‘Fargo’ Season 4 Episode 6: Joe Bulo's entry, Rabbi Milligan's actions all point to Satchel being Mike Milligan
Spoilers for ‘Fargo’ Season 4 Episode 6, ‘Camp Elegance’
In what was the shortest episode this season of ‘Fargo’ so far, ‘Camp Elegance’ saw a lot happening. But one of the most important bits of the episode had to do with Rabbi Milligan (Ben Whishaw) and Loy Cannon’s (Chris Rock) son Satchel.
This season has, more than any season of ‘Fargo’, displayed connections with previous seasons. In this case, it is with season 2. In this season, we saw Loy make a deal with Mort Kellerman, the same person who in Season 2 was stabbed by a young Dodd Gerhardt in the movie theater. But this episode added another layer of connections. When Ebal returns from New York, he is accompanied by a young Joe Bulo. Now, we know that from season 2 that the older Bulo (Brad Garrett) worked up through the ranks of the Kansas City Mafia, eventually becoming a lower-level manager specializing in negotiation tactics. We also know that Bulo’s underling was Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine).
So, back to season 4, episode 6: Loy tasks Odis with getting Satchel back. Odis, of course, fails. When Josto (Jason Schwartzman) learns that his brother has been taken, his immediate relief is soured by the fact that for the New York family to recognize him as the boss, he’d have to make peace with his brother. So, Josto orders Antoon to bring him Rabbi Milligan, Satchel’s guardian, and when he’s not around, for Antoon to kill him.
When Josto tells Rabbi that the boy is now going to be out of the picture, Rabbi acts to protect Satchel. And even though Antoon is ultimately unable to shoot Satchel, he becomes the victim of Rabbi’s protectionism and gets killed.
While taking Satchel away, Rabbi tells him that he as a child was never given a choice. That he was never allowed to make a decision for himself whether he wanted to stay with his family or to be traded as a pawn.
A little history: In the early 1900s, when the Kansas City underworld that was run by the Moskowitz Syndicate came face to face with the Irish immigrants known as the Milligan Concern, a truce was formed. Liev Moskowitz (Andrew Rothenberg) made a deal with Owney ‘Yiddles’ Milligan (Ira Amyx): each family would raise one of the other party's sons. Ari Moskowitz was sent over to be raised by Milligan, and Patrick ‘Rabbi’ Milligan to Moskowitz.
In 1928, Rabbi helped the Milligans double-cross the Moskowitz's, killing all of them and taking over the territory. In 1934, the Milligans were now challenged by the Fadda crime family, a clan of Italians, fresh off the boat. They broker a similar deal again. Yiddles, instead of sending his younger son, sent Rabbi again as Donatello (Tommaso Ragno) gave over his son Josto. History repeated itself. And the Milligans were overthrown. What changes, however, is that it is Rabbi, Yiddles’ son who ends up shooting him on Donatello's orders.
So, in the present, Rabbi told Satchel that he would protect him until the war was over for he was safe nowhere, neither with the Faddas, nor with Loy. And once the war was over, he would give him the choice to go where he would then decide. Knowing that Mike Milligan makes an appearance in season 2 as a Kansas City Mafia man, it has largely been a fan speculation that Satchel and Mike are the same people. It therefore now all but certain now that Satchel would not end up back with Loy. Which makes us wonder if Loy will survive this war.
So, to sum it up, Rabbi Milligan saves Satchel and takes him under his wing. Joe Bulo makes an appearance. And Satchel will grow up to become Mike Milligan. And together with Bulo, Mike will in the late-70s, take down the Gerhardt family in Fargo.
‘Fargo’ Season 4 airs every Sunday at 9 pm ET, only on FX.