Getting Away With Murder

"A man has a fox, a rabbit and a cabbage, and he wants to get across the river, but his boat can only carry one of them at a time. The problem is if the man leaves the fox and the rabbit alone, the fox is gonna eat the rabbit and the same for the rabbit and the cabbage. So how does the man get across the river without losing any of them?" - Agent Budge, "Fargo"

When "Fargo" began as a 10-episode murder mystery, it was impossible to avoid comparison. It shared a name and a sensibility with a famous film. It was sent in the frozen north of Minnesota. And it was a caper show with quirky characters.

In fact, watching the first episode, those familiar with the movie would have felt like they were seeing a great imitation of the Coen Brothers' tone, language, and cinematic style. But as the series has continued, the divergence has grown.

"Fargo" as a TV show is a poor impression of the film. But it's a great TV show, full of rich and quirky characters, beautifully layered performances, and a fascinating story. It's based on a true story, so there will be an ending on Tuesday at the season finale. My hope is that this show gets renewed, though that would come with a different story, different actors, and different characters.

But before we get to next season, it's time to ponder how this iteration will end. Here are a few questions.

Will Molly solve the case and get the credit she deserves? She's been the only one putting together the pieces, so far, and she's been dedicated to her task despite the push back she's received.

Will Lester get away with murder? So far he's managed to do a lot without suffering any consequences. He's gotten two wives killed, sent his brother to prison, and lied to everyone he knows. But it feels like the end of the ride is coming and, since this is based on a true story and we know what he did, that makes me think he won't get away with it all.

Finally, will Lorne Malvo get caught? The only one who's skated on more crimes that Lester is Malvo. He's killed dozens, yet no one seems to know what he's doing. Is that about to come to an end? Will his pursuit of Lester be his undoing or, like Anton Chigurth, will he escape into the unknown?

We have one more, 90-minute episode to find out. Either way, much like "True Detective" in the winter, "Fargo" is showing the power and beauty of this type of anthology series. It's a trend that I hope continues.