Season 2, Episode 10
Air Date: Monday, December 14, 2015, 10PM E/P on FX Network.
Rating:
“People of earth, I’m home.” – Mike
Together Again?
“Palindrome” opens ominously with a look back at the various characters who have perished throughout the season by showing the moment of their demise. One of the more surprising shots is of Simone (Rachel Keller), whose death was implied but never shown, causing many to speculate she might show up in the finale. The eerie silence from the lack of music adds to the somber montage as the camera cuts to Betsy Solverson (Cristin Milioti), who lies there peacefully.
Despite what the opening scene of “Palindrome” leads you to believe, Betsy is still very much alive. As she lies in bed recovering from her fall, she starts dreaming of her family’s future. She has a vision of Molly (Allison Tolman) and her husband Gus (Colin Hanks), as well as Lou (Keith Carradine), living together happily. It’s a touching moment that helps bridge the two seasons of Fargo, giving me hope that Tolman, Hanks, and Carradine will return in season three. While Betsy’s fate is inevitable, the timing of it apparently was never set in stone. I applaud writer and series creator Noah Hawley for restraining the desire to have the death of Milioti’s character occur on camera at a later time.
It’s not looking good for Ed.
Having escaped the massacre at the hotel, Ed (Jesse Plemons) and Peggy (Kirsten Dunst) find themselves on the run from the police, as well as Ohanzee (Zahn McClarnon), who is determined to hunt them down. The couple seeks refuge in a grocery store freezer after Ohanzee’s bullet severely wounds Ed.
Dunst’s performance is outstanding. If there is any question about her recent nomination for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama, it surely will be forgotten by the end of “Palindrome. Regardless of my annoyance with her character throughout the season, Dunst’s scenes with Plemons are heartbreaking, especially when Peggy tries to convince Ed he’s going to be ok. Ed knows differently and accepts his fate, noting, “You’re always trying to fix everything, but sometimes nothing’s broken.”
Having chased Ohanzee away, Lou (Patrick Wilson) arrives to save the day only to discover it’s too late for Ed. Still out of his jurisdiction but determined to see things through, Lou warns Ben Schmidt (Keir O’Donnell), “I’m going to take Peggy Blumquist back to Minnesota. Anyone’s got a problem with that after the week I’ve had, they can keep it to themselves.”
I already miss Lou.
It’s fascinating listening to Peggy and Lou talk about the events leading up to their current location. Hawley’s dialogue is excellent as the two discuss how one accident can have such an impact on so many lives. Peggy still doesn’t seem to grasp the gravity of her situation; it’s hard not to empathize with Peggy even though she is delusional. I could have easily watched this scene play out longer as I found myself wondering what happened to Peggy.
With the Gerhardt family wiped out, Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine) visits the Gerhardt compound in a manner similar to a general enjoying the spoils of war. It’s hard not to laugh when Milligan runs into the housekeeper (Wilma Pelly) and declares she will only cook American food now instead of the ethnic food the Gerhardts enjoyed. Milligan’s victory is short lived as his return to Kansas City is greeted with little enthusiasm. His fate reminds me of Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) on The Shield. Both men found their lives reduced to working behind a desk pushing papers, an outcome almost worse than prison or even death.
Finding himself on the FBI’s most wanted list, Ohanzee meets with a man known only as The Book (Philip Williams) in order to get a new identity. Pulling out his new Social Security card, we learn Ohanzee’s new name is Moses Tripoli. Ohanzee expresses a desire to build his own empire but first, he needs to fix his appearance having sustained severe facial burns by Peggy following the attack on the hotel. The Book suggests taking it a step further by having Ohanzee’s face structurally altered. As the two discuss the future, the camera pans to two young boys playing catch. Suddenly, it all comes together.
Fargo fans should remember the Fargo, North Dakota mob boss during season one was named Mr. Tripoli (Mark Acheson). Following the assassination of Sam Hess (Kevin O’Grady), Tripoli sends his two hitmen, Mr. Numbers (Adam Goldberg) and Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) to investigate. Not only do the two boys playing catch bear a striking resemblance to the two hitmen, both parties rely on sign language to communicate. Is this the beginning of a deadly new relationship?
Despite a season of great writing and fascinating characters, I found this finale to be a bit lackluster, especially after the intensity of “The Castle.” I kept waiting for the UFO incident to be explained but unfortunately, it was reduced to a mere punchline. I never did find out what Ed did with all the ground Rye (Kieran Culkin). If anything, the subtle introduction of Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench, as well as Betsy’s dream of her family’s future, made me realize how much I missed some of the original characters. Perhaps season three will bring back some of those great characters. Who would you like to see in the third season?
Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Palindrome.”
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Photos ©2015 FX Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Greg Staffa
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