Raddoppiarlo

In September 2020, it was reported that the third episode of the season would be titled "Raddoppiarlo", and was to be written by series creator Noah Hawley and directed by Dearbhla Walsh. This was Hawley's 26th writing credit, and Walsh's third directing credit.[1]

In its original American broadcast, "Raddoppiarlo" was seen by an estimated 0.72 million household viewers and gained a 0.1 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, according to Nielsen Media Research. This means that 0.1 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.[2] This was a 9% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.79 million viewers with a 0.1 in the 18-49 demographics.[3]

"Raddoppiarlo" received positive reviews from critics. Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "'Raddoppiarlo' isn't a triumph, but it's considerably more engaging to watch, creating the sense of rising, idiosyncratic tension that Fargo seasons have come to rely on. Whereas the two episode premiere often seemed to get bogged down in its own whimsy, this hour is coherent and more direct. There's still the indulgence in rambling and slow burn that we've come to expect, but for a wonder, some of those slow burns actual result in suspense. It's even possible to walk away with the faith that there's a real plot here, and not just a collection of incidents that might, eventually, at some point, collect into a story."[4]

Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone wrote, "It’s hard not to blame them for feeling uncertain, or even for Josto to keep forgetting about Oraetta, because everyone is dealing with so much already. And based on the way Fargo works, you shouldn’t expect things to get less complicated anytime soon."[5] Nick Schager of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Fargo's gangland warfare has, to date, escalated at a surprisingly unhurried pace. Nonetheless, 'Raddoppiarlo' finds the show's various factions all making plays to seize power — many of them violent in nature."[6]

Keith Phipps of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "When we last visited Fargo, a series now set in Kansas City, we watched a familiar face, playing an unfamiliar character, launch a raid on the King of Tears mortuary. 'Raddoppiarlo', season four's third episode, wastes little time revealing the details of Timothy Olyphant's character."[7]

Nick Harley of Den of Geek gave the episode a 3.5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "While not flawless, this episode was absolutely stuffed with compelling action, even if we can do with a little less speechifying. While I enjoyed Chris Rock in the premiere, I feel like he's pulling his natural charisma back a little too far in this episode. Jason Schwartzman appears to have the opposite problem, being just a tad too anachronistic to the point of seeming miscast. However, I'm still onboard with the latest season of Fargo and I'm curious to see how the Cannon's respond to the threats, real or perceived, as well as how Josto will deal with the power grab that's being attempted by his brother."[8] Scott Tobias of The New York Times wrote, "This is the type of plotting that Fargo has always handled well, when violence breaks out and characters scramble to figure out how to harness the fallout to their favor. Hawley just needs to gets out of his own way. Sometimes less is more."[9]