That’s why I’m wondering if maybe I missed something. Hopefully something will be explained further, because “Native American flipping out and shooting people who are a-holes to him” doesn’t really make for a compelling character arc. Maybe Mike Milligan can get to the bottom of this.
-Tom
Huh, that hadn’t occurred to me, I thought it was just the more practical issue of now being a wanted man and wanting to change his appearance. You could be right though.
Hanzii turning on Dodd made sense to me in theory because it always seemed like a possibility, but yeah, why’s he willing to do all this just to kill him? It seemed like something that would happen in a quiet moment of opportunity, not something he’d put himself in the spotlight to accomplish. Maybe he fully intended to still also kill or capture Ed (and presumably Peggy since she’d be a witness) and use that to remain in the good graces of the remaining Gerhardts. There was that moment earlier of Bear trying to reach out to Hanzii, so maybe he was hoping to remain with the people that treated him “okay-est” and doing that without Dodd would be even better.
I still think Hanzee snapping wasn’t that far out of left field. I’m guessing he’s been loyal to the Gerhardt family because they’re the only family he’s ever known. That family is now in decline. This has probably been building since old man Gerhardt’s stroke. Hanzee is in free fall. But he’s a character who doesn’t open up to anyone and keeps everything internalized. That is probably the biggest reason it seems rushed.
When he walks into that bar, he is quickly reminded that outside of that family, he’s considered less than human. He brings up the war again in an attempt to reach out and let these people know that he deserves to be treated as an equal. But he’s shot down…yet again.
As for Dodd? Hanzee’s world is falling apart and he’s painfully aware that Dodd’s actions have directly contributed to the family’s downfall. Hell, Hanzee helped to support the lies that Dodd told. I don’t think Hanzee went into that cabin with the intention to kill Dodd. I think he truly was going to save him. But then he’s confronted by a Dodd who’s finally reaping what he’s sown, and instead of being thankful, the son of a bitch insults him. After venting his frustration in the bar, he’s probably still filled with rage and he lashes out at someone who really did more to destroy the world Hanzee has known than anyone else.
Of course, this is all just me wondering out loud.
I watched and enjoyed most of the first season of Longmire, what? 3 years ago? But what kept me not coming back was it was just too “proceedural-ly” and there are too many other choices on TV these days that push the envelope a little more. But technically, yes, found it to be an excellent show. May have to dip back in when I come up for air at some point.
Re: Hanzee and the bar. Do we know what he’s even doing there? Why he stops for a drink before looking up the hotel based on the info he got from the fridge? Was there some method to the madness of starting some shit up in Sioux Falls while the war is going on between the gangs elsewhere? I’m actually a bit disappointed if it was just simple exposition for him finally being mad as hell and not going to take it any more.
Last thing about Hanzee and Peg. Is Hanzee fully actualized?
Which is fine and all, but this isn’t the usual TV drivel like Lost or The Walking Dead or Star Trek: Whatever Whatever the Whatever, where the writers just make it up as they go along and we have to piece together justifications for their laziness. Fargo is consistently meticulous and explicit. Which, again, is why I’m wondering if I missed something about Hanzee’s motivation. I’m pretty sure if Noah Hawley wants us to know something, he’s going to tell us instead of leaving us to wonder about the why and how of it all.
At least I hope that’s the case. We’ve only got a couple more episodes for the pieces to fall into place. And there’s still plenty left to do with Ted Danson’s UFO room!
I was disappointed at Patrick Wilson’s and Ted Danson’s timing. I wanted a full-on conversation between Peg and Hanzee! In fact, I’d be content if the entire next episode was them talking while Jesse Plemons looks on nonplussed.
-Tom
That’s pretty much his expression in everything all the time.
— Alan
I read a review that put forth the theory that Hanzee asked for that haircut because he knew Peggy would try to kill him. They seemed to believe Hanzee was trying to go out on his own terms. Not sure I agree with it, but it’s interesting.
His character in Breaking Bad was actually pretty sinister for whatever secret things he knew. And his character in Black Mass had a certain degree of intensity and clarity. In fact, his moment of clarity at a point in the movie where he thinks he’s going to be killed – but it turns out to be something else entirely – is pretty awesome.
But you are right when it comes to his character in Battleship.
-Tom
Everyone stunned speechless?
Watched the last episode twice. Keep repeating “This show. This fucking show.”
Anybody have a strong reaction to the UFO? I felt like there wasn’t enough thematic support for it to sell me on it. There’s been tons of references to aliens throughout the season of course, but in this kind of crime story it’s a weird flavor to drop in.
Oh, and why bring in the Martin Freeman narration at this point? I’ve been watching the show, you don’t have to remind me of everything that’s happened! Or speculate on Hanzee’s motivations for me (though Tom may have appreciated it).
Yes, I wondered if that was a case of “careful what you wish for” for Tom.
I had no problem with the UFO as they’ve been hinting at it all season and I am, in general, comfortable with magical realism. The narration I wasn’t as keen on but the creators have earned a ton of rope from me so I was able to move past it pretty quickly.
The History of Organized Crime in the Midwest seems to open the door for future seasons though I understand season three has already been said to take place a couple of years after season one.
“Oh, I hardly stuck him at all”
I loathed the narration, which was very much the antithesis of the Coens. They’re all about showing and not telling, and the narration was HERE’S WHY THAT GUY DID WHAT HE DID IN CASE YOU WEREN’T PAYING ATTENTION LAST WEEK.
… Maybe it’s a tip of the hat to the intentionally sententious fake commentary on the Blood Simple DVD that the Coens put in there to poke fun at DVD commentaries? Yeah, that’s how I’ll rationalize it to myself.
I’m fine with magic realism too, but I thought this particular use of the UFO was lame. In The Man Who Wasn’t There it served to tell us something important about the character: the fact the Billy Bob character was offered a chance at escape/redemption but didn’t take it showed how he had completely given in to his fate.
Here it was just a deus-ex-machina distraction to bail out the main character. (The fact that Kristen Dunst didn’t blink an eye at it was fun, but also not enough reason to bring it in.)
Mike’s “Okay then.” at the end was perfect.
I enjoyed Danson’s speech about his former lieutenant.
I think I blinked maybe twice during that entire episode.
Something I didn’t realize until I was randomly flipping channels the other day and stumbled on the ending of Blood Simple is that the drumming that has played a big part in this season’s soundtrack is an echo of the climactic moment from that movie. It’s not literally the same drumline, mind, but similar.
It’s a Wes Anderson touch.
This is also the second episode with music that sounds like Pink Floyd’s “One of These Days”. I mean, that’s what that’s supposed to sound like, other people think that too, right?
edit: I might be thinking of the wrong song. Maybe “On the Run”.