Exploring The Most MINDBLOWING Twist of Fargo...

Today I wanted to take a look at a theory regarding Hanzee many Fargo fans are aware of, where the man’s life post Fargo season 2 and beyond, and even his death, are detailed to us in the show, hiding in plane site.
Now the theory is, as wild as it sounds, that Hanzee IS Mr Tripoli from Fargo season 1, that he got plastic surgery done on his face and ended up creating his own crime syndicate or taking over the Kansas City one. Now if this is true we know what Hanzee got up to in the 27 years between the second and first season, and we also, presumably, know how he died, seeing as though the Fargo headquarters was stormed by Malvo in season 1 as revenge for them putting out a hit on him after he killed Sam Hess. Malvo works his way up the building, taking out the entire operation and by extension, Hanzee Dent.
SUPPORT THE CHANNEL ON PATREON: www.patreon.co...
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: / cineranter
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: / cineranter1
FOLLOW ME ON TIKTOK: / cineranter

[@Fallopia5150]

Hanzee was Otto's son (the Native American cook was his mother). He killed Dodd for calling him a mongrel.

[@nospoon4799]

Spot on. Some people need every little thing explained to them. Clearly you are not one of them.

[@RandySnarsh]

@@nospoon4799 You are both wrong. It is just a movie and it dont need to make sense.

[@MisterHoodrich89]

@@RandySnarsh it's a TV show, not a movie...and it's a well-written TV show. it is made quite clear if you're paying attention to the dialogue that Hanzee is Otto's son. i.e. when the sunglasses dude from Buffalo runs into Milligan at the Gerhardt house, he asks Milligan, "which one are you again? the kid Otto had with the maid?"

[@MisterHoodrich89]

bingo. that was the real reason why Hanzee flipped on the Gerhardts. it wasn't simply that he was tired of the crime family that he worked for sending him to do all their dirty work...it was that his ACTUAL family was doing that to him, and keeping him at a distance like he wasn't really one of them. at a certain point, he couldn't tolerate that disrespect from his kin anymore.

[@ricosmith1989]

@@MisterHoodrich89Dodd also calls him a halfie when he walks into the cabin

[@Why-bc7wl]

I like his ending, it shows the cycle of power and how it repeats. He gets to witness his own empire crumble like how he helped destroy another in his prime . It’s pretty obvious Noah Howley didn’t plan this but it’s still fits

[@nav579]

Like the 2 definitions of “revolution” that Mike Milligan mentioned. 👍🏽

[@frybodelgado1482]

I have a similar theory: what if both Tripolis are fake? Like, since there never WAS a Tripoli to begin with it might just be a Codename like some Folks think James Bond is. And the Mob give out the name freely. Or what if Hanzee just put up a Decoy as a Frontman? Sell this fat Slob as the Boss giving out orders (sometimes verbatim) while he himself may live freely and in safety pulling all the strings from the shadows. Seeing how the fat Tripolis was killed fairly easily this seems to be quite the smart move, no? Now everyone thinks, Tripolis is dead and Hanzee can just switch into a new Identity again. I think, that would make more sense than the idea of this quite, frugal warrior just turning into a hedonistic Whale for no real reason.

[@boygonewhoopdataZZ]

That's exactly what happens to majority of the greatest warriors, you get complacent and become a hedonistic whale. No one is expecting some random dude with a sub machine gun to come shooting up the whole place.

[@frybodelgado1482]

@@boygonewhoopdataZZAaaah, a cautionary tale about laziness and how one living by the sword will die by the Sword? Yeah that seems logical too...

[@francoisgoulet3352]

So true. The real Hanzee would have given a fight to Malvo. Especially since he saw him coming from a mile away with all these gunshots.

[@frybodelgado1482]

@@francoisgoulet3352 Yeah it doesn^t make sence for the two figures to be the same man. I wonder if there is a deeper lore behind all these details or if they just have fun playing with ideas and names and giving out hints without any actual meaning behind it.

[@DannyRedCheeks]

That makes more sense than him turning into the slob himself

[@WarTheory]

Just heard Rest In Peace Mark Margolis ….Hector “Tio” Salamanca

[@keithmichael112]

oh damn really? RIP.

[@Heyitskrystal]

I loved that twist it made such a mysterious character even more mysterious. We get to write ourselves what the intervening 27 years looked like for him.

[@barbiquearea]

I am hoping that at some point the show will do a season where they show us how Hanzee rose through the criminal underworld in the intervening years as Tripoli, and how he took down Kansas City. My guess is he and Mike Milligan worked together to take the entire syndicate down and create their own mob out of the remnants.

[@Heyitskrystal]

@@barbiquearea that would be so cool.

[@nospoon4799]

It is Wrenches story in reality. He was the only character to be in all three seasons. Four departed from this.

[@nospoon4799]

@@barbiquearea He took over Kansas at the end of season two when he recruited wrench and numbers.

[@KK-zb3xc]

​@nelsonnoname001 Hanzee was a 1 man killing machine, whereas Mike needed people to do the dirty work and stood around spouting crap.

[@davidp3051]

I think Hanzee becomes Anton Chigur from No Country for Old Men.

[@davidp3051]

They have a similar skin tone. No Country takes place in the 80’s, a few years after this movie. Both men are quite stoic, and only really speak when they need to. They both have their own code that they live by. They’re both skilled and capable in terms of weaponry and combat. And neither has a sense of humour.

[@Zurround]

That movie and this show are not canonically in a shared fictional universe with each other.

[@Randarrradara]

@@Zurroundhow do you know?

[@caseyhart4999]

I’ve always seen it as kind of a neat little Easter egg but I must admit it doesn’t sit that well with me he was taken out like that. It makes it a little more palatable that it was done by a guy like Malvo but still Hanzee was such a badass.

[@henryyoung8939]

But Lorne is reallly HIM, like he said mr wrench was the closet to killing him, he was also raised by hanzee, small details in Lorne Malvo makes it more justifiable to me. So far Lorne has been the best hit man in the game

[@frybodelgado1482]

I just posted the theory that the fat Guy wasn't Tripoli either but nothing but a Decoy giving out orders from Hanzee who lives a quite live in the Shadows.

[@lewislambert4590]

Key word is "WAS". He got fat and complacent. Complacency will do more damage than anything in a situation such as his.

[@caseyhart4999]

Well yea I’m not saying it’s an unrealistic scenario just that it’s a shame to me it went down that way because of how awesome the Hanzee of season 2 was. What’s even more of a shame though is none of the characters of season 5 can remotely compare to guys like Malvo or s2 Hanzee.

[@ahmadtrip4623]

When I first heard of the theory I wanted to be in denial because hanzee was such a good character in s2 lmao

[@aran998]

Gotta be honest I hate the “face change” trope in tv and movies. It’s just way too unbelievable and always feels like a cheap plot device

[@RoyalJesusChrist]

Agreed.

[@_zigger_]

Face/Off gets a pass

[@CaptainRetroStation]

It may be “unbelievable” for you, but I am old enough to remember a time when some people thought that Luke Skywalker was recast in “Return of the Jedi”, because Mark Hamill looked different because of the minimal plastic surgery he had done on his face after a car accident. Recently, Rene Zellweger had reconstructive surgery done on her face, and hardly anyone recognized her. Same with Meg Ryan, and Mickey Rourke. NONE of these celebrities changed their identities, and moved to another city to start a new life. So, while you might not believe in the whole face change thing, that doesn’t change the fact the it DOES happen in real life. People DO alter their appearance and start new lives elsewhere. You want to talk about “cheap plot devices” or overused Hollywood tropes? How about “prophecies”, or characters waking up to find out that everything that preceded was “just a dream”. Or, how about looking for a MacGuffin to find, or unlock another MacGuffin? There are so many BS plot devices out there to pick on instead of ragging on actual things that happen in real life!

[@JakeKoenig]

Yeah claiming Hanzee was the mob boss in Season 1 was a stupid bit of reverse-engineering by the writers. Molly and Lou Solverson already provided the link between the seasons. We didn't need another one.

[@UdoLattek02]

​@@JakeKoenigthought the same

[@automaticmattywhack1470]

I never even caught any of this! I feel dumb right now. Great video! I think I've mentioned before, my brother went to high school with Zahn McClarnon who played Hanzee at Omaha Central.

[@keveardo]

You should do one on the Mr.Wrench return in Season 3 and where or how he got caught again

[@RamblinVan]

A face man doesn't usually change races but alright

[@dfailsthemost]

If you imagine tripoli 27 years younger and much thinner, it might seem more reasonable (by Fargo standards).

[@scottboyd3838]

Say he was 30 when he got the new ID, and add 27 years, people's visage and mannerisms can change drastically and absurdly

[@asacloutier7530]

and the mike jackson skin bleaching. going to need a loooooooooooooooot of skin bleaching and facial hair plugs.

[@scottboyd3838]

Wow, I never put that together, good job, It makes a lot of sense sir, a lot of sense. And good that you mentioned how absurd it sounds, but that's why it works so well, more might be revealed if they do another season or two

[@stevendemeter1140]

Would have been cool if they’d done a scene where Tripoli has a gun battle with Malvoy and he gets away, nodding to the fact he’s an equal match. But the fact that he’s just shot in his office kinda dampens season 2

[@toddanderson2193]

That's the thing about it that bothers me... Tripoli gets taken out seemingly so easily.

[@MoralesCorner]

They should have turned Hanzee into Malvo not Tripoli

[@getto5702]

@@MoralesCornerexactly idk how they missed that opportunity with hanzee’s nam back story and his skills in season 2 it would only make sense when I heard face change in the end of season 2 I was thinking he was gonna turn into Malvo literally only makes sense right? But no they completely botched it

[@chadialhajkadour7198]

That's why I hate these kinds of complicated shows, by the time we get the new season, we can't remember all the details and we miss a lot of the connections. Now I have to rewatch 4 seasons before the new one f@#_$ 🤬

[@paulie609]

Good job. I love the Fargo connections.

[@EleaticStranger]

I completely missed this connection but it seems more than coincidence now that I look at it.

[@pameladircks-meacham5181]

I think Hanzee will be back as himself!!

[@MichaelJohnson-rg3od]

I think a lot of times with these psycho-types they fantasize about having this indulgent, glutenous, hedonistic life which makes sense when he gets to be his ultimate self displaying his corpulence in season one. Fargo is full of gems and references and it's one of the many things that make it such a great show. Can't wait for the next season.

[@MisterHoodrich89]

I think that's exactly right. the core theme of Fargo is people being too arrogant and getting themselves into situations that they can't handle due to their hubris and ego. Hanzee the soldier couldn't afford to be lazy and slovenly, but Hanzee/Tripoli the mob boss presumably became too comfortable and full of himself over time after being in power for a while. and his arrogance led him to get entangled with a guy (Malvo) who still had the fire that Hanzee used to have.

[@thefearofg0ds758]

​@@MisterHoodrich89I really would like to see a prime Hanzee vs Malvo

[@MisterHoodrich89]

@@thefearofg0ds758 Malvo probably gets the edge. he was presented in the show as an almost supernatural force, like the true human manifestation of hell. Hanzee was a very serious and dangerous man, but seemed a lot more mortal and human.

[@filmunion8194]

Mike Millican is fascinating character

[@Zippypeepee]

The season ends with him being handed an ID with “Tripoli” on it. Idk how you can make a 12 minute video out of just saying “yes. Oh I know how! KZbin!

[@edgewiseCL]

That's the hustle. Fargo has a currently successful season going on but Ive wanted these originally sopranos focused channels to extend to Fargo in particular just to hear their thoughts. And there are literally people in the comments who didn't catch it in the show, which will drive people to rewatch this amazing season. Good stuff all around

[@nospoon4799]

Where any idiot can explain anything they want even if they don't really understand..

[@adelinrapcore]

Season 1 is unmatchable, season 2 is right behind it

[@nospoon4799]

I dont get that. Myself I can't separate them as the stories have interlinked so far. It's all good. Four fell a bit flat though. They left the wrench story. Which is what was tying it together.

[@VicRattlehead95]

Nah season 1 is good. Season 2 is pure class

[@tylermason140]

It's definitely not my favorite Fargo twist / connection. But like you said, it definitely works with the themes of the show. Especially if we take the later season 4 into account, where the idea of powerful people, once vicious in their own right, growing complacent and then falling prey to younger, hungrier individuals is kind've the thesis of the season.

[@alolkoydesigns]

Perhaps the transition of Hanzee to Tripoli is what happens to a native when he enters the world of colonizers. In that sense it could be a cautionary tale for we natives.

[@SADsub-rz1kp]

My teory is that, hanzee was somewhat of a mentor or previous boss of the tripoli in season 1, and just are 2 different characters related by their businesses.

[@Darthjarjar42069]

2 bronze stars and a 💜

[@dariuscross7837]

I personally believe Hanzee was an old world values type of person and he was only loyal to dodd's father not the family. So when the power structure changes especially when the mother tries to become boss. I believe from then on he decided to let it play out and go with whoever won. But chaos ensuite like warfare in Vietnem so he pivots like in real war.

[@leewm.gaudry3770]

I think as Tripoli, he never suffered anti-native discrimination again.

[@Veryniceandveryevil]

😂 think you need to look up the definition of native.

[@Deriv44]

Hey Fargo could show the building of his empire in one of the future seasons

[@WizGallorado]

I really think they should’ve suggested that Hanzee became Shep Proudfoot instead. The timeline woulda worked.

[@ict113090]

Shep already had a criminal record of his own. Hanzee himself was on FBI’s most wanted. Whatever Shep did would have revealed him back in 87. I think Carl and Gaear however were employees of Hanzee (Moses) the building complex is named “Showalter” like Buscemi’s character name

[@ogdog123]

I think it was the fixer who became Tripoli!

[@jluchette]

CineRanter! Let’s gooooo!

[@fionnmaccurtain8896]

Do a video about Mike Milligan

[@_zigger_]

More like Mike Mооlinуаn, heh heh. Did you hear that, T?

[@fionnmaccurtain8896]

@@_zigger_ oh hey Paulie

[@Whoeverheardof]

@@_zigger_👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾

[@emptyempty8310]

Easily the dumbest thing in all of Fargo. The only way to make S2 of Fargo any better is to remove that scene.

[@flipeverything266]

I came into this video thinking “what?? No fucking way” now I’m convinced

[@GlassThirdEye]

I believe Noah Hawley confirmed this to be true.

[@Dominican1923]

I prefer season 1 than 2 Billy Bob Thornton is the reason why

[@dirkdiggler5581]

I Think it’s very bad writing if they turned him into tripoli.

[@kingoneil4644]

27 years thats nothing some guy named phil i think his name was spent an undetermined amount of time in an undisclosed location, whatever happened there

[@alexbanks7115]

I have not watched the series but I think it’s a great twist but I think it’s as you said they did not plan it from the beginning or they might have had more similarities between the actors playing the roles

[@TannerisSmol97]

And Mike even got some sorta... Origin story.. I think

[@spacejelly3562]

Why did Hank say “our Indian” when Benjamin, Lue and Hank were talking outside the station?

[@nelsonnoname001]

I say it's bad writing, Season 2 is SOOOOOO much better than Season 1, I don't see Hanzee going out as a old fat white man... he is such a sharp knife in season 2, I wish they would have saved him for season 3 instead of backing up into season 1 which is tash

[@asacloutier7530]

Such a stupid twist but whatever, I think it was thrown in as a joke for the writers and staff.

[@lisayamani]

I really, really hope that Hanzee is Moses Tripoli by proxy and that he's just working from the shadows. I don't want to believe he becomes that boss that is so easily taken out by Malvo. It was way too easy.

[@nospoon4799]

Hanzee is Tripoli. He has surgery. Then recruits wrench and numbers at the end of Season two. Which is prior in time to season one and three.

[@g8le]

That's just not the case though. Last scene with Hanzee, he says "don't care heavily guarded, don't care into the sea" and that's exactly how Tripoli expresses himself in season 1.

[@MisterHoodrich89]

I think it works because it shows how people often become lazy and too comfortable once they achieve the power they crave.

[@hwizell7478]

Punctuation notes Line “Pandas eat shoots and leaves” Considering context #haiku #punctuation #context

[@nonzeromarlin2390]

I think the guy we see in season one is a fake with hanzee pulling the strings

[@malalford]

Yeah, the writers "Alien III"'d it.

[@barbiquearea]

Hanzee's new name is Moses Tripoli, which is a Jewish name. I think what they should have done was have Hanzee marry a Jewish girl, then convert to Judaism and then take on his wife's name, as well as adopt a new Jewish name for himself. That could have been a more fluid way for the writers to link Hanzee to Tripoli without the ridiculous idea of him getting plastic surgery. Or maybe they could have still worked the plastic surgery angle in since at that point Hanzee did just become a wanted man.

[@elchapostacos787]

Isn’t Tripoli Greek not Jewish

[@nospoon4799]

@@elchapostacos787 Tripoli is in Libya.

[@G.I_Jane]

Honestly the weakest link done by the show. It kinda ruins season 2 and 1 in a way when they tie hanzee as tripoli. Anyone defending it just feels like a meatrider

[@forcemajeur.5138]

He is def Tripoli from season 1 he says the same message.

[@djpuplex]

Anyone else think CR should do the Americans series next?

[@AZURAKAZ]

Sammy "The Bull" Gravano gained a bunch of weight when he was in witness protection.

[@TheBerylknight]

Plastic surgery can change or deform people. But it's not going to turn you into an entirely different person. Even the worse examples of plastic surgeries... like say Mickey Rourke.... you can still tell it it's him. It's obvious story-wise this guy is suppose to be Hanzee. But I can't take it seriously because it looks absolutely nothing like him. It's too bad they didn't plan things far enough ahead to get an actor who at least remotely resembled Hanzee.

[@UtechtUTube]

It detracts from the connection if casting was so incongruent. Visuals matter in this medium.

[@faszikilawang8445]

Why's he gotta BE Tripoli? Why not "He went on to work for Tripoli (or Tripoli worked for him) and rubbed off on him."

[@tcmaddox]

I always assumed this was a fact.

[@jamesm3471]

2:13 Wounded Knee x2

[@TannerisSmol97]

Isn't kinda part of the lore at this point? With all the weird and cool shit in this series this isn't they far fetched

[@filmunion8194]

They should bring Mike Milligan back for season 5?

[@lutfensusshow5397]

its set in 2019

[@nospoon4799]

Nope.

[@tisbutascratch9987]

They're two different personalities I don't believe it

[@KlassicKolt5612]

I love this TV show very much. But this was the only plot point I didn't like. It was so left field. I didn't understand the point of it.

[@joebaker2311]

My personal fan theory is that Shep Proudfoot from the movie is Hanzee's bastard son but nobody knows it because Hanzee is known as Tripoli

[@nospoon4799]

Nice theory.

[@heyricksander]

I always thought that Hanzee was Malvo.

[@Mannnnnnnn]

Crazy malvo solos the show

[@osrichitt5269]

It makes alot of sense now, Knowing that he must’ve planned this from pretty early on in the season, why he tried so hard to kill Peggy and Ed. They were the only people he mentioned to that he was thinking of changing his look(in the cabin). So they were loose ends that might spoil his future plans

[@jimbob465]

But how did he become white and change his bone structure?

[@srickgrimes9325]

Lorne Malvo was zero the white kid

[@mhma1976]

its an awesome twist! the writers put a lot of thought into the script.

[@paisan8766]

If McClarin likes it, I do

[@stefanieehrenbaum3813]

Hansi. Its Hansi.

[@jamesholt8516]

I don't see the show as nihilistic at all. That's your opinion.

[@susanlawkaplan]

That Hanzee transformed hmself into Lorne Malvo makes much more sense. They have the same body type, steely eyes, and same unapologetic cold murderous style. Also, Malvo like Hanzee is a shape changer. Malvo receives a new name and profession as a minister in Season 2, most likely given to him from the same source as the Tripoli name. As far as we know Malvo, the name, was a previous alias and Hanzee dropped the Tripoli name for the Malvo alias a long time ago. All that the grotesque Tripoli character shares with Hanzee is the Tripoli name, a name the bald man on the bench in the last scene of season 2 admires and likely took as his own once his organization gave Hanzee/Tripoli another alias. Hanzee is Malvo. The bald man renamed himself as Tripoli and the very clever writers made no mistakes. Instead they served up a curve ball.

[@maxdanger2402]

This is a ____ story.

[@eri711128]

WATCH SUCCESSION

[@johnny_thunder_3024]

Season 2? The best? I LOVED seasons 1 & 3 but season 2 is just 'meh' for me, feels like a filler episode to me

[@shitpostheavy]

Worst take.

[@johnny_thunder_3024]

@@shitpostheavy it's how I liked it not a "take"

[@Dominican1923]

Season 2 is just good for me season 1 is the best in my opinion

[@slimturnpike]

'plane site' lol

[@Professor_GonZo]

This reminds me of that terrible run where the Punisher became black for a while...