Tuesday, December 1, 2020

What I’m Watching: Fargo (Season Finale)

Fargo: Season 4, Episode 11 “Storia Americana” (B)

I think I’d compare this finale to the last episode of “The Sopranos” in that it sort of fizzled. There wasn’t anything bad about it, but it was far from the most emphatic hour of the season or series, allowing its storylines to wrap up in a way that didn’t do justice to everything that had led up to that point. This episode only runs thirty-nine minutes on Hulu, making it the shortest episode yet, which is just puzzling because I would have expected it to be super-sized if anything. Opening with a montage of everyone who has died this season reaffirmed the high body count, and while yes, this is a limited series so we aren’t expecting to see any of the characters again, it’s still not necessary for every one of them to die before the credits roll. Ethelrida did survive, as did Satchel, who we learned in the middle of the credits grows up to become Mike Milligan, my favorite part of season two. That connection is cool but doesn’t in itself make this whole season worth it. I think the most memorable moment of this episode was the fate of Oraetta and Josto, who were bickering and fighting in the car before Oraetta made one last request for Josto to be shot first so that she could watch. Josto arguing that there’s already been enough killing was indeed laughable since he was responsible for so much of it, and even if he was ultimately condemned for things he didn’t exactly do – killing his father and brother – there’s little to be said in his defense given his impulsive, uncaring, and completely cruel demeanor. I’m still on board for more of this show’s universe if ever it comes, but this season felt overstuffed and not entirely able to deliver on its impressive setup.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Jessie Buckley as Oraetta

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