Recap / Eureka Try Try Again

Lateral thinking in transport

Fargo: Now, Sheriff Carter. [Dictating] "You really tried to help me on my last day. And, um, for that, I-I don't know how to thank you."
Beverly: That's actually quite touch-
Fargo: "If only you were better at your job."

Fargo's button-pushing causes trouble again when a strange device in his pocket leaves him stranded in a personal forcefield... and it's growing. With no way to turn the device off, Carter must find a thief before it's too late to save Fargo.

Tropes

• Chekhov's Gun: The sonic fishing rod. When the device is successfully depowered, it instead starts to draw energy from Fargo, which will kill him. Carter uses the fishing rod to stop Fargo's heart, depriving the device of its power source. Once it shuts down, they revive him.
• Deadly Force Field: The device planted on Fargo turns out to be an experimental force field generator. Unfortunately, it can't be turned off and threatens to grow out of control, endangering Eureka.
• "Eureka!" Moment: When the forcefield isn't growing as fast as predicted, Henry realises it was stored next to a device emitting a magnetic field, and makes a matching one to disrupt the forcefield's power source. Unfortunately, the forcefield then starts taking energy from Fargo.
• Implausible Deniability: Carter looks for Fargo in the bathroom and yells, "Fargo? You in here?" After a few seconds, Fargo replies "no..." from a stall that turns out to have been bent concave by the force field.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: For all that Nathan treats Fargo harshly, the second he hears what is going on with him, he tries everything to help him.
• The Needs of the Many: The apparent solution to Fargo's situation is to drop him and his forcefield down a shaft, and throw a nuke in after him to protect the town. The episode is about Jack and co trying to find a way to save him, while a General urges Allison to go ahead and sacrifice him.
• Never My Fault: When Victor, the vault supervisor, is caught he says he only planned to frame Fargo for his own thefts, not kill him.
  Victor: How was I to know he'd start pressing buttons?
  Everyone: It's FARGO!
• Not-So-Final Confession: Played for Laughs. Believing he's about to die, Fargo makes Beverly write emails to the people in his life with things he has to get off his chest.
• Oh, Crap!: Fargo, when he tries to wash his hands after activating the device, only for the water to run off the force field. Which he then can't turn off.
• Red Herring: Larry, Fargo's colleague who was clearly expecting to get his new job. He makes some pointed comments about Fargo having to impress the new boss if he wants to keep his job, and is suspected of planting the device of Fargo, but Larry doesn't have the necessary access and it turns out to be the technician who's about to retire.
• Retirony: The inventory technician who's about to retire and who has never made a mistake in his career when a personal forcefield device is stolen and planted on Fargo, endangering Eureka and especially Fargo. Averted as he turns out to be the thief; he planted the device on Fargo to cover other thefts, not realising Fargo would start pressing buttons.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: When Carter realises the field isn't expanding on schedule and Henry has a theory as to why, Allison wants to delay throwing Fargo into the shaft. General Mansfield orders her to proceed, on the grounds that waiting risks the field growing too big, and threatens to assume authority if she doesn't. She cooly tells him that power can't be transferred with the computers down, so she can't be fired until then.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Played for Laughs. Nathan and Jack can work together, but that doesn't mean they have to like it.
  Nathan: Good job Carter. Wow, that didn't even leave a bad taste in my mouth.
  Jack: Oh, give it a second.
  Nathan: Yep, there it is.
• What Does This Button Do?: In typical Fargo fashion, he presses the button of a random device he finds in his pocket.
• Who Murdered the Asshole: Carter investigates who might have planted the device on Fargo.
  Carter: Do we have any suspects yet?
  Jo: No, unless you count this long list of people around here who find Fargo as annoying as we do.
  Fargo: Hey! That's not true... oh, yes it is.