The Land of Taking and Killing

In September 2020, it was reported that the second episode of the season would be titled "The Land of Taking and Killing", and was to be written and directed by series creator Noah Hawley. This was Hawley's 25th writing credit, and his fourth directing credit.[1]

In its original American broadcast, "The Land of Taking and Killing" was seen by an estimated 0.79 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 36% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 1.22 million viewers with a 0.2 in the 18-49 demographics.[2]

"Welcome to the Alternate Economy" received generally positive reviews from critics. Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B" grade and wrote, "By the end of the second episode, there's enough conflict and unease coming from every sector that it's easy to imagine how the show moves forward even if it's hard to predict any one thread in specific. Goofy shit happens alongside incredibly violent shit. Characters speak in heightened, convoluted eloquence at rough contrast with their behaviors. The pace is sloooooow."[3]

Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone wrote, "The two-night premiere concludes on that most American of holidays, Thanksgiving, when the usual overeating seems on the verge of interruption by a few dozen cops approaching the mortuary where Ethelrida and her parents live (and where Zelmare and Swanee have been hiding out). Imminent violence in the middle of a celebration of how settlers first arrived? Seems about right for a start."[4] Nick Schager of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Murder always runs in the family in Fargo. Thus, it's only natural that tensions between brothers, fathers, and sons, and mothers and daughters are ever-present in 'The Land of Talking and Killing', which begins setting the season’s hostile narrative gears in motion."[5]

Keith Phipps of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Like the fourth-season debut, this second episode has to expend a lot of energy putting pieces into place, which it does fairly gracefully in ways that suggest some minor characters will have more to do later on. But it also pushes the story forward more than might be expected."[6] Nick Harley of Den of Geek gave the episode a 3.5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "The episode ends with Mayflower leaving the pie on the Smutny porch. Shortly after she departs, a group of police officers arrive, ready to kick down their door. It's likely that they're looking for Zelame and Swanee, but perhaps it has something to do with Cannon, or potentially even Mayflower herself. There's a lot of chaos stirring on this new season Fargo, and things are only bound to get worse."[7] Scott Tobias of The New York Times wrote, "The title of the second episode is spoken by Gaetano, the Faddas's brutal new enforcer from Italy: 'In the land of taking and killing, Gaetano is king.' What kind of land America is — and who controls it and how — will be a central question on Fargo this season. And a lot of blood will be spilled to answer it."[8]