"Lou:" "This is a true story." "[ Clock ticking ]" "The events depicted took place in Minnesota," "North and South Dakota in 1979." "[ TV static crackling ]" "[ Birds chirping ]" "At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed." "Out of respect for the dead..." "[ Clock ticking ] the rest has been told exactly as it occurred." "♪" "Noreen:" "Feeling better, then?" "Mm." "Doc says you had a reaction to those pills they gave ya." "Told them they were supposed to kill the cancer, but he says the pills may kill you first." "Hmm." "Is Lou back?" "No." "And no word, either." "Something to eat?" "Oh, God, no." "My dad?" "Same-- no word." "And Molly?" "Tried to put her in her own bed, but she wouldn't go-- stubborn." "Yeah." "She gets that from her dad." "[ Inhales deeply ]" "Ohh!" "[ Grunts ]" "If you're not gonna eat, doc says sleep." "Get your strength back." "Mm." "So, you stay lying' down, you, and it's okay." "I'll be right here." "♪" "Betsy:" "That night, I had a dream." "Next week, we'll discuss economic concepts..." "Betsy:" " It felt so real..." " ...and about critical-thinking skills." "...even though I knew it couldn't be or wasn't yet." "Teacher:" "Yes, Molly." "[ Device beeping ]" "I dreamt of a magical future filled with wondrous devices where everything you could ever want would be available in one amazing place." "Oh." "All right." "[ Clears throat ]" "Here we go." " Ready?" " Mm-hmm." " [ Camera shutter clicks ]" " Just one more." "Betsy:" "And there was happiness there." "But then, I saw farther still-- years, decades into the future." "All right." " I saw a handsome older man..." "Lou: - [ Speaks indistinctly ] ...his back still straight," "Molly: [ Laughs ] Blow." "...visited by his children" " and grandchildren..." " There you go!" "...people of accomplishment..." "Man:" "Yay!" " ...of contentment." " [ Noisemaker honks ]" "But then..." "I saw... chaos..." "[ Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" plays ]" " [ Noisemaker honks ] - ...the fracture of peace and enlightenment." "[ Grunts ]" " And I worried..." " [ Laughs ] ...that the future I'd seen..." "[ Gunshot ] ...magical and filled with light..." "[ Laughter ]" "[ Laughs ] Yeah." "...might never come to pass." " [ Siren wailing ] - [ Sighs ]" "Hank:" "Go." "I can make it." "[ Sighs ]" "Dinner Sunday?" "[ Chuckles ]" "I'll be there..." "in a suit of armor." "[ Wailing continues ]" "♪" "[ Tires screech ]" "♪ generals gathered in their masses ♪" "Ed:" "Hey!" "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" "Mister." "♪ just like witches at black masses ♪" "What's the trouble, young fella?" "Hey, mister, we need a ride." "[ Gunshot ]" "♪ evil minds that plot destruction ♪" "♪ sorcerer of death's construction ♪" "♪ in the fields, the bodies burning ♪" "Ed!" "Peggy:" "Come on!" "♪ as the war machine keeps turning ♪" "♪ death and hatred to mankind ♪" "♪ poisoning their brainwashed minds ♪" "♪ oh, Lord, yeah!" "♪" "♪" "[ Music continues ]" "♪ politicians hide themselves away ♪" "♪ they only started the war ♪" "♪ why should they go out to fight?" "♪" "[ Song stops, engine turns off ]" "[ Car door closes ]" "[ Sighs ]" "People of Earth..." "[Singsong voice] I'm home." "[ Door closes ]" "[ Clock ticking ]" "Peggy: [ Breathing heavily ] Come on, now." "Come on." "Come on." "Come on." "You're gonna be okay." "Just a little further." "Look." "Come on." "[ Bell dings ]" " Get out of here." " Sweet Christmas." "Get out of here!" "Go on." "Get out of here!" "There's a bad man coming!" "♪ ...to make my life more fun ♪" "[ Gunshot ]" "Okay, I'm gonna-- I'm gonna use the phone, and I'm gonna call-- [ Gunshot ]" "Hon, come on." "Let's go." "Come on." "♪" "[ Grunts ]" "Come on." "[ Grunts ]" "Ohh!" "Don't!" "Don't!" "You were supposed to watch 'em" " Ed and Peggy." "Come on." "[ Grunts ]" "Yeah, it'll work in here." "I don't know, Ed." "[ Speaks indistinctly ]" "We can lock it from the inside, hide out till we're-- till we're rescued." "World War III out there, in case you didn't notice." "You okay there?" "Don't start." " She blindsided me, okay?" " [ Bullet casings clatter ]" "Pack of wolves at the door." "I didn't think the bitch-- didn't think she'd be dumb enough to sucker me." "[ Both breathing heavily ]" "Only one way he coulda gone" " Hanzee." "Huh?" "And your feeling is we go the same way instead of home to bed." "Yeah." "In a hurry." "Fubar, yeah?" "Fubar." "♪" "♪ it's facing' shadows of the future ♪" "♪ praying' they will fall away ♪" "_" "We got to lock it." "Here." "[ Grunts ]" "Come on." "Come on." "Sit down." "You can do it." "Come on." " Just sit here." " [ Sighs ]" "[ Both breathing heavily ]" "Come here." "Sorry." "I gotta..." "[ Weakly ] It's bad." "Hold on." "Let me just see how bad it is." "[ Gasps ]" "Okay." "You're gonna be okay." "Peg, I don't think we're gonna make it." "Ohh." "Don't you say that, Ed Blumquist." "We come this far." " We're gonna go all the way." " No, I'm saying..." "Even if we get out of this," "I don't think we're gonna make it-- you and me." "[ Sighs ]" " What are you saying?" " We're just too different." "Don't say that." "This-- wh-what we've been through-- adversity." "That's what-- that's what seals the bond, makes us stronger." " Peg." " Like-- like-- like how a bone heals." " Peg." " No, no." "I-I know I had my doubts." " I know, but I'm" " I'm sure now." " Peg." " I'm sure." " Will you just let me talk?" "You're always trying to fix everything, but sometimes nothing's broken." "Everything's working just fine." "If you can't see that, if you don't know that..." " Ed." " I love ya." "I do." "All I'm ever gonna want is to get back to what we had." "♪ prayed, they won't come true ♪" "♪ and break your heart ♪" "♪ another slice is feeding' kids ♪" "♪ and wiping' noses ♪" "♪ cryin' when the doorbell rings ♪" "♪ and there are roses ♪" "♪" "Hello." "[ Shotgun cocks ]" "Gale... be reasonable." "[ Slurps ]" "From this moment forward," "I decree no more schnitzel or strudel." "Let's get some American food up in this." "[ Whistles ]" "[ Engine shuts off ]" "[ Door closes ]" "[ Clock ticking ]" "[ Exhales slowly ]" "Everyone's dead." "[ Imitates gunshot ]" "[ Clears throat ]" "Unh-unh." "Forget something?" "Ricky: [ Sighs ]" "Well... you caught me." "I thought nobody was home." "[ Chuckles ]" "We're here." "Remind me which one you are again." "The kid Otto had with the maid?" "You see the shotgun, right?" "You couldn't afford a real one?" "Times are tough, friend-o." "Hey, why do you think I'm stealing the silver?" "[ Chuckles ]" "Hey, maybe... in the spirit of, uh... human struggle..." "[ Chuckles ] we say bygones-- you let me get back in my car and drive away." "Do you know what the definition of the word "sovereignty" is?" "What am I?" "The professor from "Gilligan's Island"?" "[ Chuckles ]" "Sovereignty is absolute power and authority." "Like a king?" "Exactly." "Which is who I am-- your king." "Uh..." "It's America, brother." "We don't do kings." "Oh, we do." "We do." "We just call them something else." "See, today is my coronation day." "And on coronation day, I've always believed a new king should start his reign with an act of kindness." "Right on." "And an act of cruelty." "That way, your subjects know that you're capable of both" "God and monster." "Shit." "Sign me up for the first one." "Problem is Wilma works in the kitchen." "The Indian?" "Right." "She has already received my kindness-- to wit, a brand-new car and all the money that was in that cabinet you were searching." "Damn." "Which means you..." "Don't tell me." " ...are shit out of luck." " [ Chuckles ]" "[ Sighs ]" "Story of my life, brother." "Hey, you ever been to Baltimore?" "[ Gurgling, coughs ]" "Mike:" "An act of cruelty, remember?" "[ Coughs ]" "[ Groans, gurgling ]" "Well..." "[Sighs]" "I'm bushed." "Think I'm gonna go take a nap." "You should get some rest, too." "For, in the morning, we journey home to bathe in that warm champagne that is corporate praise." "Who knows?" "Maybe they'll even throw us a parade." "I love a parade." "[ Electricity humming ]" "[ Jeannie C. Riley's "The Wedding Cake" plays ]" "♪ it's facing' shadows of the future ♪" "♪ praying' they will fall away ♪" "♪ as we walk toward them searching' for the sun ♪" "Peggy:" "Save your strength, huh?" "You're gonna be fine, and we'll figure this all out." "And I-I know I've been nothing but trouble to ya." "I know." "[ Door rattles ]" "[ Rattling continues ]" "Maybe he just walks away." "[ Rattling continues ]" "He's tryin' to smoke us out." "[ Coughs ]" "Help me, Ed." "They'll see." "Somebody, they'll see, and they'll-- they'll call someone." "[ Coughs ]" "They'll see." "Oh, my God." "Ed." "It's just like the movie-- the movie I was watchin' this mornin' with the guy all tied up-- the Gerhardt-- on the TV." "There was this-- there was this couple-- this French-- and they were on the run... from the Nazi, I gu-- uh, and..." "[ Sighs ] and the husband or whatever he was, he-- he got shot, just like you." "But then they hid out in this" "Well, it wasn't a supermarket." "It was a farmhouse." "But they hid out, and the-- and the Nazi tried to smoke them out just like this." "But they got out!" "Ed, they got out!" "They were saved!" "Ed." "[ Sighs ]" "Ed." "Ed!" "No!" "Ed?" "Ed!" "[ Gasps ]" "No." "[ Sobbing ]" "[ Door rattles ]" "[ Coughing ]" "[ Grunts ]" "Peggy!" "It's okay!" "It's okay!" "It's me!" " Where is he?" "!" " It's me!" " Where is he?" "!" "I'll kill him!" "Lou:" " It's okay!" " No, no, no." "He's gone." "He's gone, hon." " No, you're lying to me!" " Husband's down." " No!" "No!" "You stay back!" "Where is he?" "!" "Where's the Indian?" "!" " Where is he?" "!" " Stop." " He tried to smoke us out, just like in the movie!" " No!" " Peggy, there's no smoke!" " No!" "There's no smoke." "We need to check on Ed." "He's shot." "He's shot!" "He was-- he was-- he was shot, and the Indian-- where is he?" "He tried to light a fire, just like in the movie!" "Just like in the movie!" "Where is he?" "!" "[ Both breathing heavily ]" " Peggy." " Where's the Indian?" " Just look at me." " No." " He lit a fire." " No, the Indian got away, okay?" "We followed Ed's blood trail, okay?" "Kicked in the door-- us." " No, he's here." " The Indian was never in the building." " No, he was." "Ed will tell ya." " No." "Ed?" "Ed?" "Ed?" "Come on, Ed." "We're saved." "Ed!" "They're here!" "We're rescued!" "[ Crying ] Ed!" "Ed!" "Ed!" "[ Sobbing ]" "Come on, Ed!" "[ Sobbing continues ]" "There's a manhunt under way for our man." "Won't get far." "[ Sighs ]" "Local PD says your father-in-law is in the ICU." ""Cautiously optimistic" is the report." "What about your boss?" "Ah." "[ Chuckles ]" "You know, I don't-- I don't even know... how to write this thing up..." "Where to begin." "Well, like anything, I guess, you know?" "Just start at the start and work your way to the end." "Okay, then." "Yeah." "You're gonna be okay." "I'm gonna take Peggy Blumquist back to Minnesota." "[ Clears throat ]" "If anyone's got a problem with that, after the week I've had, they can keep it to themselves." "♪" "[ Engine turns over ]" "[ Birds chirping ]" "Mm." "Noreen:" "Mornin'." "Is Lou back?" "No." "S-so... is it...?" "Do you feel it?" "Feel what?" "My aunt lost her bosom to cancer." "Said it felt like somebody took a hot poker and put it through her heart." "No." "Not like that." "Not yet." "You know how sometimes you get a peach from the bowl and one side is ripe and yellow and the other is black and moldy?" "That-- that's the only way I can think to describe it." "Camus says knowing' we're gonna die makes life absurd." "Well, I don't know who that is." "But I'm guessing he doesn't have a 6-year-old girl." "He's French." "Ugh, I don't care if he's from Mars." "Nobody with any sense would say something that foolish." "We're put on this earth to do a job." "And each of us gets the time we get to do it." "And when this life is over and you stand in front of the Lord..." "Well, you try tellin' him it was all some Frenchman's joke." "Do ya think..." "Is there any chance I could be tried federal?" "Why?" "I thought-- well, maybe I could serve my time in California." "There was this news report on the TV about how there's this penitentiary just north of San Francisco that looks out on the bay." "Doesn't that sound nice?" "Maybe see a pelican." "We'll see what we can do." "I was there at the end, you know?" "After the war, when Saigon fell, on the USS Kirk patrolling the coast." "And when the country went, it went fast." "And we had, like, you know, 24 hours to get everybody out." "And not just Americans, but... our allies, the South Vietnamese, all packed onto boats and helicopters." "We stood on the deck and waved them in." "And one by one, they'd land, unload, and then we'd push the whirlybirds into the sea." "The damndest thing." "But then, this Chinook comes." "And those things-- you can't just land one on a ship this size." "So we wave them off." "But the pilot's got his whole family inside, and he's running out of fuel, so it's now or never." "So he hovers over the deck." "People start... jumping-- scared or not-- onto the ship." "There's a baby-- literally a-a tiny baby-- and the mother just-- just drops him." "And one of my boys... like catching a ball, just sticks out his hands." "[ Sighs ]" "So, now everybody's out, and I'm thinking," ""How the heck is this pilot"-- right?" "" ""How's he gonna get out?"" "But he maneuvers off the port bow, and he hovers there for the longest time doing, you know, what we learned later-- uh, takin' off his flight suit." "And somehow he rolls the bird on its side, and just before it hits the water, he jumps." "6,000 pounds of angry helicopter parts flying' all around him." "And somehow he makes it." "[ Chuckles ]" "How'd he do that?" "I" "What are you sayin'?" "Your husband, he said he was gonna protect his family no matter what." "And I acted like I didn't understand, but..." "I do." "It's the rock we all push-- men." "We call it our burden, but it's really our privilege." "I never meant for any of this to happen." "You know?" "Not to Ed." "Not to anybody." "I just wanted to be someone." "Well, you're somebody now." "No, see?" "I wanted to choose, be my own me, not be defined by someone else's expec" "And then, that guy-- that stupid guy-- walked out into the-- [ Sighs ]" "Why'd he have to do that?" "You mean the victim?" "No." "That's not fair." "'Cause I'm a victim, too." "Was a victim first, before him." "Victim of what?" "It's..." "You wouldn't understand." "You're a man." "It's a lie, okay-- that you can do it all-- be a wife and a mother and this self-made career woman, like there's 37 hours in a day." "And then, when you can't, they say it's you." ""You're faulty," like-- like-- like you're inferior somehow." "And..." "like-- like, if you could just get your act together" " until you're half mad with" " People are dead, Peggy." "[ Police radio chatter ]" "[ Sighs ]" "[ Bobby Womack's "California Dreamin'" plays ]" "♪ all the leaves are brown ♪" "♪ and the sky is gray ♪" "♪ I went for a walk ♪" "♪ on a winter's day ♪" "♪ I'd be safe and warm ♪" "♪ if I was in LA ♪" "♪ California dreamin' ♪" "♪ on such a winter's day ♪" "[ Sighs ] Stay put." "♪ went to a church, yes, I did ♪" "♪ I stopped along the way ♪" "♪ well ♪" "♪ I got down on my bending' knees ♪" "♪ and I began to pray ♪" "♪ you know, the preacher digs the cold ♪" "[ Ringing ]" "♪ 'cause he knows I'm gonna stay ♪" " [ Sighs ] - ♪ he knows I'm gonna stay ♪" "♪ I told him so ♪" "♪ California dreamin' ♪" "[ Ringing continues ]" "Noreen:" "Solverson residence." "Oh, thank God." "Who's this?" "Noreen?" " Is that you, Mr. Solverson?" " Yeah." "We've been tryin' to..." "I mean, all night, we've been callin', and the operator didn't know" " where you were, and" " What happened?" "Well, it's" "She's fine." "Just had a..." "Well, she fell is all." "Something about the pills they gave her." "What do you mean she fell?" "Where's Molly?" "She's here at home." "We all are." "Your missus is sleepin', and the girl right there with her." "[ Sighs ]" "She's stubborn, all right, your daughter." "Your wife says she gets that from you." "Uh, uh, but the doctor..." "He says your missus is fine." "Just needs rest and then to come in next week for some more tests." "[ Sighs ] She's sleeping currently." "I told her I'd sit up with Molly until you got home." "Okay, well, uh, I've got a suspect in custody, on my way back from Sioux Falls, so, uh, tell Betsy I'll be home soon as I can." "Okeydokey." "Uh, and, Noreen, thank you." "You betcha." "[ Sighs ]" "[ Sighs ]" "And so... great empires fall and are forgotten." "_" "You're thinking, "Why 'Tripoli'?"" "Well, Tripoli, not to be confused with Levantine Tripoli in the country of Lebanon, was founded in Libya in the Seventh Century by the Phoenicians, _ then was conquered by the Romans." "And then by the Spanish, and then by the Turks. _" "You see where I'm going." "I need a face man." "His details are inside." "I'm assuming you want more than just a skin peel-- something structural-- a whole new man, like the Phoenix rising from the ashes." "What'll you do then, I wonder?" "Join a-a new empire?" "Maybe start one of my own." "So that it, too, may one day collapse and fall into the sea." "[ Boys grunting ]" "Do I take it you'll try to get revenge on Kansas City, apprehend those responsible?" "'Cause you can bet Kansas City will be heavily guarded." "Not apprehend." "Dead." "Don't care "heavily guarded."" "Don't care "into the sea."" "[ Boys grunting, arguing indistinctly ]" "Kill and be killed." "Head in a bag." "[ Grunting, arguing continues ]" "_" "Young man:" "Dummy!" "[ Fence clatters ]" "♪" "Hamish:" "Look, you did good." "I had my doubts, but, uh, you really brought this thing home." " I had a few breaks." " Don't do that-- take praise and turn it into something else." "All right, I'm sorry." "And don't apologize." "You've still got a few rungs left to climb." "You're not gonna get there saying you're sorry." "Got it." "Thank you, sir." "I did." "I worked hard night and day to get this done." "I don't mind telling you." "Which is why I was thinking, for this setup in Fargo," "I'd like to handpick a few men." " No, no, no, no." " That's the day-to-day stuff." "We've got a team for that-- asset managers, mid-level and below." "Drones, really." "They've already been deployed." "The real oversight of the new northern territories, well, that happens right here in this building." "Which is where you want me." "Assuming you don't want to be a grunt your entire life." "No." "Of course not." "Good." "Then pay attention." "It's, uh, 9:00 to 5:00, mostly, but Management rewards initiative, so, uh, nights, weekends, whatever gets the job done." "You'll be working closely with the Accounting department, looking for ways to optimize revenue-- shorter shipping routes, less palms to grease, that kind of thing." " The Accounting department?" " Yeah." "And this whole, uh, Western thing-- that's got to go." "Get something gray or pinstripe with a white shirt-- a-a-a-a real tie." "A-a-and cut your hair, okay?" "The '70s are over, for Christ's sake." "See, I thought-- well, in the old days, when a guy conquered a place" "You want the old days?" "Go work in a coal mine." "This is the future." "Look, you and I got off on the wrong foot, but you seem like a good kid, so let me give you a tip." "The sooner you realize there's only one business left in the world-- the money business, just ones and zeros-- the better off you're gonna be." "Sir, believe me, I'm an earner." "Yeah, yeah, but listen to me." "I'm not talking about busting heads for collections." "I'm talking about profit and loss-- infrastructure." "See..." "[ Sighs ]" "Last year, Donahue, in the Western branch-- he rejiggered the mail room, ended up saving $1 million a quarter in postage." "Now, Management was so impressed, they gave him California." " The mail room?" " [ Chuckling ] Yeah." "Why didn't I think of that, right?" "[ Chuckles ]" "Uh, anyway, settle in." "Dale from HR is gonna come by with a few forms for you to fill out-- health insurance, 401(K)-- And then, uh, get to work." "Quarterly projections and revenue statements are due on the 13th." "We're expecting big things from you." "Oh, um... you play golf?" "Golf?" "It's a great game." "You should learn." "It's where all the deals are being done these days." "[ Clicks tongue ]" "[ Telephone rings in distance ]" "[ Slow-tempo music plays ]" "Look who I found." "Molly:" "Poppa!" "[ Laughs ]" " Ow!" "[ Laughs ]" " Oh, careful, careful, now." "Could you-- give your poppa some room." " No, no." " Okay." "This is just the medicine I need." " Are you okay, then?" " You need to lie down, or" " Nah, no, no." " No?" "I'll take a beer, though, if you got one." " [ Chuckles ]" " Lou?" "Hell, yes." "I mean "Heck." "Heck."" "I think we earned one-- or 10." "Hey, Sheriff." " Noreen." " [ Chuckles ]" "Heard you're, uh, runnin' the place now." "Oh, it's mostly just babysitting' and laundry." "She's been a real life-saver." "Noreen: [ Grunts ] Come on, squirt." "Let's get your party dress on." "See you in the funny papers." "[ Sighs ]" "[ Sighs ]" "More pie, dad?" "Not unless you want me to burst my stitches." " So..." " [ Sighs ]" "You gonna put that in your report, then?" "What?" ""Gunfight interrupted by spacecraft?"" "Yeah." "Maybe leave that subtext." "And this Hanzee fella?" "Uh..." "[Sighs]" "Made the FBI's Most Wanted." "First one of those I worked." "But so far, nothing." "Probably fled the border to Winnipeg or Points North." "Yeah." "He'll show up again, I'm sure." "Like it or not." "Are you okay, hon?" "Yeah, sure." "It's just a cramp." "[ Sighs ]" "[ Sighs ]" "We're a sad bunch, huh?" "[ All chuckle ]" "Next thing, Lou'll be grouchin' about his sciatica." "Hey." "[ Both laugh ]" "Well, we're sitting here together." "That's what matters." "A man once said, "You'll know the angels when they come 'cause they'll have the faces of your children."" "Anyway..." "[Chuckles]" "I'm just happy to see you is all." "So, dad, I fed your cats while you were in the hospital." " They're grateful, I'm sure." " Yeah." "And... when I went over there the first time," "I went in your office." "Ah." "So, uh..." "Well, okay." "So..." "[ Sighs ]" "A-after your mother died," "I got to feelin' pretty low." "We all did." "And I took-- well, you remember I took some time off." "And I-I started thinkin', which I know is dangerous." "But, you know..." "[ Sighs ]" "The things I've seen, you know, in the war... and at home, on the job-- so-- so much senselessness, violence, you know?" "And I got" " I got-- I got to thinkin' about-- about miscommunication." "Like, how-- isn't that the root of it?" "Conflict, war-- does-- doesn't it all come down to-- to language?" "Right?" "The-- the words we say and the words we hear, which aren't always the same thing." "So, I thought, you know, what if there was one language-- a u-- a universal language of symbols?" "'Cause pictures, to my mind, are-- are-- are clearer than words." " So that's what that is..." " Mm." "...in your office?" "You're making your own language." "Well, it sounds crazy when you say it out loud, I know." "But... you know, when we see a-a-a box with a roof on it-- well, everyone knows that means "Home," right?" "You know, and my-- my 6-year-old granddaughter, she draws a heart." "It means love." "No question." "Anyway... that's where I started, you know, with simple ideas." "And-- and the more I worked on it, the more it became all I could think about." "You're a good man." "Well, I don't know about that, but..." "I like to think I got good intentions." "_" "[ Sighs ]" "What do you say tomorrow we go fishin'?" "Okay." "[ Chuckles ]" "You get some sleep, you." "[ Sighs ]" "[ Sighs ]" "Good night, Mr. Solverson." "Good night, Mrs. Solverson." "And all the ships at sea." "♪" "[ Sighs ]"