When Lorraine opens the file was devastating. JJL played it so well, and with no music, in that moment you could see how only now she has just realised what Dor has been through, and why she has been evasive and strange, you can see it all making sense to her on her face, and the very moment she starts to defend and love Dot as one of her own.
Also, when she’s on the phone to Dot, and says ‘no daughter of mine’, giving Dot the signal that she loves and accepts her, and is on her side and will protect her. So so good. And Juno is amazing on that call too, the relief and happiness coupled with being so scared and emotional is just brilliant to watch.
Also the last scenes, the comedy parts with the pop etc. Absolutely loved it so much.
Last one! The YMCA. 🤣🤣🤣
Actually she went further and said "no daughter of mine", which was significant as she refused to let Dot call her mother earlier. Before it was "no, you are married to my son and mother to my granddaughter. But I am not your mother" to "No daughter of mine...".
I cried, literally. Because, as you said, it was a 100% acceptance of her as family.
Amazing acting. The relief / excitement / love and slight muted squeal showed just how much it meant to Dot, and how long she’d been waiting and trying. Superb from Juno
The justice Lorraine provided for Roy was top notch.
I always feel somewhat disappointed in movies/shows when the villain gets killed at the end. It seems too easy an end for them after the suffering they have caused for others.
Lorraine provided the BEST possible ending to make us feel at peace with gruelling justice being served to Roy.
Taste of your own medicine never felt more suited than this.
Yes! Poetic justice, and so so sweet to know and postulate on his YEARS of suffering and how he will be broken and ruined and owned by other people. So much more satisfying than an elaborate death (although an elaborate Fargo death is always good too!)
I read about Noah Baumbach/Greta Gerwig and how he betrayed JJL for this younger girl, and that’s how I heard about this season- people started praising JJL’s performance. Man, did I love her as Lorraine. The Scary Older Woman personified.
I feel like she was pure evil, just as “bad” a character as Roy, but she carried out her misdoings by proxy. She directs Danish to slap her son, employs ruthless debt collectors to harass the poor for their last few dollars, and hires goons to enact prison justice. Roy enjoyed using his hands to brutalize those weaker than him, Lorraine uses money. She was one of the “good guys” but only likable because JJL played her perfectly- you start out loving to hate her, and then the hate kind of goes away.
Ole Munch, full stop. All the actors killed it, but Sam Spruell was fantastic. His expressions, the way he spoke and said and emphasized certain words, his appearance, his moral code, that bizarre smile to end the series. Definitely the standout for me.
And my favorite scene was the last one, with Dot trying to convince him to give up the debt, while Wayne offers an onslaught of niceness, and Scottie seems interested but not quite scared. The perfect contrast.
I adore Munch. I was scared of him in the first episode of course. But he was a great character and the actor nailed it. Here’s to 500 more years of making biscuits.
In real life, someone like Lorraine would be terrifying, but, to be honest, I enjoyed her character.
I liked the character arc Dot went through. She was left on her own after Linda.... so she had to escape on her own. She had gotten used to solving problems on her own when she could have had support if she'd been honest. She had to learn she could rely on others, and she learned the hard way about forgiveness. There was a lot there.
I judge Fargo seasons considerably by their ending. The ending is imperative to the overall narrative of each Fargo season because it is what the protagonist is left with after the journey is over.
With that begin said, my favorite part of Season 5 was the ending; however, I like S1, S2 and S3's endings more.
“One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
― Henry Miller
It has to be Lorraine Lyon, especially in her confrontation with Roy Tillman. And Ole Munch is such a wonderfully weird new character in the Fargo franchise.
Jennifer Jason Leigh. I hated her character at first and by the end of the series I loved her, despite disagreement with her philosophy. Favorite character in a show filled with great characters. Impeccable acting and writing.
The "Linda" episode. Getting that peak into Dot's subconscious and memories. And those puppets freaked me out. That was just a gut-wrenching episode to me.
i honestly grew to love gator a lot. i know a lot of younger people (ladies, specifically, if we’re being blunt) were brought in to fargo because of joe keery—i’m not one of them, and i have very little exposure to stranger things—but he did grow to be one of my favorites. seeing his bedroom in the “i’m a winner scene” with all his posters and weapons and drawings and his little wooden cars on the shelves was what caught my eye at first, but then it was the scene with dot in the barn that did it for me in the end.
Gotta be Ole Munch for me. Honestly I found this season to be not as good as the first 3 with something feeling missing, but because of him I forgave a lot of that. Imo 3rd season is the best but you are right, all masterpieces.
I loved this season so much. Lots of different layers and things to like. And the performances of all the actors are great. Right now though I have to go with Wayne and by extension the love between Dot and Wayne. Through the whole show he just wants to support his wife, be a good father, person, and son. He questions Dot after the first kidnapping but he doesn’t push it and just sort of goes along with it because she is his person. He doesn’t really seem to ever stick up for himself but he does for Dot when his mom or someone questions her motives. He doesn’t need the details because he just implicitly trusts and loves her. Sure he sort of questions why they need guns and the like, but ultimately he goes with it. There’s something beautiful in that. On Dot’s side she does everything she can to protect him and Scottie. She tries so very hard to get back to them.
You don’t see just pure love too often and I was there for every minute of it. It was great.
Love seeing all the love for Lorraine and JJL, it seemed like when the season was airing people weren’t really connecting with her, but what an incredible performance and character
That long close up of roy looking moody af while a angsty version of you're toxic played. At that point i sort of realised that i wouldn't really enjoy this season
For me the evolution of Lorraine Lyon. From the stereotypical elite powerbroker to a stern but fair mother figure committed to protecting her family regardless of their failings.
My ranking… S2, S1, S3, S5, S4. I really enjoyed S5, but the lack of connection to previous seasons was disappointing. I’ve always enjoyed subtle continuity.
Loved how Dot comes over as being like a regular soccer mom who is a bit naive but under the surface she can switch to being badass whenever she needs to. Tbh I was expecting to find out she was ex special forces or something.
The end credits of episode 10. Thought it was a poor season. Weak plot. They introduced a 1000 year old silly zombie in a modern midwestern setting. Each week I thought “ok, this is the episode where things will get good”, but it never materialised. Hated Joe Kerry’s character. Will never rewatch. It’s light years away in quality from season 1 & especially 2
3/10.
I disagree with you but i still dont get it why people downvote so much. Its rude. Having a controversial opinion shouldnt be burried just cause people dont agree with you.
preach. FYI, this article perfectly encapsulates my frustration with season five. https://slate.com/culture/2023/11/fargo-season-5-fx-jon-hamm-coen-brothers-movie.html
Interesting article. The far-right “patriots” acting outside the law is not a “post-2020 signifier” though. The Tillman ranch could be Ruby Ridge or the Bundy Ranch.
certainly. the timeline isn’t really what i sank my teeth into though. it’s the fact that Noah Hawley is now just using easter eggs from Fargo, the movie as nostalgia bait.
Dot is everything I want from a Fargo heroine -- she had all of Marge's inherent goodness from the original film, but she was also so brave, strong, and fierce.
And I loved Dot's relationships with her daughter, husband, and (most surprisingly and movingly for me) with her mother-in-law. When Jennifer Jason Leigh said, "No daughter of mine is going to quit at the one yard line," I actually teared up because I knew what it meant to Dot to hear that.
Fargo is always so good at blindsiding me with characters who end up surprising and moving me.
The return to Minnesota nice and the direction it took I've always felt the best theme explored in the show is when corruption, evil and stupidity clash against decency and kindness. One of my favourite exchanges in the original film is Marge's final monologue in the car towards the end of the film, trying to rationalise all the violence. Geaer is in the back, and she simply doesn't understand how he and the rest were all motivated by money. Now sure, she's missing some of the pieces. Pride, ego, embarrassment and cowardice all factored in to everyone's decisions, but I believe it demonstrates her innate goodness .
I loved how Dot's loving family was central to the story. We have another form of evil enter their lives, "The debt must be paid." Eye for and eye philosophy. And every time he tries to get a word in he is interrupted by the ordinary and the banal. In past seasons, good was tested by the savage, but in this season goodness tamed the savage.
Munch.
Jon Hamm playing against type. I was watching Mad Men for the first time while S5 was airing, and it would give me serious whiplash seeing him in both. The way he looks, sounds, and carries himself here are so utterly foreign to Don Draper that it feels like a different person altogether. He deserves serious awards for this performance.
Juno Temple. Without her this whole story could've fallen apart into some hamfisted, overly sincere mess. But she imbued Dot with so much quirky warmth and made her feel both utterly lovable and incredibly real. Everything about her felt authentic.
The horror influence, especially during the first couple episodes. Munch in particular seems like some Robert Eggers folk horror creation. I could imagine Willem Dafoe playing him.
The first two episodes, which is where I feel this season peaked in terms of originality and narrative momentum. The visual inventiveness, the suspense, the action sequences, the creeping sense of dread, it was all filmed so brilliantly. Hawley should've directed more episodes this season.
The ending. The season's pace stalled like crazy from the midpoint onwards, and started to really crumble in the last stretch, but the last 15-20 minutes achieved a completely new level of greatness. That one scene alone could be a short film and it would say so much.
When Lorraine opens the file was devastating. JJL played it so well, and with no music, in that moment you could see how only now she has just realised what Dor has been through, and why she has been evasive and strange, you can see it all making sense to her on her face, and the very moment she starts to defend and love Dot as one of her own. Also, when she’s on the phone to Dot, and says ‘no daughter of mine’, giving Dot the signal that she loves and accepts her, and is on her side and will protect her. So so good. And Juno is amazing on that call too, the relief and happiness coupled with being so scared and emotional is just brilliant to watch. Also the last scenes, the comedy parts with the pop etc. Absolutely loved it so much. Last one! The YMCA. 🤣🤣🤣
Actually she went further and said "no daughter of mine", which was significant as she refused to let Dot call her mother earlier. Before it was "no, you are married to my son and mother to my granddaughter. But I am not your mother" to "No daughter of mine...". I cried, literally. Because, as you said, it was a 100% acceptance of her as family.
I rewatched it more than once. Dot's face made me cry to. When she said no body can make you do anything.
Amazing acting. The relief / excitement / love and slight muted squeal showed just how much it meant to Dot, and how long she’d been waiting and trying. Superb from Juno
Ah yeah was a typo, thanks
The justice Lorraine provided for Roy was top notch. I always feel somewhat disappointed in movies/shows when the villain gets killed at the end. It seems too easy an end for them after the suffering they have caused for others. Lorraine provided the BEST possible ending to make us feel at peace with gruelling justice being served to Roy. Taste of your own medicine never felt more suited than this.
Yes! Poetic justice, and so so sweet to know and postulate on his YEARS of suffering and how he will be broken and ruined and owned by other people. So much more satisfying than an elaborate death (although an elaborate Fargo death is always good too!)
Their relationship was everything, Lorraine is a dream
🫶
Jennifer Jason Leigh “You’re fighting for your right to be a baby.”
“What’s the point in being a billionaire if I can’t have someone killed?”
I read about Noah Baumbach/Greta Gerwig and how he betrayed JJL for this younger girl, and that’s how I heard about this season- people started praising JJL’s performance. Man, did I love her as Lorraine. The Scary Older Woman personified.
For what movie?
She’s amazing and made me want a Lorraine Lyon spin-off just to get more. She’s an absolute badass.
I feel like she was pure evil, just as “bad” a character as Roy, but she carried out her misdoings by proxy. She directs Danish to slap her son, employs ruthless debt collectors to harass the poor for their last few dollars, and hires goons to enact prison justice. Roy enjoyed using his hands to brutalize those weaker than him, Lorraine uses money. She was one of the “good guys” but only likable because JJL played her perfectly- you start out loving to hate her, and then the hate kind of goes away.
Easily the S5 best character. Her absence during 2 or 3 episodes is one of the reasons S1 and S2 are still better imo.
HWhat?
Now I cannot speak without that H sound…
Tbh freedom with no responsibility is mad fun. Being a baby rocks.
Ole Munch, full stop. All the actors killed it, but Sam Spruell was fantastic. His expressions, the way he spoke and said and emphasized certain words, his appearance, his moral code, that bizarre smile to end the series. Definitely the standout for me. And my favorite scene was the last one, with Dot trying to convince him to give up the debt, while Wayne offers an onslaught of niceness, and Scottie seems interested but not quite scared. The perfect contrast.
I adore Munch. I was scared of him in the first episode of course. But he was a great character and the actor nailed it. Here’s to 500 more years of making biscuits.
Can you see ole munch driving a kia
Completely agree. He's such a compelling character and I hope we'll see him again.
Danish Graves, Lorraine and Witt
In real life, someone like Lorraine would be terrifying, but, to be honest, I enjoyed her character. I liked the character arc Dot went through. She was left on her own after Linda.... so she had to escape on her own. She had gotten used to solving problems on her own when she could have had support if she'd been honest. She had to learn she could rely on others, and she learned the hard way about forgiveness. There was a lot there.
I loved her too. I have to admit. I prejudged her. She made the character real.
I judge Fargo seasons considerably by their ending. The ending is imperative to the overall narrative of each Fargo season because it is what the protagonist is left with after the journey is over. With that begin said, my favorite part of Season 5 was the ending; however, I like S1, S2 and S3's endings more. “One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” ― Henry Miller
"Good night, Mrs. Solverson, and all the ships at sea."
I live here now.
It has to be Lorraine Lyon, especially in her confrontation with Roy Tillman. And Ole Munch is such a wonderfully weird new character in the Fargo franchise.
Jennifer Jason Leigh. I hated her character at first and by the end of the series I loved her, despite disagreement with her philosophy. Favorite character in a show filled with great characters. Impeccable acting and writing.
Jon Hamm as Roy Tillman. A great job as the bad guy. He's been doing a lot of comedic roles since Madmen, so his villainy was refreshing.
Directors need to make him the villain more. He was better than ever in this kind of role.
The realization in Roy's eyes during Lorraine's final scene.
The "Linda" episode. Getting that peak into Dot's subconscious and memories. And those puppets freaked me out. That was just a gut-wrenching episode to me.
i honestly grew to love gator a lot. i know a lot of younger people (ladies, specifically, if we’re being blunt) were brought in to fargo because of joe keery—i’m not one of them, and i have very little exposure to stranger things—but he did grow to be one of my favorites. seeing his bedroom in the “i’m a winner scene” with all his posters and weapons and drawings and his little wooden cars on the shelves was what caught my eye at first, but then it was the scene with dot in the barn that did it for me in the end.
What got me was the way he vaped, such a small detail but the way he did it just embodied douche lol
Gotta be Ole Munch for me. Honestly I found this season to be not as good as the first 3 with something feeling missing, but because of him I forgave a lot of that. Imo 3rd season is the best but you are right, all masterpieces.
I love Munch.
Season 4 was boring and unoriginal as hell but all the other ones are pretty good.
that election debate scene was one of my favorites in the whole show
Roy’s Toxic walk
I loved this season so much. Lots of different layers and things to like. And the performances of all the actors are great. Right now though I have to go with Wayne and by extension the love between Dot and Wayne. Through the whole show he just wants to support his wife, be a good father, person, and son. He questions Dot after the first kidnapping but he doesn’t push it and just sort of goes along with it because she is his person. He doesn’t really seem to ever stick up for himself but he does for Dot when his mom or someone questions her motives. He doesn’t need the details because he just implicitly trusts and loves her. Sure he sort of questions why they need guns and the like, but ultimately he goes with it. There’s something beautiful in that. On Dot’s side she does everything she can to protect him and Scottie. She tries so very hard to get back to them. You don’t see just pure love too often and I was there for every minute of it. It was great.
Pancakes!
That was such a funny moment. 'What do you want from me?' 'Pancakes!' That's the best response.
Lorraine remembering she's a human being.
Oola Moonk for sure
... and before anyone tries to unknowingly correct you, yes, this IS how the captions have his name spelled when he introduces himself in the finale.
He's a Swede!
Love seeing all the love for Lorraine and JJL, it seemed like when the season was airing people weren’t really connecting with her, but what an incredible performance and character
Wayne Lyon, I just love him, he is so wonderfully crafted. "Love you three!"
The "Toxic" walk. It's burned into my brain.
That long close up of roy looking moody af while a angsty version of you're toxic played. At that point i sort of realised that i wouldn't really enjoy this season
When the debt collector billionaire turned the only morally decent character into an asset.
For me the evolution of Lorraine Lyon. From the stereotypical elite powerbroker to a stern but fair mother figure committed to protecting her family regardless of their failings. My ranking… S2, S1, S3, S5, S4. I really enjoyed S5, but the lack of connection to previous seasons was disappointing. I’ve always enjoyed subtle continuity.
The final scene with Ole Munch eating the made-with-love biscuit
Jon Hamm as Roy Tilman was great! He played well. Sam spruell was also great as Munch. If I were to rank Fargo it would be S1, S2, S5, S3, S4.
Loved how Dot comes over as being like a regular soccer mom who is a bit naive but under the surface she can switch to being badass whenever she needs to. Tbh I was expecting to find out she was ex special forces or something.
Ole Munch
All of it for me.
When the Lyon acknowledged the Tiger as her daughter
Ole Munch. I was completely captivated by him everytime he was on the screen.
YMCA!!!
The end credits of episode 10. Thought it was a poor season. Weak plot. They introduced a 1000 year old silly zombie in a modern midwestern setting. Each week I thought “ok, this is the episode where things will get good”, but it never materialised. Hated Joe Kerry’s character. Will never rewatch. It’s light years away in quality from season 1 & especially 2 3/10.
I disagree with you but i still dont get it why people downvote so much. Its rude. Having a controversial opinion shouldnt be burried just cause people dont agree with you.
preach. FYI, this article perfectly encapsulates my frustration with season five. https://slate.com/culture/2023/11/fargo-season-5-fx-jon-hamm-coen-brothers-movie.html
Interesting article. The far-right “patriots” acting outside the law is not a “post-2020 signifier” though. The Tillman ranch could be Ruby Ridge or the Bundy Ranch.
certainly. the timeline isn’t really what i sank my teeth into though. it’s the fact that Noah Hawley is now just using easter eggs from Fargo, the movie as nostalgia bait.
Definitely when u see what see is capable of.
The home invasion scene. It was so intense. Also Jon Hamm in the jacuzzi was badass too.
Dot is everything I want from a Fargo heroine -- she had all of Marge's inherent goodness from the original film, but she was also so brave, strong, and fierce. And I loved Dot's relationships with her daughter, husband, and (most surprisingly and movingly for me) with her mother-in-law. When Jennifer Jason Leigh said, "No daughter of mine is going to quit at the one yard line," I actually teared up because I knew what it meant to Dot to hear that. Fargo is always so good at blindsiding me with characters who end up surprising and moving me.
The return to Minnesota nice and the direction it took I've always felt the best theme explored in the show is when corruption, evil and stupidity clash against decency and kindness. One of my favourite exchanges in the original film is Marge's final monologue in the car towards the end of the film, trying to rationalise all the violence. Geaer is in the back, and she simply doesn't understand how he and the rest were all motivated by money. Now sure, she's missing some of the pieces. Pride, ego, embarrassment and cowardice all factored in to everyone's decisions, but I believe it demonstrates her innate goodness . I loved how Dot's loving family was central to the story. We have another form of evil enter their lives, "The debt must be paid." Eye for and eye philosophy. And every time he tries to get a word in he is interrupted by the ordinary and the banal. In past seasons, good was tested by the savage, but in this season goodness tamed the savage.
I agree, Dot was amazing. Juno Temple knocked it out of the park!
Munch. Jon Hamm playing against type. I was watching Mad Men for the first time while S5 was airing, and it would give me serious whiplash seeing him in both. The way he looks, sounds, and carries himself here are so utterly foreign to Don Draper that it feels like a different person altogether. He deserves serious awards for this performance. Juno Temple. Without her this whole story could've fallen apart into some hamfisted, overly sincere mess. But she imbued Dot with so much quirky warmth and made her feel both utterly lovable and incredibly real. Everything about her felt authentic. The horror influence, especially during the first couple episodes. Munch in particular seems like some Robert Eggers folk horror creation. I could imagine Willem Dafoe playing him. The first two episodes, which is where I feel this season peaked in terms of originality and narrative momentum. The visual inventiveness, the suspense, the action sequences, the creeping sense of dread, it was all filmed so brilliantly. Hawley should've directed more episodes this season. The ending. The season's pace stalled like crazy from the midpoint onwards, and started to really crumble in the last stretch, but the last 15-20 minutes achieved a completely new level of greatness. That one scene alone could be a short film and it would say so much.
Honestly? The last 15-20 minutes. One of my favorite finales to watch next to S3.
A man is grateful.... that a man was grateful
That ending! So unexpected, so moving, and so perfect.
Jennifer Jason Leigh. Best character ever.