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

I'm convinced that Danish is based mostly on another one-eyed attorney, Phil Ken Sebben.

One of my main irritations in action-trash (which this isn't, want to be clear) is that when the people with super killing skills get going, all law enforcement agencies conveniently disappear. I liked that Fargo S5 had almost every flavor of cops — local police, rural sheriff's departments, highway patrol, FBI, and I think that was DHS in the final showdown unless the FBI has their own tactical assault team. Not that I like cops, but I like verisimilitude.

It was DHS, the product of I believe an overt Trump reference, when Lorraine gripes something along the lines "call the orange idiot, it's time to cash in on all those campaign donations."

“500 years earlier”
This season is SO DUMB watching anyway

I'm convinced that Danish is based mostly on another one-eyed attorney, Phil Ken Sebben.

HA haaaa.... SNOW.

The golfing husband doesn’t know how to grip a club

Don’t think that was unintentional

In ep 10 the denouement started with a half hour to go. I shut it off. Do I need to watch the rest ?

Finally resumed this after a few weeks off so I can get to True Detective; just about to start E7. Have avoided the thread...the possible new bond between matriarch Lyon and Sheriff Olmstead is promising.

you should watch the rest imo xp

I know I won't be saying anything here that wasn't said already (will catch up when I finish), but the ending of E7--the footsteps, the look on Dot's face, "I got you"--quite terrifying.

Let me praise and nitpick over the soundtrack. I love "I'm Your Puppet," so great pick. Seems to come off the radio, stops, then reappears when Dot walks into the diner--are they playing the same station? They missed a potentially great moment: Dot closes her eyes, she's about to lose herself in the song, but they stop it abruptly before she gets the chance. Poor choice--a few seconds more with her eyes closed would have been great.

The Optic Nerve's "A Long Way to Go" was a nice simulation of 1966 garage--wish it had actually been from '66, but that's okay.

Finished up. I don't know if it's necessary to still hide stuff...If you haven't finished, don't read this.

I liked the (unexpected, and thoughtful) turn towards abusive violence in the last few episodes. I didn't expect that--didn't comport with my early impressions of Tillman. Thought JJL's character became more shaded as the season went on, without losing her essential distance, like her awkward embrace with Dot in the final episode ("okeydoke"). Her jailhouse visit with Roy was very satisfying. And I really liked "Whipping Post" to end S9...even though I don't particularly like "Whipping Post"! I just like it when someone's coming from the same general place I am.

Complaints: thought Moonk--the character, and the whole subplot--was a drag. He was obviously meant to evoke Peter Stormare in the movie, but the epilogue to me felt like Noah Hawley wanting to fix (like Tarantino fixing the Manson murders) Anton Chigurth's story in No Country for Old Men. "You don't have to do this" Carla Jean said to Chigurth in No Country; he did, because he couldn't not do it, but Dot manages to find the right words to say. Would have been fine without that last scene and fine without Moonk at all. Also, wish it had been Farr who got to put down Tillman. The way they did it seemed like a very 1960s thing to do.

Don't know how to rank all the seasons except that S2 remains far and away my favourite. The rest all had things I liked.

Well I made it about halfway through rhe denouement, until the point it tried too hard for comedy

The viewership has been declining season over season, this might be the last one?

That would be my guess. I liked the way a character would connect some seasons to others, especially Mike Milligan across S2 and S4. 1, 2, and 4 all connected; can't remember if 3 did. I don't think there was anything in 5, was there?

Pretty sure Hawley said there are likely more seasons in the pipes, but he's also busy with the Alien show now.

Totally loved this season, more than S2, maybe more than S1 even (my previous high bar). It got the tension, the action, the humor, the weirdness, all in great balance. Ending was weird and unexpected and awesome. The "suburban mom who's secretly a fighter and weapons expert" also reminded me of Long Kiss Goodnight a bit

None of the other season have come close to S1 for me personally.

just watched long kiss goodnight for the first time a few days ago, and yes totally

Just watched S1 for first time, it’s not said out right, but Malvo lets the guy from the car lot live (who earlier was buying health insurance). I kind of took it that the car being gone and never explained was like him letting Gus live in the stop earlier in the show.

i'm rewatching no country for old men for the first time in a long time and wondering if the last chunk of the fargo s5 finale is maybe riffing on the javier bardem/kelly macdonald conversation near the end of the movie (though that doesn't seem to work out as well for kelly macdonald)

munch kind of has the anton chigurh haircut

Yeah agreed, clemenza also mentioned this upthread, except I really liked it.

Complaints: thought Moonk--the character, and the whole subplot--was a drag. He was obviously meant to evoke Peter Stormare in the movie, but the epilogue to me felt like Noah Hawley wanting to fix (like Tarantino fixing the Manson murders) Anton Chigurth's story in No Country for Old Men. "You don't have to do this" Carla Jean said to Chigurth in No Country; he did, because he couldn't not do it, but Dot manages to find the right words to say. Would have been fine without that last scene and fine without Moonk at all.

Hawley has explicitly talked about the similarity: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/fargo-season-5-finale-explained-noah-hawley-1235789647/

Kind of makes sense to drag other Coens properties into Fargo, I think of the show as riffing on their whole deal

yeah there have always been allusions to other Coen movies, from direct lifts of dialogue to things like a mysterious otherworldly stranger sitting at the bar in a bowling alley (Ray Wise in season 3).

There are boodles of these references I’m noticing. Hotel hallway in Vegas and in season 2 with ref to Barton Fink. The scene where Bear takes his niece out into the woods has the ‘you don’t have to do this’ from Millers Crossing.

“We are going crazy with boredom out at the lake.” The first show she finds on tv is a nature bug documentary like in the movie Fargo.

Hanzee grilling the guy at the store about the couple is also a bit like the No Country for old Men scene.

White Denim’s cover of “Just Checked In…” was another Big Lebowski ref.

Munch is the dybbuk

I liked the way a character would connect some seasons to others, especially Mike Milligan across S2 and S4. 1, 2, and 4 all connected; can't remember if 3 did. I don't think there was anything in 5, was there?

― clemenza, Saturday, 3 February 2024 17:35 (one month ago) link

I was looking for this too. All I found was that Jason Schwartzman (Josto Faddo from S4) narrates the voiceover in episode 5 from Season 5 called "The Tiger."

https://www.escapistmagazine.com/who-narrates-fargo-season-5-episode-5-the-tiger/