The Law of Non-Contradiction

Plot

In 1975 Los Angeles, science fiction writer Thaddeus Mobley receives an award for his novel The Planet Wyh and meets producer Howard Zimmerman, who proposes adapting the book into a film. During a screen test, Zimmerman introduces Mobley to actress Vivian Lord. After Zimmerman claims difficulty attracting Warren Beatty, Mobley agrees to finance the project with his book advances. He begins dating Lord, who seduces him into cocaine dependency, leaving him heavily in debt.

Mobley discovers he is a victim of Zimmerman and Lord's scam; enraged, he near-fatally beats Zimmerman. Before fleeing, Mobley sees the name of his motel room's toilet manufacturer, Dennis Stussy and Sons, with a faded D, implying how he chose his future name Ennis Stussy. In 2010, Gloria Burgle arrives in Los Angeles to investigate her stepfather's past. She is overwhelmed by locals, has her baggage stolen, and finds a strange box in her room.

She tracks down Zimmerman and Lord, who recount the past events accurately and remorsefully. Gloria realizes her journey was pointless regarding the murder case. Before returning to Eden Valley, Minnesota, she notices the toilet manufacturer's name. Upon return, she learns fingerprints at the murder scene belong to parolee Maurice LeFay, who died in a freak accident.

Production

Vivian Lord is played by Francesca Eastwood as a young woman and by Frances Fisher as an older woman; the end credits misspell Fisher's name as Francis Fisher. The stranger on the plane, Paul Marrane, is played by Ray Wise. Series creator Noah Hawley asked Don Hertzfeldt to write and animate the Planet Wyh sequences, intended to run 23 minutes across the season, but Hertzfeldt declined due to time constraints.

The animation was ultimately shorter, appearing only in this episode, and was reworked as an homage to Hertzfeldt. Music was provided by series composer Jeff Russo, with pre-existing songs including Liar by Three Dog Night, Blue Shadows on the Trail by Riders of the Sky, Silver Bells by Gene Autry, Orisa by Moncho y su Wawanko Gitano, and Jingo by Santana. The end credits feature the theme of the original film by Carter Burwell, rearranged by Russo.

Reception

The episode debuted on FX in the US on May 3, 2017, drawing 1.17 million viewers. Critics praised it for its originality, writing, themes, and Carrie Coon’s performance, as well as guest turns from Rob McElhenney and Ray Wise. It holds a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score, with the consensus noting how it handles a single storyline and a major shift in location and tone with compelling, unconventional results. Vinnie Mancuso of the New York Observer lauded Coon’s work and Gloria’s grandiose speeches, appreciating the episode’s distance from the season’s main plot and how its three stories connect.

Scott Tobias of The New York Times commended the writing and originality, comparing the themes to the original film and Barton Fink, and singled out Wise’s performance. Ben Travers of IndieWire gave an A−, saying the episode broke from the pattern of previous seasons and elevated a character, disproving claims that creator Noah Hawley was falling into formula. Noel Murray of Rolling Stone described it as a wondrous, moody hour bordering on despair, with little of the show’s usual comedic quirkiness, and praised the Unit MNSKY storyline.