The Pretend War

In September 2020, it was reported that the fourth episode of the season would be titled "The Pretend War", and was to be written by series creator Noah Hawley and supervising producer Stefani Robinson, and directed by Dearbhla Walsh. This was Hawley's 27th writing credit, Robinson's first writing credit, and Walsh's fourth directing credit.[1]

In its original American broadcast, "The Pretend War" was seen by an estimated 0.76 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 slight increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.72 million viewers with a 0.1 in the 18-49 demographics.[3]

"The Pretend War" received mostly positive reviews from critics. Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+" grade and wrote, "I'm not going call this a 'table setting' episode, because arguably most of Fargo's episodes fall into that category, to the point where it's a fairly useless distinction. But in terms of both escalating conflicts and finding ways to remind us of what's at stake in all of this, 'War' does a good job at turning the old screw."[4]

Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone wrote, "The episode surrounding that postcoital conversation is full of characters trying to puzzle out what's real and what's a hustle, or making big shows of force without yet delivering on much of the threatened violence. It makes for another busy hour where our omniscient point of view gives us a much clearer picture of what's happening than anyone down on the ground has, even if some characters, like Doctor Senator and Deafy Wickware, are smart enough to make good, educated guesses."[5] Nick Schager of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "No one's ever quite sure what anyone else is up to in Fargo, but that begins to change in 'The Pretend War', which finds the show's contentious factions all gaining a greater understanding of the motives and machinations of their rivals, neighbors, and significant others. Except, that is, when it comes to the mysterious specter who appears to be haunting the Smutny clan."[6]

Keith Phipps of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "This season is about a struggle between Josto and Loy, sure, but all these other elements keep getting into the mix, like Gaetano and Oraetta and the gun-toting Bonnie-and-Bonnie pair of Zelmare and Swanee. There's always an X-factor throwing off the balance. It's never just about two sides clashing."[7] Nick Harley of Den of Geek gave the episode a 3.5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "A war may be brewing, and comeuppances are bound to occur, but they don't happen here. 'A Pretend War' mainly sets the table for larger conflict ahead. Some of the moving parts still seem out of place from the rest of the proceedings, and the waxing about America has grown more than tired, but Fargo is building tension effectively. Now to see whether the fireworks will be worth the wait."[8] Scott Tobias of The New York Times wrote, "This is the type of pulp entertainment Fargo does well, and the director of the episode, Dearbhla Walsh, keeps the camera active as the stakes are raised. Walsh pushes in on characters as they face consequential decisions but leaves the tension to dangle. It's the first episode this season to make you want to barrel through to the next one."[9]