Fargo (TV Series) The Castle (2015) User Reviews

Almost speechless

[WalterSoprano · 10/10 · 7 December 2015]

Just so you know this first paragraph is gonna be personal, if you wish to skip begin on second paragraph. What I'm gonna do is give perspective on my enjoyment of this show because oddly enough I can't think of words to describe it. To be honest I've been in tough times lately, not only personally but even the world as a whole, every week I don't think I can put that stuff out of my mind, and you know what, every week Fargo proves me wrong. Each week I tune in, each week my expectations are blown out of the water and my mind gets immersed into this show, that is how good this show is for me. I can put all of those depressing thoughts out of my head and enjoy this show. That was before this week, and I was loving this show from the very first episode, if I loved it then then what is this incredible episode to me now that is leaving me darn near completely speechless.

Honestly, I don't think I am capable of writing a synopsis while coming of the aftershocks of this episode so don't expect one. By the end of last weeks episode I could see the general idea of what was coming but it didn't matter, my awareness of what was to come gave me this great sense of impending doom and the strongest tension I have experienced this entire season, and by the end the greatest pay off of the season thus far. Let's not forget the bright lights that hovered above the motel, as absurd and nonsensical as it was it worked very well (at least for me). To be very straight forward I still cannot comprehend the absolute craziness that I witnessed and I loved every freaking second of it (aside from the abundance of ads provided by FX).

To sum it up, I have not been captivated by a TV show like this since the final season of Breaking Bad (sorry game of thrones), and the craziest thing of all is that there is one episode left and I am clueless as of what to expect but couldn't be more excited. As far as my concern goes for this episode 10.0/10.0 no doubts what so ever. I hope your on for the ride because it isn't slowing down, as I've said before tune in and I hope you aren't disappointed and that you experience this show to the extent I did. Thanks for reading and I hope this provides some use.

True Crime

[ThomasDrufke · 10/10 · 7 December 2015]

Just when I thought this season couldn't get any better, they have Martin Freeman guest star to narrate the best episode of the season. Yep, our very own Lester Nygaard from last season. I've said it before but I'll say it again, this is quite simply one of the best shows on television now and possibly ever. The writing, performances, cinematography, music, just basically everything, is so great.

We began this week with Freeman telling us the story through the book of crime in the mid-west. Season 3 is already confirmed, but I hope the show takes full advantage and uses any time period they want for future seasons, because this book showed just how insane the mid-west can be. Just keep the same tone and I'm sure it will be good. Freeman comedically catches us up on all the crazy sh*t that's happened this season (and man there's a ton, way more than season 1), and I'm glad he did. There's so much chaos in the show that I tend to forget about a few things and I think this episode did a great job at recapping everything, while also wasting no time giving us the bloodiest episode yet.

I'll get to the Sioux Falls craziness later, but it's worth mentioning just how well the scene with Lou finding the gas station clerks body was directed. From him attempting to call his family all the way to the other cop showing up, there's no dialogue and Hanzee had long left, but the intensity was still there. It's almost like this murder was the last straw for Lou, you can tell every emotion going through his body with each and every shot of his face, just a quiet masterpiece of a scene. Of course, all of that was complemented by the terrific slow drum beat score. Brilliant T.V.

Last week was Hanzee's coming out party, but this week was his character in full stride and in full bada**. Unfortunately the narration leads us to believe we will never truly know when and why he decided he would turn on the Gerhardt's, but it's nonetheless a fun plot point that elevated this season. I think some people are going to have a problem with the fact that this episode seemed to be told as more of a legend or urban myth, but I had fun with it.

Speaking of something mythical or even more so sci-fi, we finally got a glimpse of the UFO that has been teased in this show and I believe even briefly in the Fargo film. It's such a strange element to the show that I think it works perfectly along with all the other nonsense that happens. I'm also glad that it ties up the loose end from a few weeks back when Betsy found all those drawings and pictures in Hank's house.

In all, how can you not love this episode? We got the bloody shootout we have been promised, all 4 sides of these Fargo crimes (Blumquists, Gerhardt's, police, and Milligan's gang), and a flipping UFO. Just another week of Fargo. Now off to catch Bonnie and Clyde, oh no pardon me, I mean Peggy and Ed.

+Shootout

+Freeman narrates

+Down go the Gerhardt's

+Music use

+UFO

10/10

Excellent bizarre episode

[OmarHartwellWhite · 10/10 · 7 December 2015]

*****SPOILERS****

After last season, I was very skeptical going into this season with the belief the material wouldn't be able to live up to it's predecessor. Season 2 has been just as great, hard to say which one I like better as they are very different.The massacre at Sioux falls has been talked about since Lou brought it up to Malvo in season one. We knew it was coming but had no idea how it would happen or who would be there. This episode is filled with more betrayals, horrible small town mid western police work, and a greatly timed UFO for Lou. The season had references to UFO's with Rye Gerhart seeing lights in the first episode which got him killed and Molly's drawing of a UFO and the little poster at the gas station. When I saw it I reacted like the characters did, like wtf is that? No way that's a UFO it's a weather balloon you can see water coming off of it. Well actually no it looks like a UFO but this is a crime drama why would they actually put that in there. I kept going back and forth until I accepted it was a UFO. However, we are getting the perspective from Martin Freeman reading from the History book so who knows if that frame of reference is actually accurate. It was one of the more bizarre experiences I ever had with television but I thoroughly enjoyed the episode from start to finish and cannot wait for next week.

The climax to an entire season of mounting tension, absolutely perfect.

[TouchTheGarlicProduction · 10/10 · 7 December 2015]

I'm really impressed with how they've somehow managed to make every single episode more tense than the last. The entire season has been a slow build, resulting in a payoff even better than anything in Season 1 (that's saying something). Speaking of season 1, they have a wonderful tribute to it here with Martin Freeman narrating.

Most of the episode focuses on everyone converging towards Sioux Falls. We all know from information given in the first season that this is going to result in a bloodbath, so you'd think the episode would be predictable. But the genius thing that the writers do is they set up so many things that could go wrong that you have no idea what's going to set the ball rolling. And once things get going, you have no idea who's going to survive, given the wealth of characters in this show. A lot of characters die in this episode even outside the bloodbath.

My favourite part of the episode is Mike Milligan's last moment in the episode. It perfectly sums up his character and the situation. As I speculated in an earlier review, the sci-fi undertones came to the forefront during one scene, much like the fantasy undertones in season 1. Some people might not like it, thinking that it feels out of place. However it's wonderfully surreal, and I'm certain Noah Hawley is going to build something out of it in future seasons. Only one episode left.

Ed and Peggy Define Teflon

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 8 December 2015]

Once again, this series outdoes itself. This is the convergence of the twain. Ed and Peggy Blumquist are being held by authorities in the cabin they rented as a hideout. Dodd is dead, but the idiot cops try to set up a big sting by proposing to wire the erstwhile butcher and his mate and expose the Kansas City mob. They hole up in a motel and await the arrival of the Kansas mafia. What they don't realize is that the Gerhardts have been informed by Hanzee that Dodd is being held (actually, he shot him in the head in the last episode after some racial slurs were sent his way). Lou is the voice of reason and warns the overzealous knuckleheads and they send him packing. The meeting with Mike is the next morning. Guess what. The Gerhardts arrive at night. You can well imagine. There are some scenes of incredible violence. Hanzee has suddenly tapped into his Native American heritage, realizing how wronged he has been by his adoptive family. He begins playing to the middle. How could this get any better?

"It's just a flying saucer, Ed"

[gedikreverdi · 26 November 2021]

Bloodshed at Motor Motel. I'm curious if that annoying detective Ben is dead or not. The Blumquists' luck made them get away again but Hanzee who stopped serving the Gerhardt is after them. The alien spaceship observed the shootout at the courtyard of the motel and flew away. Peggy is a very interesting character and it's become very clear for the last two episodes.

Spectacular episode and the UFO was the icing on the cake

[Skipfishh · 9/10 · 17 July 2020]

This for me was the best episode of the show. I read reviews here complaining about the appearance of the UFO, however, in my view this scene fits perfectly into the concept of the show. In real life, in the same year of 1979, the police officer Val Johnson incident in Minnesota happened with an alleged UFO, and like the fish rain of the first season, a brilliant reference to this unusual event was inserted in this second season.

a new high standard for TV

[nataliman · 10/10 · 27 December 2015]

This is the best I ever saw on TV. I can not understand how come it is perfect in every piece. Writing, production design, music, acting, directing. Many 'big' movies include the current mega hit Star Wars spent so much money to produce but you can still feel something not fit with story with scenes. But this, all parts click. I do not why, even UFO I can accept. I can imagine after this the cast will appear in many new movies. Hoping 'Gerhardts' may appear in kind of Godfther with Jean Smart as patriarch

The problem after this is ... the new standard is there.. against what great show will be judged

thank you for all of you that spread that great show

A fantastic episode with one glaring problem

[i-am-so-original · 8/10 · 9 December 2015]

First off, let me begin my review by stating that the episode itself was fantastic. It employed all the brutality, humour, and quirkiness that has come to define the show in its first two seasons. The massacre at Sioux Falls was everything that the show promised, as it was exciting, brutal, and the bodies piled high.

However, I feel that I should discuss the obvious elephant in the room that has come to split the viewers: the UFO.

My personal opinion is that it had no place in the episode. While it's true that the show has maintained a supernatural, UFO motif throughout the season, that is no excuse for the blatant detour into science fiction territory that this episode took. In episode one, Rye is distracted by a UFO, but that instance could easily be chalked up to a hallucination, a reflection, or even if it just remained a mystery. Then Hanzee saw lights in the sky, and an hour passed. Again, I, and many other fans, were completely find with that. It provided an intriguing mystery that perhaps the show would never answer.

But then a literal UFO dropped into the parking lot of the Motor Motel, dripped fluid onto the characters, shone bright green beams onto them, and distracted Bear so Lou could kill him. Aside from the obvious problem of the UFO being a blatant deus ex machina, it also becomes far too far- fetched for a show generally grounded in bleak reality. Perhaps it could have been executed better, like distant flashing lights, or a sound that distracted Bear. But to have a clear UFO change the course of events during an otherwise realistic, intense, and plot-changing scene is far too much to ask for for certain viewers.

While it was still a masterpiece of television, Fargo would benefit from less "weird" and just stick to what it does best: providing us an intense hour of television that we can relate to and be shocked by. None of this UFO crap.

Holy crap. That was awesome.

[nothing-u · 10/10 · 21 August 2016]

I rarely write reviews. This might be my first or second in the 7 years I've been on this site. But I felt compelled to write one for this episode.

First of all, the way the creators of this show put such surgeon- like focus into each episode is astounding and deserves a lot of praise. Each episode is an individual and complete piece of art, and this episode is no exception. You can almost sense how much time they spend coming up with interesting, exciting, and unique ways to tell their story. Each scene is fresh and captivating.

In this episode, we got Martin Freeman narrating the plot, which right away put a huge smile on my face. I said Lester must have survived and moved to the UK.

The lead-up to the massacre had such palpable suspense that it leaves you breathless. Perfectly executed.

The thing I really want to talk about is the sci-fi element. The UFO. Genius. Actual genius. They left bits and pieces of it throughout the show but it's as if everyone just kept avoiding it. And then, BAM! And I'd like to explain why I feel it's genius. Because it breaks the "script" just like real life would. In life, most people have some sort of routine, which turns into a predictable story for themselves, but it's an illusion. Cause life doesn't actually have rules that it follows. And, sometimes it can throw something completely surprising and shocking, which freezes the mind because it doesn't even know how to begin to process it. That's called the OZ Factor. When it happens in life, we don't question it. Why would we? We accept after the fact that life can be unpredictable and go off-script whenever it wants to. But we find it much harder to do that when watching a movie or a TV show, since movies are created by humans, and humans should stick to "script" and established "rules". "Chaos is the law of nature. Order was the dream of man." - Henry Adams

But these geniuses did exactly what nature would do. They threw in the unexpected, and it left the audience questioning and asking WTF, just as they would in real life, and just as the characters in the show did. In that sense, Fargo parallels reality better than anything else on TV, at the very least metaphorically. And that's no easy feat to accomplish.

It reminded me of the movie "From Dusk Till Dawn" with George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino. You begin watching an interesting crime drama, when halfway through the film it turns into a vampire movie. Like, WHAT?? I love that.

10/10 all around.

Massacre at Motor Motel

[Mr-Fusion · 10/10 · 31 March 2017]

There's something special about 'The Castle' right from its opening; with Martin Freeman returning to narrate the tale in storybook style, it just seems to elevate everything.

And the stakes couldn't be any higher. Everyone and everything converges on a roadside flophouse for an epic shootout. I mean, it is take-no-prisoners, instant resolution. IN the end, an ad-hoc task force of cops and an organized crime family are decimated; chess board wiped clean.

Almost.

(Still have to leave a few people standing for the finale)

Even as the bodies pile up, there are still unanswered questions; but the twists, turns and big surprises leave their mark well after the credits roll. Everything that makes this show what it is (humor, violence, drama, performances, quirk) are present and accounted for.

And at their very best.

10/10

Confusing despite master piece episode

[Mardans79 · 8/10 · 2 December 2018]

I didn't understand the UFO appearance in this true story !!!!

the UFO scene ruins the whole episode

[lmatzko · 6/10 · 4 May 2020]

I have read what the maker's explanation (not real explanation, more like a dumb excuse) is for including the UFO stuff. In my opinion, it is all about trying to be arty and trying to be extra surprising. But all it achieves is that it ruins the whole episode, which otherwise would be outstanding. The appearance of the UFO makes the whole episode plain stupid. It ruins the whole feel of the story.

UFO?

[lil_bonz85 · 3/10 · 29 August 2021]

Absolutely idiotic and ruined a great episode. Also gets old seeing the "true story'' line when it is not. Just like the original Fargo was not a true story but very loosely based on an actual event.

Just... wow

[TheDonaldofDoom · 3 March 2018]

Looking back across Season 2, the first four episodes were slow when compared to Season 1 which started with an action-packed pilot. But this penultimate episode hammers home how slow and steady building of the plot in the first half has led to an explosive second half. This episode, clearly the story's climax, brings all the plot threads together with chaotic results.

First, there's what the police do with Ed and Peggy, using their deal with the KA mafia to bring it down. Unfortunately, the spanner in the works is the Gerhardts, ruin everything. The final showdown is the most intense bit of the whole season but also so, so stupid. That's what the flying saucer highlights in its mocking way. The spotlights shine down on the fighting and dying humans and faced with this pathetic, tragic picture of humanity, people killing each other for nothing, it decides it's seen enough. It's a damning statement about the nature of humanity. In any other show, the flying saucer would be a massive wtf moment that just wouldn't work, but this is Fargo, and it fits right in.

The big question that I'm sure will be debated on forums for years is the one posed by the narrator: Why did Hanzee do what he did and when did he decode to do it? Was it a well planned did of rage at what the encounter at the bar had made him realise? That he was a servant of the people who had taken the land from his people and were now fighting each other over it? Did he look at this and think, why am I the servant of one side when they're all the same, when they all see me in the same way? That's what I think, but it was a deliberate choice of the creators to leave the answer open-ended.

It's a masterpiece. Everything comes together in such a great way, making this on par with the previous episode, which is an incredible feat.

Penultimate Episode

[Thatdudelou · 10/10 · 30 December 2018]

Everything has led us to this in season 2. Many questions answered many characters given there just rewards. I love this episode and this season in particular the most of all 3 seasons. Layers on top of layers if you have the eyes to see them.

The UFO were there the whole time. Now on to Black Sabbath.

I like true stories

[mgidb · 9/10 · 12 September 2019]

The opening was awesome documentation for the whole thing. Hanzy unknown mission fascinating excuted but the UFO appearance is unexplained yet in this true events. But the slavery on the both sides of the gangs black man mercenary and the revenge of an Indian native guy is likable.

Adam Arkin Directed!

[clacura · 9/10 · 9 December 2015]

I didn't know Adam Arkin directed, and I am guessing by this episode he's pretty darn good yeah? He gets the season closer as well. Pretty much knocked it out of the park on this one. Yes, the UFO was "out there" but only in Fargo was it accepted contextually. Not sure why exactly, just the Coen Brother's brilliance I'm guessing that set the tone and feel from the movie. You know you are brilliant when you make a movie almost 20 years ago and nothing else feels like it until a TV show mimicking it's style. Oh, you betchya! If you haven't Youtube'd this show, do so and catch the interviews. Zahn McClarnon as Hanzee is as upbeat and full of smiles as anyone could be. That is acting!

Now this is an episode !

[nicofreezer · 9/10 · 8 June 2022]

Fargo season 2 have been solid but lacking Greatest, finally in episode 9 we got a great one. Now i understand the 9.4/10 rating, not like the previous episode that was overrated af.

The season reach its climax, its breaking point and its mindblowing ! Finally an episode without any weird character moment, people acting weird. Not in this one, they are all straigt to the point, and the UFO scene in the first ep got finally a second appearance ( we are not alone sign was seen 3 times in the ep, as a spoiler to make come next) The Indians motivation will never be explain but its okay, makes our imagination work a bit.

My first 9/10 since the Pilot of Season 1 ( which was a 10/10) So " The castle" is officially the second best episode of Fargo to date, the second great one in 19 episodes.

The others turn more around 8/10 solid stuff.

Fargo: S2E9 "The Castle" Review - King Cadmium

[kingcadmium · 9/10 · 14 March 2022]

Peggy and Ed agree to follow through with their plan at the Motor Motel, Lou faces jurisdictional politics, and Hanzee reports back to the Gerhardts.

What I Liked:

The pacing of this episode allows for thoroughly engaging and rarely dull viewing. It is a testament to how well-structured and tautly written this show has been so far.

The cinematography is solid, and each scene perfectly implements its well-crafted and memorable music score. On top of that, each actor gives a strong performance.

Hanzee has become perhaps the best character this season, having killed those who mocked him in the bar and then Dodd, and now Floyd as well. His character arc has been terrific thus far.

What I Disliked:

What was the point of the UFO? Its only sole purpose in this episode appears to have been to distract Bear so that Lou could shoot him. It was unique, but it seems more like a deus ex machina than anything.

Overall:

Fargo delivers perhaps its best episode this season, a fantastic and highly enthralling viewing experience, leaving one wanting more as soon as the credits roll.

9/10

King Cadmium.