We need a thread for the FARGO TV show yah? Oh, yah!

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Finished the first season. I wish--and I'm rarely bothered by things like this; I don't like it when currency feels forced--it had been Molly rather than Gus who put down Malvo. Not a big deal, but it felt wrong. Otherwise, captured the film well.

clemenza, Saturday, 22 September 2018 00:18 (five years ago) link

They did mitigate that, though, with the granddaughter grabbing the gun and joining her grandfather on the porch.

I'm confused on a very basic point. Malvo was a contract killer with Oliver Platt and the other guy he took out to the forest, but with Lester and the suitcase full of recordings, that was just...a hobby? And at no point did he ever intend to kill Lester, right, because that would end the game? Otherwise, why didn't he just kill him in the elevator with the other three?

clemenza, Saturday, 22 September 2018 13:21 (five years ago) link

Three episodes into Season 2. The performances are so good, especially Bokeem Woodbine and Jean Smart. Woodbine seems very familiar, but when I look through his filmography, all I come up with is a cop in Dead Presidents--did he really make that much of an impression on me in what was probably a small role? I must be overlooking something.

clemenza, Sunday, 23 September 2018 13:19 (five years ago) link

He’s done a lot of TV one-offs and he bears a strong resemblance to Dave Chapelle.

El Tomboto, Sunday, 23 September 2018 19:25 (five years ago) link

That's it--he really does look like Dave Chappelle, and even delivers his lines in a similar way. I don't know Chappelle's work well, but I've seen his post-election SNL monologue, which was excellent, three times, so that's imprinted on my mind.

clemenza, Sunday, 23 September 2018 19:46 (five years ago) link

That treatment outline for the new season feels a little too similar to S2, with the warring crime clans.

Stoop Crone (Trayce), Sunday, 23 September 2018 23:25 (five years ago) link

I've seen Patrick Wilson in four or five films, and every time I end up looking up his character to remind me of who he is--he's like the most nondescript-looking actor I can think of. I won't forget his name after Fargo.

(Loved Nick Offerman laughing at his own pomposity during the credits for episode 6. Unless it was an outtake, but I'm pretty sure he was still in character.)

clemenza, Monday, 24 September 2018 11:26 (five years ago) link

Three episodes into Season 2. The performances are so good, especially Bokeem Woodbine and Jean Smart. Woodbine seems very familiar, but when I look through his filmography, all I come up with is a cop in Dead Presidents--did he really make that much of an impression on me in what was probably a small role? I must be overlooking something.

― clemenza, Sunday, September 23, 2018 9:19 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Had the same reaction, and the answer I found: music videos.

Busta's Light Ya Ass On Fire, Wu-Tang's Protect Ya Neck and Gravel Pit, several others (can't find a solid list, but I feel like there's plenty more)

vote no on ilxit (Will M.), Monday, 24 September 2018 14:11 (five years ago) link

i really enjoyed season 1 and 2 and i'm enjoying season 3 so far (just a few episodes in). i find this show slightly frustrating though. the acting is generally excellent, the music cues are great, and there's usually something beautiful or interesting happening visually. but the stories for all three seasons are pretty similar (bad people get mixed with up even worse people, chaos ensues), and are overly reliant on graphic violence - each season ends up with someone shooting someone else who shot someone else etc etc., which is kind of played out in the world of prestige tv. i would love it if they would maintain the aesthetic but tell a slightly different kind of story.

na (NA), Monday, 24 September 2018 14:21 (five years ago) link

Will: thanks, but I think it's Dave Chappelle for me. My familiarity with videos after about 1999 is pretty minimal.

there's usually something beautiful or interesting happening visually

I think the use of split-screen in Season 2 is beautiful--better even than De Palma.

clemenza, Monday, 24 September 2018 15:46 (five years ago) link

i find Fargo a bit more refreshing than the usual prestige TV since it does have a decent amount of humor and odd narrative turns, and i wouldn't call it "feel bad" TV, which remains a bit of a crutch for so many shows and has been one for far too long. Which is why i've found GLOW refreshing, or something like Justified (which had a lot of violence but never tipped over into sadism, and somehow ended on a beautifully poetic note.)

S2 is really terrific, I watched it before S1 (also good, but not quite on par with S2.) Lots of good-to-great performances from a number of interesting actors: Bokeem Woodbine is a standout for sure, Patrick Wilson too. Kirsten Dunst is pretty phenomenal i thought, and Cristin Milioti possibly even better in a role that could have been thankless, sort of dealing w/the cancer and likely fate with a kind of wry humor and sadness that reminds me of someone else, but I can't think of who it is now...

The whole Gerhardt clan is conceived perfectly and that works even better because of the superior performances; Jean Smart, Jeffrey Donovan, Angus Sampson, Rachel Keller -- all great.

omar little, Monday, 24 September 2018 17:26 (five years ago) link

s2 is better than s1 but allison tolman is so much more compelling than patrick wilson

na (NA), Monday, 24 September 2018 19:08 (five years ago) link

and wilson was good in s2! he's just kind of a generic hero

na (NA), Monday, 24 September 2018 19:08 (five years ago) link

they missed the boat in not having an it's always sunny cast member in s2

na (NA), Monday, 24 September 2018 19:10 (five years ago) link

Tolman was indeed great (and a nice echo of McDormand, without being an imitation), but I do think Wilson's great in his own way. The way he stood up to the Gerhardts was totally different than Grimly in Season 1. There's something about his performance I don't find generic...I loved the scene where he sat down the butcher and his wife and explained who was coming for them.

Found the treatment of Reagan fascinating. Not a cartoon...yet when cornered on how exactly any American was supposed to exercise these unlimited powers to fix things, he just kind of waved and walked away.

clemenza, Monday, 24 September 2018 19:50 (five years ago) link

I loved Tolman but I don’t think anybody in any season has gotten a line as good as “Am I the only one here who's clear on the concept of law enforcement?”

El Tomboto, Monday, 24 September 2018 21:05 (five years ago) link

Basically every time Lou interacts with Dodd is a fucking gem. I kinda forgot about some of those moments until just now looking that up on wikiquote and now I’m grinning at my phone like an idiot

El Tomboto, Monday, 24 September 2018 21:08 (five years ago) link

It is just really difficult to picture Chris Rock being good in this

change display name (Jordan), Monday, 24 September 2018 21:32 (five years ago) link

yah

Number None, Monday, 24 September 2018 21:35 (five years ago) link

Maybe the fourth season is set in 2016 and Chris Rock is Obama, like how Bruce Campbell was Reagan

El Tomboto, Monday, 24 September 2018 21:38 (five years ago) link

"Locomotive Breath"! That was so good.

I'm sure I'm not the first person to say this, but whereas the first season was a very good approximation of the movie, the second is much closer in tone to Miller's Crossing/No Country for Old Men.

clemenza, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 05:05 (five years ago) link

I liked Season 2 until the last couple of episodes. Season 3, on the other hand, started badly (I really hated the idea of McGregor playing brothers) but got better and better, in a seriously dark and even depressing way. I didn't need the camera to be shoved into David Thewlis's mouth as often as it was, but Carrie Coon was fantastic in it.

grawlix (unperson), Tuesday, 25 September 2018 12:49 (five years ago) link

I'm bracing myself for the worst with the alien subplot--interesting so far, but not really necessary that I can see.

clemenza, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 13:23 (five years ago) link

Agree that the last couple of episodes tailed off a bit. The big shootout was great--the way they'd freeze the frame--but a certain point, it was like they'd killed off almost every interesting character. The deus ex machina moment provided by the aliens was okay, I guess (reminded me a bit of the frogs in Magnolia--the whole alien thing wasn't all that intrusive in the end. Lots of great music: "Sylvia's Mother" was especially good. Didn't really need all the narration in the last couple of episodes.

Words I never thought I'd say outside of Cheers: I was so impressed by Ted Danson.

clemenza, Wednesday, 26 September 2018 11:22 (five years ago) link

you should check out The Good Place

Clay, Wednesday, 26 September 2018 11:44 (five years ago) link

Yeah Danson's been good in a few more recent things: this, Good Place and Bored to Death are all great.

Stoop Crone (Trayce), Wednesday, 26 September 2018 11:58 (five years ago) link

Wasn't he in Damages? He was good in that too, iirc.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 26 September 2018 12:01 (five years ago) link

I didn't need the camera to be shoved into David Thewlis's mouth as often as it was

A good character way overused generally. Would've been much more effective only appearing every few episodes.

chap, Wednesday, 26 September 2018 12:26 (five years ago) link

i really love the music in this show, it really gives me that feeling of when you're listening to a great song and you can imagine yourself being in a movie or tv show with that song on the soundtrack. "sylvia's mother" was a good one. s3 uses this jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VsmF9m_Nt8 (highly recommend watching that video).

and yeah there's been a dansonaissance over the past 10 or so years. he was fantastic in damages in particular.

na (NA), Wednesday, 26 September 2018 14:14 (five years ago) link

Yeah Danson's been good in a few more recent things: this, Good Place and Bored to Death are all great.

Curb Your Enthusiasm, too.

Betting Eighty Hams (sic), Wednesday, 26 September 2018 16:45 (five years ago) link

I was very disappointed that they didn't make a season 3 OST album.

El Tomboto, Wednesday, 26 September 2018 17:22 (five years ago) link

Yeah it was pretty dope that they decided to include all that New Orleans brass band music in S3, even if it was incongruous at times!

I've had friends on the soundtrack for both S2 and S3, which adds another level of fun.

change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 26 September 2018 18:07 (five years ago) link

finished s3, i agree that it is solid throughout but picks up with the last three episodes. ep 8, which focuses just on mary elizabeth winstead's character, was amazing

na (NA), Wednesday, 3 October 2018 21:36 (five years ago) link

I'm five or six episodes in, and she's what's holding my interest more than anything else--she's great. I like whenever Caroline Coon's on screen. David Thewlis is kind of corny, in a way that Billy Bob wasn't in Season 1.

clemenza, Wednesday, 3 October 2018 21:57 (five years ago) link

The end of episode 6, where they take Nikki away to protective custody, stylistically that was about as great as television gets.

clemenza, Thursday, 4 October 2018 01:22 (five years ago) link

i much prefered thewlis to billy bob, i can't take billy bob seriously ever and the prince valiant haircut did not help.

na (NA), Thursday, 4 October 2018 14:32 (five years ago) link

I took the haircut to be an homage/reference to Bardem in No Country (there are Coen references all through the series, most to the movie but sometimes more general), so I thought that was okay.

Finished up last night. I've never been sure how literally to take "This is a true story." I read up a bit on the factual basis for Season 2--I assume changes were made, but the basic story did happen. I mention this because I found the end of Season 3 a little disappointing. Nikki was such a great character, and noble--and they end by having her kill a workaday cop just doing his job? But if that's how it happened, and they are more or less sticking to facts, not much you can do. Start to finish, Caroline Coon was great.

Overall:

Season 1 - nice feel for the movie (A-)
Season 2 - for the most part, fantastic (A)
Season 3 - up and down (B)

clemenza, Friday, 5 October 2018 13:57 (five years ago) link

Also thought McGregor's business partner was a really good character/performance; McGregor was good, but I sometimes got a little tired of him (liked him better as the parole-officer brother).

clemenza, Friday, 5 October 2018 14:01 (five years ago) link

i thought the "true story" stuff had been a misdirect going back to the original movie.

Mad Piratical (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 5 October 2018 14:02 (five years ago) link

McGregor's business partner was a really good character/performance

michael stuhlbarg, who was in like every oscar-nominated movie last year, as well as the lead in the coen's "a serious man"

na (NA), Friday, 5 October 2018 14:11 (five years ago) link

I think I'm the rare Coens fan who didn't like A Serious Man. I've been intending to re-watch it, and that gives me another reason to.

clemenza, Friday, 5 October 2018 14:28 (five years ago) link

I thought the "true story" stuff had been a misdirect going back to the original movie.

It is. There are no facts they are "more or less sticking to" even if there was some real life inspiration for certain aspects

I mean the UFOs kind of make that obvious don't you think? (quite apart from all the other totally outlandish elements)

Number None, Friday, 5 October 2018 14:59 (five years ago) link

>I think I'm the rare Coens fan who didn't like A Serious Man

i'm with you on this one. also didn't really dig Burn After reading.

Mad Piratical (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 5 October 2018 15:33 (five years ago) link

I did realize they were embellishing sometimes, yes; I realized the aliens weren't real. But where did they draw the line? If almost all of it is embellishment, then I think they made a real bad call with Nikki's end. It should have been her who got to kill McGregor, and they didn't have to have her shoot the cop.

clemenza, Friday, 5 October 2018 16:15 (five years ago) link

It's not embellishment and there is no line (but it's fine if you think that was the wrong dramatic choice)

Number None, Friday, 5 October 2018 16:21 (five years ago) link

I started watching the series from the assumption that it was all made up; it was only after skimming a couple of pieces like this one that I started to wonder, "Wait--did some of this actually happen?" Sounds like I would have been better to stick with my original assumption.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/119085-is-fargo-season-2-a-true-story-its-connected-to-some-very-real-events

clemenza, Friday, 5 October 2018 16:43 (five years ago) link

well, she started off the seasons as a grifter, more or less, correct? and she had already killed one person earlier on in the season iirc. i don't think i ever saw her as growing out of her morally dubious approach to the world at any point as the season went on.

xpost

Mad Piratical (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 5 October 2018 16:46 (five years ago) link

A really sweet, likable grifter, though, with--to get really corny--a good heart. Hadn't she only killed bad people before the cop? Anyway, I won't press the point any more. I just thought she deserved a better end.

clemenza, Friday, 5 October 2018 17:26 (five years ago) link

it did feel out of character, but if she got arrested, she was going to get killed by varga. if i wanted to give the show credit, i'd say it was a commentary on how many prestige shows force us into feeling affection for antiheroes whose actions are objectively terrible if you stop and think about it for a minute. but really i think they just wanted an ending that was deflating, to go along with the ambiguity of the ending of the burgle/varga plot. no happy endings for anyone.

na (NA), Friday, 5 October 2018 17:40 (five years ago) link

what surprised me about her charter is how genuine her affection for Ray seemed to be. at first i figured she was just using him, but she did seem to genuinely love him as the season progressed.

Mad Piratical (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 5 October 2018 18:36 (five years ago) link


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