The brief for the show was to hand Noah Hawley the keys to the franchise and see what he made of it. If you were a fan of his other work on Fargo and Legion, then this show has a lot going for it. He’s been given a lot of latitude with the property, and we see some big and bold firsts for the franchise. However, his style is very specific, and he doesn’t feel the need to rush things. Some people might not appreciate the way he goes about presenting information in unusual ways.

Episode 5 is the most Aliensy thing in the franchise since 1986. If you like your throwbacks, it’s for you.

At heart, the first season is the exploration of the ethics of personality transplantation, of medical experimentation on children, of a corporatist society without limits and of the incessant pursuit of the ownership of nature.

People who just want the big monster to thrash around are better served elsewhere.

The season doesn’t have a big ending. It assumes future seasons, as someone of Hawley’s stature might expect to. Like I said, he’s in no rush.