The Law of Non-Contradiction

"The Law of Non-Contradiction," the third episode of Fargo's third season, directed by John Cameron and written by Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi, stands out as a daring and unconventional installment within the anthology, diverging sharply from the main narrative to deliver a deeply philosophical and stylistically unique exploration of identity, truth, and the stories we tell ourselves. This episode centers almost exclusively on Gloria Burgle (Carrie Coon), whose investigation into the mysterious past of her stepfather Ennis Stussy leads her to Los Angeles and a surreal journey into the life of Thaddeus Mobley, a 1970s science fiction writer whose story is told through a blend of live-action and animation.

Opening with Gloria's flight westward, the episode immediately establishes a contemplative and introspective tone. Gloria's narration, reading excerpts from Mobley's novel The Planet Wyh, serves as a thematic throughline, weaving existential questions about loneliness, purpose, and the search for meaning into the episode's fabric. The animated sequences depicting Mobley's sci-fi tale of a robot named Minsky stranded on Earth after a spaceship crash are visually striking and narratively resonant, providing metaphorical reflections on Gloria's own feelings of isolation and her quest for understanding. This blending of genres and mediums is a bold stylistic choice that sets the episode apart from the rest of the season and the series as a whole.

Carrie Coon delivers a quietly powerful performance, capturing Gloria's resilience and vulnerability as she delves into her stepfather's past. Her interactions with various characters in Los Angeles, including the conman Howard Zimmerman (Fred Melamed) and the actress Vivian (Francesca Eastwood), reveal layers of deception, regret, and lost potential. The narrative of Mobley's downfall-lured into a cocaine-fueled scam that derails his career-parallels the themes of illusion and disillusionment that permeate the episode. The story's fragmented structure, jumping between timelines and realities, challenges viewers to question the nature of truth and memory.

Visually, the episode is a triumph. The live-action sequences are shot with a muted color palette that contrasts with the vibrant, stylized animation, emphasizing the duality between reality and fiction. Dana Gonzales's cinematography and the seamless integration of animation and live-action create a dreamlike atmosphere that enhances the episode's philosophical undertones. The editing maintains a deliberate pace, allowing moments of quiet reflection to balance the narrative's complexity. Jeff Russo's haunting score complements the mood, weaving subtle motifs that evoke melancholy and mystery.

"The Law of Non-Contradiction" grapples with the paradoxes inherent in human existence-the coexistence of contradictory truths, the fluidity of identity, and the stories we construct to make sense of chaos. The episode's title references the classical logical principle that contradictory statements cannot both be true simultaneously, a concept that is playfully subverted throughout the narrative. Gloria herself embodies contradiction: a police chief without a precinct, investigating a man who was not truly her stepfather, seeking clarity in a world of ambiguity. The episode invites viewers to reflect on the limits of knowledge and the comfort found in narrative coherence, even when it eludes us.

The episode was met with widespread acclaim for its originality, thematic depth, and Coon's compelling performance. Reviewers praised its willingness to depart from conventional storytelling and its successful integration of animation to enhance narrative meaning. Some critics noted that the episode's divergence from the main plot might challenge viewers expecting traditional crime drama, but most agreed that its philosophical ambition enriched the season's tapestry.

Ah, the brilliance that is the randomness and pointlessness that is Fargo. And I mean that in the best possible way. Was there any point to see Gloria take off from Minnesota and head to Hollywood investigate her step-father's death? No, not at all, because we all know his death was an accidental murder somehow related to the Stussy brothers. But leave it to Noah Hawley and crew to create an hour long one-off story that somehow feels like it's completely necessary to viewers. If for nothing else, this episode provided us with a wonderful place to just watch Carrie Coon do her thing waltzing through an unsolvable crime. That's exactly what we got. It's not usual that we get an episode focused on one main character, but perhaps that's just what we need to keep this story moving forward in a unique direction. It also gave us a chance to go back to the 70's era, where last season took place, and see Ennis Stussy's life when he wrote screenplays that seemed to be heavily inspired by Star Wars (albeit a year or two before its release). Heck, if we are talking inspirations, this episode as a whole could be seen as an homage to Twin Peaks, with a cop investigating the murder with strange circumstances and even an appearance from Ray Wise himself. This version of Stussy was played by up and coming actor Thomas Mann, from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and also most recently Kong: Skull Island. That whole thing played out interesting as it was revealed that he changed his last name to Stussy via a name seen on the rim of a toilet. Could that feel any more like a Coen Brothers plot point? So in all, this episode didn't necessarily trudge the plot forward like I thought it might, but it may have been just the off-shoot we needed.

8.7/10

So far "Nora Durst" (Carrie Coon) had been saving this dying TV series. Hope she'll actually save it. Maybe I'm not fair to her talent. Yes! I'm not objective because I'm her fan. But anyway season 3 is inferior to the previous ones. Also the music... It is absolutely mesmerizing. Sometimes I do not understand did I like the episode or I just fell into its music.

Honestly, the first two episodes of the third season so far were pretty average. Don't get me wrong, they weren't bad, but they didn't really stack up to the high caliber the last two seasons were at. That is, until this episode. 'The Law of Non-Contradiction' has to be hands-down the best episode of Fargo yet. Instead of focusing on the normal characters, like the show normally does, this episode takes us into the past of a minor character, one we didn't really need to know anything about. The thing is, the character becomes interesting with all the twists and turns they go through and at the end of the episode it really does feel like a glorious case study (get it, glorious...Gloria 😂), one that brings us closer to one of the main characters after all. If this season keeps it up, aw jeez man, we're in for a good trip to Minnesota after all.

I liked how Thaddeus story made me questioning the future of Quantum technology crossing the old fashioned binary language 0/1 which was shown in Minskey story.