive, we haven’t seen Yuri, who could be dead or alive, since the “bowling alley.”
Nikki’s bridge playing ability transitioned well to real-life intense deal-making (if you want to call it that). She used Mr. Wrench like a Queen (sorry Mr. Wrench) in a chess game, taking Meemo—who was going to take her out if she had the stolen items—off the board. Varga was so impressed with Nikki, he ended up offering a job and bumped her salary up by three zeros by the time their conversation was over. Was it a serious job offer? Probably not, as he said himself he came to dislike her after being indifferent.
As for Gloria, she was feel probably as good as she’s felt in a long time, with Emmit confirming her suspicion about the whole situation. But that came crashing down when they supposedly found the person that killed all four people, including Gloria’s father-in-law and Ray. She just couldn’t believe it, and it made her feel completely worthless.
She did figure it all out though. She knows there’s a master pulling the strings on everything, but Emmit won’t give Varga up. Seeing a questionable-looking Meemo and Varga coming to pick up Emmit—who had already told her to not let anyone in who claims to be his lawyer—can’t make her feel any better.
The episode ends with the real books and a flash drive being sent to the IRS agent that was auditing Stussy’s company until he was sent away by Meemo. It’s not 100% who sent this to the IRS, but it was probably Nikki, who said she wants to look Varga in the face and take something from him.
“Aporia” didn’t move forward too much, and it sort of builded up to the last episode. Emmit, in particular, went in a circle in this week’s episode, but his confession settled some things between him and his brother. There’s a lot to be sorted out in next week’s season finale, so hopefully we’ll get great episode to end the year.