Fargo season 5 finale recap: A tamed ending to an intense season
By Sandy C.
The Fargo season 5 finale is here and it broke our hearts in unexpected ways. Needless to say, there are spoilers ahead if you have not yet watched season 5 episode 10 (or any other episode). Go stream any you may have missed on Hulu before reading on.
Instead of a play-by-play recap, why don't we review the biggest moments, shocks, and questions from the finale? Final spoiler warning, folks! Fargo season 5 is a wrap, so we'll dive into some heavy spoilers here.
Everyone who died in the Fargo season 5 finale
We were all expecting an important death or two in the finale, especially since the penultimate episode didn't include any. But this is Fargo we're talking about, the FX series is going to go out with a bang! And it sure did. Still, I gotta say I was surprised by the characters who died in this episode. Let's begin, in order of when the deaths happen.
Odin Little (Michael Copeman)
The first to go in this episode is Odin Little, Karen's father and Roy's father-in-law. Odin has always teased and judged Roy's every move, underestimating Roy's anger. Well, Roy decided this was the last straw and swiftly cuts Odin's throat. Well deserved, Isay.
Witt Farr (Lamorne Morris)
Okay, this one I was not expecting. Why? Deputy Witt has been through hell and back. He survived some significant injuries and made it his mission to help Dot (June Temple) from the very start. Audiences quickly loved him. This role is very different from the one Morris is most famously known for, Winston from New Girl. That said, it was great seeing Morris stretch his acting chops. It hurts that, after all Witt went through he still died in the end, and at the hands of Roy Tillman (John Hamm), at that.
What happens at the end of Fargo season 5?
Dot goes home! She doesn't kill Roy, but she gets her happy ending and returns home to her husband and daughter. I like that Dot isn't holding on to the past. She's not worried about Roy not being dead or seeking further revenge. Besides, Lorraine Lyon (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is making sure that Roy never leaves the prison -- and that his stay there is as horrible as it possibly can.
My favorite scene in this episode happens towards the end. Ole Munch (Sam Spruell), who we later learn his name is Oola Moonk, pays Dot and her family a visit. The sin-eater tells Dot that he freed her so that she could finish her fight, but that Dot must now "pay her debt." Surprisingly, Dot talks him out of this by simply welcoming Moonk into her home. Dot even gets Moonk to help prepare dinner. Throughout this scene, Moonk shares his story. Moonk doesn't say it's himself he is talking about, but Dot knows. Dot asks why debts should be paid, why not, instead, forgive debts? She also tells Moonk that his debts and sins can also be forgiven. All he needs to do is eat some delicious food, which Moonk happily begins to do.
It's a very tamed ending and not really what we are used to from Fargo. But hey, I'm not complaining. Season 5 gave us plenty of action-packed moments, shocking scenes, and amazing characters. Do I think the finale is anticlimactic? Only because I expected something different. But all in all, Fargo season 5 is one of my favorite seasons so far.