Bisquik

This was one of the most enjoyable seasons of Fargo that I've seen.. Great writing and acting easily make or break a show. The sharp, witty dialogue was brought to life by Juno Temple and Jon Hamm in this episode. Sam Spruell stole the show evoking so much unexpected empathy. Superb writing and acting was the key there.

And the cinematography? The foggy snow-covered plains made for an eerie setting for the ultimate battle between good and evil. Some might be disappointed that there wasn't more shooting and gratuitous gore. I'm fine with that. The brooding buildup to the battle is where it's at for me!

Unlike Yellowstone, Fargo actually has some good guys. The good guys are flawed, sometimes deeply, but that's what makes it feel approachable and authentic, and so much better than Yellowstone. We know people like the characters in Fargo in real life, or maybe we just wish we did.

There's a lot going on here. It probably isn't nearly what many viewers were thinking it might, or even should, be. I'm guessing many of us expected a raid on this sheriff and his unredeemable contingent of followers getting pretty violent. That would entertain a lot of viewers I'm sure. What we got is a raid that worked less spectacularly with the perpetrator in prison. A raid done well. It set up the ending that had a message. Love and forgiveness is the only way to live without fear. Dot had to do some work to get to that point, she survived as a result. That result is bigger than her, which the ending claims with just a facial expression by Olah. Now, that mother-in-law. That's not quite as neat.

Dot is on the run at the Tillman ranch. Thanks to Lorraine's powerful connections the FBI and State police are closing in on the ranch. However, Roy Tillman has rallied his supporters and a bloody confrontation seems inevitable, with Dot stuck in the crossfire.

The first two seasons of Fargo were brilliant, with Season 1 being one of the greatest seasons of any show in the history of television. Season 3 was good but not great. Season 4 was mediocre and disappointing.

To my surprise, as it had been three years since S4, Season 5 was produced but I was reluctant to watch it as the trend was downwards and it is rare for shows to bounce back after a bad season or two.

I'm glad I eventually did watch S5 as it's a great return to form for Fargo. Some of the old touches are back: the intelligence, the humour, the Coenesque plot, characters and dialogue. Even the casting and performances lifted: Chris Rock was one of the reasons for S4 being so mediocre but here Juno Temple is fantastic and quite the revelation as a dramatic actress.

It's not perfect though: the Minnesotan folksiness is overdone, some of the characters are cartoonish and there's a fair bit of filler, largely in the middle episodes. Still, at least it looks like the show is roughly on the right track after losing its way for two seasons.

I really felt strung along this season. I wasn't sure it was going to wind up being my favorite or even close. I rewatched the series leading up to this and actually enjoyed Season 4 a lot more than I did the first time. I'm annoyed at the Coen diehards that fail to see how a season like this one carries the torch in ways they were preparing narrative film for. It's honestly beautiful. It couldn't have been done wrong for sure, but it wasn't. I'm strangely satisfied this ending. It makes me think it could be the last season, but I hope it isn't. I beg of people who didn't love it to revisit later. Rewatch no country for old men. I think that's a good one to consider.

It is a finale that you could easily give 1/10 and also you can easily give it to 10/10. It is a very extraordinary finale. When I was watching I thought that this storytelling, conclusion is not going properly this could end real bad. But after minutes I found myself thinking, actually this is very different way of ending things and very isolated to each character's own story. Not a "very hyped up events' exciting and fulfilling finalization" but more of a fulfillment of each character's story. And to me it was different and more peaceful and relaxing to watch than the finales we familiar to see.

By the way Ole Munch is a piercing character I liked him very much.