The Gift of the Magi (2015) User Reviews (12)

Brilliant payoff to half a season of teasing.

[TouchTheGarlicProduction · 10/10 · 9 November 2015]

Right from the start of the episode, I knew this one would be different. The first scene felt like it should have been the last scene of an episode; a bloodbath and a Ronald Reagan speech happening simultaneously. After teasing both things profusely for the entire season so far, we finally got to see war between Michigan and the Gerhardts, and we finally, FINALLY got to see Bruce Campbell as Ronald Reagan in all his glory. The episode was chock full of great quotes, and he had some of the best. The humour in the episode was all very good, but the drama took centre stage. It was all top-notch.

One brilliant bit of directing occurred when you suddenly realize that two stories that have been happening in narrative parallel are actually right next to each other and are about to converge tragically. It was a great moment of horrific realization on the part of the viewer. The final shot of the episode perfectly illustrated how out of their depth the Blomquists are.

The War Begins for Real

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 10 November 2015]

I hate it when an episode ends. This is the best of the second season. The Kansas City bunch, full of over-confidence, are ambushed by the Gerhardts as Ronald Reagan makes a speech in a nearby town hall. As is the case with "Fargo," some of the ones we have grown to know are now dead on the ground. Meanwhile, the Gerhardts are in Luverne, looking for the butcher. Peggy and Ed are clueless and indecisive. There is a great scene in the butcher shop. I was wondering about the title of this episode and then I realized the O Henry story involves two people, trying to do the right thing, and then realizing that what they thought best was actually hopelessly inappropriate. Think of this as you see Ed and Peggy, standing there as the episode ends. We know that there are big things coming. Brad Garret's character gets the message from Hanzee. He shows his utter cowardice in this episode, but I am sure there are more characters along the way.

Death comes ridin' in

[Mr-Fusion · 10/10 · 20 March 2017]

Up until this point, I hadn't given a rip about the Blumquists; but in short order, their situation turns bleak and there's obviously no happy ending in this for them 'The Gift of the Magi', has all of the staging of a season finale; people dropping dead left and right (one of said killing sprees is juxtaposed with a patriotic campaign speech, tension from every corner; it's bad tidings all over. You know stuff's getting dark with Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine) recites Jabberwocky as he's gunning up. I'm pretty sure I've never seen split-screen used so effectively to jack up the suspense. It's an exhilarating episode; violent, dreadful and really ups the ante.

I can't leave out Bruce Campbell, who more than holds his own as Governor Reagan, and I'm pretty sure this is just a one-off. But it was a great performance, nonetheless. IT fit right in with the excellent episode.

10/10

Peggy Aquamarine

[archs4 · 10/10 · 30 November 2015]

What truly makes Fargo an "artwork" is the detail and camera work. I was awestruck by the scene when Peggy picks up here Corvair from the body shop as she plans to head to California without her husband and the screen fills with the aquamarine color, matching her blue eyes as she has second doubts about leaving. Just a brilliant scene that is but one of many that captures the essence of Fargo and the Coen brothers work. The characters are enhanced by the landscape of the upper mid-west and the stark loneliness of the winter. You can feel the confusion in Peggy's mind and how she suddenly changes her mind to keep the butcher shop.

Up in Flames

[ThomasDrufke · 8/10 · 10 November 2015]

The thing that Fargo does quite possibly better than any other show is its tension. I don't know that I have ever seen a show that does so much with its camera work, music, and writing to build tension in even the calmest of scenes. It's really a tribute to both the acting and directing, and this episode was no different.

As I said last week, there was no going back for the Blomquist's. They decided to lie to the police and once they did that it was all over for them. Ed isn't the most likable character, but you have to feel for the guy seeing his dream literally burnt to the ground in front of his eyes while just a week prior he was ready to confess to Lou about the crimes. That's the kind of manipulation Fargo does so well. This served as a good parallel to the downfall of Milligan's group as well. The meeting last week with the Gerhardt's was there last chance, just as Ed was given his last chance, but their pride got the best of them.

I liked that this conflict was compared to the Cuban missile crisis during an episode where Bruce Campbell played Ronald Reagan. Sometimes this show can be so out there but yet everything works within the context of the show. I never feel disconnected. I really love how this show is so unpredictable even though you think you know where it's going. Just another great entry for the series.

+Bloody

+Rooting for unlikable characters

+Up in flames

8.4/10

My favourite episode in this series

[dierregi · 9/10 · 27 January 2018]

After the bumpy start and the absurd storyline involving crazy hairdresser Peggy and stupid husband Ed, plus a bunch of unlikable characters, we finally get an interesting twist. I know Lou and his family are supposed to be the "good guys", but that's predictable.

In this episode we see human nature in action, as a young would-be gangster is faced with actually performing a murder (or two) in cold blood. His indecision, his being side-tracked by Noreen, his revulsion with what he considers his "duty" are brilliant to witness.

I don't find him a coward, but a young guy reacting with compassion (albeit hormones-driven) and being totally confused by the absurdity and violence of life. The unexpected lack of brutality is way more effective than the hyper-violence.

What one scene here sums up the rest of the episode?

[theburrus1 · 9/10 · 29 September 2021]

It HAS to be the essence of sheer terror in Ed Blumquist's face, when after he's raced home in a panic to leave ASAP with Peggy in tow, and yet his wife is so giddy about how she helped them afford to buy their shop and saved the day and actually helped him for once unbeknownst of the disaster he just escaped from, he looks at the painting on the wall of the cows I the green pasture and how serene it is, yet it won't help him relax now. His face then sums up everything we find great in this episode and foreshadows horrors to come certainly!

A climax halfway through the season

[TheDonaldofDoom · 1 March 2018]

After four hours of slow, tense build-up, this episode explodes with action as two criminal gangs blow each other to pieces, Ed's shop burns down before he could buy it and someone's head is split open with a meat cleaver. It's a brilliant hour of Fargo, blending violence, humour and thoughtfulness into a masterpiece of an episode.

The most striking element is the focus on Charlie. He is naively desperate to be a Gerhardt himself, persuading his brother to allow him to do the killing that needs to be done. His scenes are executed with charm and humour. The first time, he makes the crucial mistake a hitman should never make: friendly conversation with the targets. You never want to humanise those you want to kill. So of course, instead of leaving having killed someone, he leaves with meat in his hand. The second attempt is a comical disaster, still failing to kill Ed but putting an end to his plans to buy the butcher shop. Even worse as comic timing, Peggy sold the car so they could both pay for what they wanted.

Charlie is the picture of a nice kid born into the wrong family. With violence treated as an honourable thing by those around him, it's natural for him to want to stop living in their shadows. The only way for him to do that in a criminal family is to show that he is man enough to do their dirty work himself. It's a tragic story, a genuinely kind-hearted youngster with his youth ruined by pointless violence.

And as well as the moments of violence, there are philosophical moments that are wonderfully performed. Reagan's conversation with Lou at the urinals is the right mix of thoughtful and funny. So is Ed and Nareen's discussion about the meaninglessness of life. This hits home given the theme of Fargo, pointless violence. Tie those two together and you get a damning philosophy: life is pointless so violence is pointless as well, as you all die at some point anyway. It's a nihilistic but unarguably sound view that Fargo takes.

Fargo: S2E5 "The Gift of the Magi" Review - King Cadmium

[kingcadmium · 8/10 · 11 March 2022]

Floyd takes action, and Charlie tries to prove himself. Peggy and Ed disagree about what to do next, while Lou sees himself sidelined during Ronald Reagan's campaign tour.

What I Liked:

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.

As the gang war intensifies, each scene involving the Gerhardts and the Kansas City Mafia becomes tenser and tenser, making for some highly enthralling television.

What I Disliked:

The Ronald Reagan storyline adds very little, if anything, to this episode or story. What is his purpose in this season?

Each scene with Peggy is noticeably uninteresting, especially compared to the other storylines. She is not likable or intriguing enough to warrant the amount of screen time she receives.

Overall:

Fargo delivers yet another high-quality episode. While this sophomore season has yet to reach the heights of its predecessor, one cannot deny this has been an enthralling season of television so far.

8/10

King Cadmium.

Ed the Butcher

[gedikreverdi · 22 November 2021]

The daughter of the butcher is amazing and she saved Ed from almost a certain death. The shop burnt down. Also the Native American man killed some of the Kansas men in the woods. The Gerhardt daughter is betraying her family and is in love with the Kansas guy. Besides, there's an alien spaceship side story which I can't understand.

Lazy writing

[fuqshytup · 28 January 2022]

This show is fantastic and the writing is incredible. But burning a belt buckle is ludicrous to begin with. And to clean the car and garage meticulously but not bother to clean the fireplace is only written that way to further the plot. It brings you right out of the story.