Palindrome

Well I think I can speak for a ton of people in saying that this was one of the best seasons of television in history, and I firmly believe that. Everything from the opening music for every episode, to the unforgettable performances, to the uniquely stylistic directing, and even the WTF moments like last week's UFO sighting, this has been one helluva run for Fargo.

This episode was relatively uneventful, although it was very haunting seeing the opening shot of all the characters who have died this season and wonder who may be next. There weren't many players left, but of those who were alive, they kept tonight entertaining. We actually finally got a little bit more of Molly's mindset through her predictions of her future self. It was nice seeing some of season 1's cast return like Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Joey King, and Keith Carradine, which got me thinking. Where will this show go next? Season 3 is confirmed, but do we go forward or backwards? Either way, I'm in.

The Blumquists made their final run for it and ironically ended up in a butcher shop, where Ed died, further pushing Peggy into madness. I would have liked to see exactly where she ended up, but her scene with Lou in the cop car was just enough to see that there's no way she was getting out of this mess. After Hanzee went all Terminator on the Blumquists, he got a new identity and seemingly, a new start. Again, it's kind of a shame we didn't get more insight into Hanzee's motivations or back-story, but I think ultimately, that may have served his character for the best.

Other than that, not a ton happened, but that didn't prevent the episode from being really well done. It was great hearing the fantastic score/theme that season 1 used over the course of tonight's episode. I also really loved that the writers never made this season specifically about any particular character(s). Martin Freeman was great last season but I think season 1's problems lie with his character. This season did such a nice job at balancing every one of the main characters without making any of them overpower the other. I loved this season.

+Dunst

+Seeing the season 1 cast

+Wraps all of our favorite characters well

8.5/10

A peculiar ending, this.

The episode prior to this had factions being wiped out, fugitives on the run and all sorts of unanswered questions lying around. And for the most part, 'Palindrome' answers those, at least where it counts; but it sure has a funny way of going about it. There really are no rug-pulls here, and everything feels like it's attended to properly. In that respect, this is a perfect ending, even with a cynical streak. I love that Mike survived the Motel massacre only to be promoted into corporate imprisonment.

Getting right down to it, this is the show's idea of a happy ending; where the resolution arrives neatly packaged without cloying sentiment. The right people survived the shootout, the bad ones are appropriately punished, and life carries on. It's appropriate for this season, which is honestly one of the finest stretches of television I've ever witnessed. The level of quality is maintained, it's honest, and worthwhile in every respect.

9/10

Greetings from Lithuania.

Fargo season 2 was as good as the first one overall for me. Second one was more action oriented, when first one was more about characters. Sure season 2 had some strong characters, but not as they were in season 1. Story here is also very good, with dark humor spreading all around. Great acting by all involved (but not as great as lead 3 in season 1). What was with UFO thing anyone? Probably some thing in life can't be answered, and some things just happens...

Overall, while the ending wasn't as gripping as great episode 9 in season 2, i highly enjoyed season 2 overall. Mood, settings, cinematography (great), acting, directing writing - everything here works on the highest level. I will be looking forward for season 3. Great show overall.

There's a scene in this episode, I won't say how the characters got to this point or at what point the scene takes place in, but it involves Patrick Wilson's state trooper and Kirsten Dunst's Peggy Blumquist having a conversation. The two of them get to have their say, to put it one way, and what Noah Hawley comes up with is, in no uncertain terms, brilliant and outstanding, encapsulating so much of what these characters have come through in this season and their differing viewpoints. One may not see things quite the same as the other, but they come to some sliver of understanding - or, at least, we understand a little more fully what has led to this point with them. I know this sounds vague, but trust me when I say that it's an incredible scene from every kind of process: the acting, the writing (how an example is used to illustrate something that may be greater - or, actually, not, in the Coen tradition), the direction, the cutting. If only this episode as well as the rest of the season had been like that, instead of only largely being it, and the rest of the time being... a giant Coen brothers fan film.

In a way, season 2 of this show, which takes place in 1979 and only in the smallest of tangential ways (actually through a dream that Betsy Solverson has, Lou's wife who has been suffering through cancer throughout these episode), is like to the Coen brothers what The Force Awakens is to Star Wars: it develops some new material and then happens to be so gigantically in love with the mythology and scenes and moments and character designs that one can't help but see how there's not only resemblances to scenes, sometimes there will be direction that straight-out copies it. In this episode in particular, as the aftermath of the climactic gun battle at the Sioux Falls motel unfolds, we get to see at least two or three direct references to No Country for Old Men; already the character Hanzee (Zahn McClarnon is terrific in the role, one should note), is an analog of Anton Chigurh - even the previous episode (or it may have been two before) where it's a lift from the gas station scene in 'No Country'.

I think that these references - and there's more, down to many soundtrack cues (and these may be the more clever references to the Coens oeuvre, as one can hear renditions of songs from O'Brother and Big Lebowski that are either from the 70's or redone to sound like they are) and even smaller things like, say, the UFO's as being a connection to uh, The Man Who Wasn't There I suppose (?) - wouldn't bother me so much if they were done without it being shoved in my face. Some may not care or even notice, especially if one hasn't seen their movies multiple times. But it's impossible to mistake a going-to-the-woods moment out of Miller's Crossing, or even the aforementioned dream being a lift out of Raising Arizona. More crucially it's because too what Hawley and his writers have crafted along with the director and team that *is* of its own world and of its original characters that it clashes with the references more-so.

It's worth watching season 2 - which you can do, pretty much, even if you haven't seen season 1 let alone the original movie, though it helps certainly - because everyone is cast in such a way that either lets us see sides we haven't before (Jesse Plemmons, in what I'd say is his first truly leading role, is a wonder because of what he *doesn't* do, how he just plays this average guy who works as a butcher and wants to maybe run the shop one day, and he simply IS that guy, is one, and Bokeem Woodbine, getting to be the kind of hit-man that should potentially be a writing nightmare, quoting this way and that like out of a bad Tarantino knock-off more than Coens, is another as he creates a wholly original killer), or are simply right for the roles they're in (Dunst, Wilson, Danson, Milioti, Jean Smart, the list goes on). And often the writing and how the story turns and some of the stylistic choices distinguish it that it is trying to be its own thing. Oh, sure, and there are some tics as well with that (Hawley *loves* his split-screen, to the point where De Palma might go, "Easy, fellas!")

But, again, those references, which sometimes are funny enough and other times seem like they're there for that dreaded (but true) term, going back to Star Wars, "Fan Service", kill what could have been as great a season as the first, or even one of the better crime sagas of this century. That scene in the cop car in this episode is an example of that, and there are many scenes that stick out as showing Hawley's genius as a writer and storyteller - and I do think he's a genius when he's on (see the first season of Legion for more on that) - but when he's trying too hard... it really shows.

The ending was a real shock to me. Yes, a real schock, the worst ending I have ever seen in a TV series so far. What a f...happy ending for sissies has to be here. OK, I know this is inspired from actual events, but what the hell UFO has to do here too? I am not an intellectual, I admit, but not a totally dumb either. So, this horrible ending jeopardize the whole season. I highly preferred the previous season. I hope the next one will be better than this one, at least concerning the wrapping. But, besides this missed end, the rest of the season is absolutely terrific.

And I did not understand why the Indian betrayed the family who adopted him, nor why he decided to kill the butcher and his wife. That remained unexplained to me.