Fargo (TV Series) Linda (2023) User Reviews

Something's cookin'

[henrygiff · 9/10 · 27 December 2023]

Wow... honestly I thought this episode was dipping into cringe territory when Dot first arrived at Utopia, but that was quickly dispelled through her conversations with Linda and then the puppet story. It was quite emotional and resonated even though I had never dealt with abuse. You really felt this deep sympathy for Dot beyond what was already established, and then, once you had that "too good to be true" feeling established, she wakes up.

I usually don't like that trope, but it worked here and showed how grim her reality was. It was also realistic and juxtaposed her dream nicely, which was all the more sad and terrifying.

Juno Temple deserves her credit for this season, and Jon Hamm is absolutely terrifying as Roy Tillman. Also, Gator's character was given some nice depth, so I'm excited to see if that goes anywhere in terms of an arc. I'm still unsure of the whole Ole Munch character. He's definitely more intimidating and sharp in this episode compared to the first few, but he still feels a bit out of place. Hopefully his final confrontation with whoever (likely Gator) will be impactful and smart because that's what it seems to be building up to.

Overall, a very solid episode that is quietly establishing what should be an explosive ending.

Surreal

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 28 December 2023]

We now have to ask what is real and what is the result of a mega-concussion, or even a dream. Dot goes to a sort of winter resort, filled with women, all named Linda. She is looking for a woman who she feels betrayed her years before, so she can bring her back and testify. She does all the right things, including constructing an amazing marionette to tell her story. But without giving things away, what she feels is real may not be so. But once again she is in incredible danger as the curtain goes down. That maniac that has been hired to kill her by Roy and his boy gets crossed when the elderly woman who has been looking after him dies at the hands of the young guy. We can see him literally levitating with fury. The boy was supposed to shoot him, but gets set up. The next episode will be very interesting.

Fargo at its best

[ramjam01 · 9/10 · 27 December 2023]

Fargo excels in its signature style as it approaches the season's climax, not yet at the finale but tantalizingly close. The latest episode is a masterclass in escalating tension, brilliantly highlighting the increasing stress on each character. It captures the essence of what makes Fargo exceptional: a respectful nod to the original film without mimicking or mocking it, a clash of dangerously unpredictable characters, and sudden, plot-twisting events.

The narrative is artfully crafted, leading viewers through a thrilling descent into chaos, making every moment feel like a critical pivot point in the story. And the best part? This season will only get better from here.

Poor Dot, poor, poor Dot

[trfrancis99 · 28 December 2023]

Very intriguing part of Dot's storyline. I wish there was more information to help us understand what happened with her own family but I guess we are left to fill in the gaps as many stories can leave us saddened by a topic that is all too common.

I continue to be curious as to how Dot figured out how to rig her house as shown in previous episodes as many people would have no clue how to do such things. She is determined and I'm amazed by her ability to handle so much and still move forward. She is such a rebel and, for once, I want Jon's character to get his due. He's made so many women miserable.

It was all just a dream

[chris-j-chuba · 9/10 · 27 December 2023]

Just in case you are wondering, the entire sequence about the camp for abused woman, led by Sheriff abuser's wife was a dream sequence. Most likely imagined when she was in a near coma after the car accident. It was a way to reveal her background story in a creative way.

Here are the tells ... 1. Her puppet show was too perfect, it would take weeks to make all of those characters and sceneries. 2. She is back in the diner, having the exact meal, at the same time of day as when the 'dream' started.

I warned you that this had spoilers.

It was an okay episode as Juno Temple always delivers. Also, I find the guy who is channeling 'no country for old men' very interesting. The good husband is okay but has too much screen time, sheriff bad guy is too much of a stereotype.

All of them called Linda...made me think

[rakrez · 8/10 · 19 January 2024]

After ending the season, I thought all the women called Linda maybe were all dead. All Linda because they couldn't stop what brought them into a terrible story while "Nadine-Dot" keeps saying I'm Dot.

I thought this after Roy tells Dot he's gonna bury her near Linda and then she discovers the grave. This is just an idea, but I had this sensation also during their travel in the car, Linda was always in a blur effect and also at the end when she talks to Gator.

And also she was sure Linda went away using her, but it's possibile Roy killed her to have his relation with Nadine/Dot. My 2 Cents! :)

The old "It was all a dream" trope...

[sfh_inc · 6/10 · 27 December 2023]

Yeah, they have to find a way to give a retrospective of what had happened way in the past, but this is tired and lazy. Also, the current husband is getting more and more neutered and slappable.

Being predictable doesn't help - it was obvious from a mile away who was in the rocking chair and who was the husband in the hospital at the end.

All in all, the writers had to fill an episode and half-assed it. Hope they pick it up, or this is going downhill and beginning to border on boring and annoying.

I don't know about the easter eggs they keep inserting for us to say "yeah, I get it, how clever" - here it was in the form of an ax, but minus the woodchipper.

The longest Kia commercial I've ever seen

[SkySweet222 · 4/10 · 18 January 2024]

This episode didn't do much to further the plot or contribute to character development. It could be removed from the season without much of a noticeable impact to the overall story being told. What it did do though was put the characters into situations where a Kia automobile could be the focal point.

Was Linda a hallucination? Was Dot's entire visit with the Linda cult just a dream? Not sure...but either way the trip was definitely sponsored by Kia.

I can generally overlook product placement, even Breaking Bad did its fair share of it. I also thought the Linda cult storyline could've had potential, but the writing failed to actually work it into the plot and instead took the easy way out with "it was just a ~*~*~dream~*~*~" card. It felt cheap and left me with questions I never got answers for. It shrouded what should've been a key point in the season's main storyline with vagueness and instead left me feeling like I watched a long form Kia advertisement instead of an episode of Fargo.

This Show

[montellamichaeld · 4/10 · 28 December 2023]

Well, I never thought that I would ever see a puppet building montage, but here we are.

This had to be one of the dumbest hours of television I've ever seen in my entire life.

We are treated once again to another rehash of Nadine's story, this time in puppet form. Somehow this became an essential excuse for Fargo's very own tribute to Wes Anderson, via the weird, pointless cult of recovering women.

Meantime, Nadine's husband remains as brain damaged as he was before and Gator continues on with his own stupid escapades leading to nothing. We learned along the way that capitalism is bad.

I think the only man in the entire show with any redeeming qualities whatsoever is the improbably 500-year-old Ole Munch.

WTF

[pmfrqxddm · 2/10 · 27 December 2023]

It's all a dream that morphed into a nightmare - it is damn near impossible to say how much this dream episode pissed me off. The last refuge of those who have no original and/or good ideas: 'it's all a dream'

Let's put the blame squarely where it belongs - the 'credited' writers for this episode are Noah Hawkley and April Shih

You're making it very very difficult to stay with this series. Between the dream sequence and the psycho and killing the old woman for no damn good reason really get an idea get a clue get one single original idea or clue will you please because this is a waste of time and effort and film and most especially a waste of talent, to be damn sure.

Waste of time episode

[drewindallas · 3/10 · 27 December 2023]

My biggest issue with this current series of Fargo is one of pacing and unnecessary plot points. A previous episode had a whole long part which went back to England like a thousand years ago was just plain weird, gross, and unnecessary, as is the character of Ole Munch IMO. This episode with Dor driving long distances ( where was she going and why?) and the whole Camp Euphoria part, uggg, the ridiculous puppet show we have to sit through and then we find out none of it really happened. Wtf? The whole season needs to be tightened up, edited, and generally move quicker. One episode per week that just barely progresses the story is ridiculous in the age of streaming and binge watching and, to me, this season could have been easily paired down to 6 episodes.

Its a documentary on domestic abuse

[bholuanmol · 5/10 · 27 December 2023]

Initially promising excitement and grit, it unfortunately loses its footing as it progresses. What begins as engaging entertainment transitions into a heavy-handed portrayal of domestic violence, sacrificing its initial appeal for a more didactic narrative.

While the film sets out to entertain, it gradually veers into a detailed depiction of domestic abuse. What could have been an engaging story becomes overshadowed by a blunt political message, turning the movie into more of a documentary than an entertainment piece.

The characters start with promise but fall into stereotypical roles. The husband is reduced to a caricature of cruelty, while the female lead is forced into a one-dimensional depiction of strength, lacking the depth needed for believability.

Visually striking, it initially captivates with impressive cinematography and effects. However, these elements lose their impact as the film's focus shifts from its strengths to an overt commentary on societal issues.

It starts strong but ultimately disappoints in its execution. While attempting to address crucial themes, it sacrifices entertainment for didacticism. The forced injection of political views and a disproportionate focus on domestic violence detract from what could have been a more balanced and engaging narrative.

The worst episode of Fargo yet.

[sadas-78132 · 1/10 · 27 December 2023]

I'm a huge fan of both the film and the series. The TV series (seasons 1-3) are, in my opinion, the best TV series ever created. Season 4 was hit and miss but it still has that underlying theme of Fargo, with interesting, exotic characters and dialogue.

This season started off very well with a return to a simpler, more streamlined story line and characters. Then came the character development and problems started to arise.

This episode is probably the single worst episode of TV, let alone Fargo, that I've watched. It doesn't even try to hide the misandry and political messaging. I feel like I'm being bombarded with a message that white males are inherently bad and women are superior in every aspect, including strength. It isn't even trying to be subtle with conveying it's message. Every episode is progressively getting worse with the bombardment of ideologically driven dialogue and characters.

Why does every lead actor for the police have to be a strong yet belligerent, obnoxious, ignorant, disobedient woman (season 3 was the worst in this aspect). They're all the same in every season. They refuse to listen to their superiors, they constantly infringe upon the rights of civilians with unsubstantiated accusations and harassment. They all refuse to listen to their superiors, even when the evidence is overwhelmingly against them (again, season 3). They're all narcissistic, men hating, females. Even in season 2 they had to downplay the strength of the lead male officer by portraying his wife as the strong, intelligent person.

This is the first ever episode, in 5 seasons, that has left a bad taste in my mouth, so much so that I'm contemplating whether to watch the remaining episodes when released.

I feel Noah Hawley has misinterpreted what Fargo really was about. It never was about a strong women fighting the patriarchy. It was about the weird and wacky world of colorful characters in business of crime in the backwaters of the Midwest. Seasons 1 and 2 honored this. They were an extension of what made the film great. Season 3 was fantastic, Mary Elizabeth Winstead was amazing, even McGregor played a strong lead and, in my opinion, David thewlis was exceptional as the main protagonist.

What has happened to my dear Fargo.

1/10.

Linda

[bobcobb301 · 27 December 2023]

Well, after a brief break from Nadine/Dorothy last week, we got an episode dominated by her. It had its highs and lows, although the Camp Utopia concept felt a little too similar to Yellowjackets for me.

I just can't stand that character, but I am glad they finally provided some depth and explanation as to what she is all about and what exactly happened.

I hope we get an over the top and cartoonish fight scene with Nadine and Roy in the finale, but I doubt it. I have to say that the season has kind of picked up after a pretty rocky start, but this is still not the Fargo quality we know and love.

An unnecessary divergence in an otherwise finely crafted season

[RjNeel · 5/10 · 31 December 2023]

There might be redemption on the cards for Gator. He can finally have his moment of truth about his father and empathize with Dot who comforted his scared little self during his father's violent episodes toward his mother. Overall, this was an unnecessary lane. We were already sold on Roy being a very bad man. Now, adding a new layer of pedophilia to his character reduces the overall pungency of his character. The societal attitude toward domestic abuse is to look the other way but child abuse is regarded as reprehensible enough to warrant intervention.

When you are dealing with a serious topic like domestic abuse you owe it to the victims to present an authentic representation of the problem. A certain amount of dramatic flair is fine. Ole and some other characters already filled that quota. So many Lindas or even one were not required. Even Dot's backstory was too much on the nose.