Fargo (TV series)

Started by Punch, March 19, 2014, 03:11:44 PM

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03

man. jesus. ok....sigh...let's get this shit over with i guess.....

spoilers

what a frustrating situation. i love this show more than any other, and the finale was absolutely amazing, but ridiculously flawed. not TD dissappointing but i am left with so much unsatisfied that it makes my fucking blood boil.
ill break down individual criticisms.

- they had their priorities mixed with which loose ends to tie up. way too much about the dead wife, and gus and molly.
for a story that seems to have an incredibly rich and dark history spanning over 50 years (sioux falls, malvo's past), the last episode EVER dwelled way too much on stuff that happens in the very last episodes.
i wanted to see the opening be a flashback to sioux falls where we see a young malvo somewhere in the background at the very end and then boom, titles. i wanted to see some kind of salamanca twins style flashback with malvo. or some explanation of what he really is.

- waaaayyy too much lester. we got an almost boring rehash of what he's already done. i think that was the point in the 'MY WIFE IS DEAD' scene, since he was basically just repeating his emotions in a weak and struggling manner.

- lou, mollys dad, being pretty ignorant whenever he talks to her at the station the first time was WEIRD. throughout the series he has seemed incredibly knowing and wise and sly and under the radar. for him to come in like 'maybe that was the guy but gosh i dunno' just felt uncomfortable. i wanted him to bring some new crazy stuff to the surface. i mean, the way he treated lester in the restaurant was very very suspicious. it looked like he was seeing right through him. like that was the directorial intention. and nothing came from that. what the fuck. and again, NO SIOUX FALLS. stupid shit.

- no good deaths. this show has had amazing deaths, most of them pretty shocking. and while the two main characters died, they were bad guys, and that's boring. it's also expected. for a show that has pulled so many crazy stunts, the most important deaths of the show were the most banal. molly should have died, or gus, or his daughter. the emotional impact would have been infinitely more powerful and brilliant than the happy fade out of the family all together and everything is cool now.

more later. fuck.

Jeremy Blackman

SPOILERS

Hmm. Yeah. I don't really agree with any of that. It sounds like you had some very specific expectations.

This never felt like a show that was destined for an abysmally dark conclusion. I'm somewhat perplexed that you were hoping for that. Fargo is about basic human decency overcoming evil. That's precisely what Molly's anecdote was about, and precisely why Lester didn't get it. That is the meaning of the show summed up neatly in one scene. And honestly, there was so much of that throughout the show, little moments of human goodness amidst the darkness, that I'm surprised people would expect those sentiments to be dishonored with the finale.

Quote from: 03 on June 18, 2014, 12:43:50 PMi wanted to see the opening be a flashback to sioux falls where we see a young malvo somewhere in the background at the very end and then boom, titles. i wanted to see some kind of salamanca twins style flashback with malvo. or some explanation of what he really is.

This is definitely not Breaking Bad, nor was it ever. The Breaking Bad finale was not dark enough for me. This was just right. And I think I actually like the finale more after reading your criticisms.

Quote from: 03 on June 18, 2014, 12:43:50 PMno good deaths. this show has had amazing deaths, most of them pretty shocking.

I think Malvo's death was great, as I described on the last page, in the way that he was perfectly humiliated. Lester's death was also perfect. He died running onto literal thin ice... how could you not love that?

Quote from: 03 on June 18, 2014, 12:43:50 PMmolly should have died, or gus, or his daughter.

Yeah, I have to say, this is definitely not the show you thought it was.

I heard part of Noah Hawley's Fresh Air interview the other day. He talked about Fargo (the movie and the TV show) as a story where the protagonist does not necessarily have to be haunted or tormented by the darkness they encounter.

Now, extrapolating, this is a potent demonstration of the power that good has to overcome evil and emerge whole on the other side, as Molly and Gus clearly do. It's a triumph. This is something that happens.

At the end of the day, it doesn't have to be the Yellow King. Sometimes it's a guy on a couch who can be killed with bullets like anyone else.

diggler

I thought that Malvo's death wonderfully subverted expectations. Every cliche leads you to believe Gus was in over his head and when he had Malvo on the couch, I expected him to draw it out and Malvo to overpower him somehow, then he shoots Malvo dead.  The show paid tribute to the movie but also worked around it in interesting ways. Having Gus be the one to be the hero at the cabin goes against your expectations but in the context of the show it was the best way to resolve things.

I think Sioux Falls was meant to develop Carradine's character. The fact that it interested everyone so much is a testament to how well he played Lou. Lou went through some shit, that's all you need to know about him.

Odenkirk knocked me flat with that last monologue.
I'm not racist, I'm just slutty


Fernando

I felt first like 03 about the finale, BUT, after reading JB's thoughts I started appreciating the finale more, which was not the case with True Detective, that was really disappointing.

My only quip would be that some scenes lacked more tension but that's about it.

Malvo's death was perfect in my opinion, I thought too that somehow having a gun on him wouldn't be enough, even when Gus puts three bullets on him it looked like he could do something but fortunately Gus didn't give him a time and boom, he was gone.

Quote from: diggler on June 18, 2014, 02:36:36 PM
Odenkirk knocked me flat with that last monologue.

YES. Everything was perfect about it, loved the way he recognized Molly.


Trivia. The guy at the lot that ''rides'' with Malvo is the same guy that Lester tells him what would happen if he has an accident, only he said he worked at the library.

03

Quote
Trivia. The guy at the lot that ''rides'' with Malvo is the same guy that Lester tells him what would happen if he has an accident, only he said he worked at the library.

i noticed this too, but then i considered that it is over a year later, so he probaly had to get a better job. i don't see raising a child on library salary.

squints

The ending of the show felt exactly like the end of the film in terms of maintaining the heart and moral of the whole story.

The end of Lester was pretty bad though. Kinda heavy handed.

Snow mobile chase? Treading on THIN ICE?

This show wasn't perfect. But it was different and something new and it made me appreciate the coens a bit more.

Not one point in the entire series do we hear the main theme from Fargo. Carter Burwell's masterpiece. This was my main complaint with the whole show.

Then, at the very end, here comes that melody and I was satiated.
"The myth by no means finds its adequate objectification in the spoken word. The structure of the scenes and the visible imagery reveal a deeper wisdom than the poet himself is able to put into words and concepts" – Friedrich Nietzsche

Alexandro

this was fantastic. just great, solid chops in every aspect from start to finish. loved the ending with the original fargo score too.
I'm now a big fan of martin freeman and I may even give that hobbit third film a go just for him.

03

so i just finished watching 'rushmore' with my girlfriend, she had never seen it before for some reason.
i noticed some crazy similarities to the series 'fargo' that i thought were kind of strange, and i'd like to hear yalls thoughts on it, and whether or not you think they were intentional:

1. blume inside his hotel room when it becomes filled with bees (fargo: super market scene)
2. the redheaded twins that are incredibly retarded and violent, and one of them receives a crossbow for his birthday (fargo:hess' sons behavior, also crossbow)
3. blume and max standing in the elevator when it opens onto an empty floor (fargo: exact same thing)

weird, huh?

AntiDumbFrogQuestion

Quote from: 03 on July 03, 2014, 04:50:57 AM
1. blume inside his hotel room when it becomes filled with bees (fargo: super market scene)
2. the redheaded twins that are incredibly retarded and violent, and one of them receives a crossbow for his birthday (fargo:hess' sons behavior, also crossbow)
3. blume and max standing in the elevator when it opens onto an empty floor (fargo: exact same thing)

weird, huh?

Awesome pulls.
There was a lot of subtle influence from various sources, not just the Coens, and all were well done. Especially surprising is the work done by Matt Shakman, who I'll always equate with "It's always sunny in philadelphia", a decidedly less cinematic franchise.
Despite the "aquatic life falling from the sky"-type antics, did anyone else think Lester's awards ceremony was lit and shot much like Dirk receiving awards in Boogie Nights?

Mel

I didn't see finale yet. Anyway, it seems that second season is possibility.

Fargo Season 2: Noah Hawley Hints at Revisiting Coen Brothers Catalog
via THR

Fresh off the impressive news of his miniseries' 18 Emmy nominations, Fargo creator Noah Hawley is now probably feeling a bit of heat for that follow-up.

Though the showrunner, who adapted the Coen Brothers' 1996 film to much applause, has not officially gotten a green light for second installment, its Emmy clout and his overall deal with FX Productions make it something of a given.

"In success, no one ever really does a mic drop and walks away," Hawley told The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday morning. "If I told FX that it was my best work, they would be thrilled with the success of it right now. But I feel like I'm close on a new idea for another Fargo 10-hour idea that we'll talk about in the coming weeks."

The shape of Fargo 2.0, however, is less certain. Hawley was naturally guarded about what he's considering and couldn't speak to any possible returns for his heavily-nominated cast, but he did imply that he'd like to linger in a world adjacent to his original source material.

"What's really interesting about this exercise of emulating a movie, as a storyteller, is having available to me a whole body of work," he says. "The Coen brothers are so varied — from Raising Arizona to A Serious Man, there's so much."

One thing that can be said for whatever Hawley and FX do next is that it won't stray far from the detective drama at the heart of this first time at bat. "What is the inspiration this season? It's always going to be rooted in true crime," he adds. "There will always be grisly murder with good versus evil."
Simple mind - simple pleasures...

Fernando

'Fargo' Gets Second Season on FX

Has FX given a second season order to Noah Hawley's "Fargo" miniseries? You betcha.

The network announced Monday at Television Critics Association that it has renewed the adaption of Joel and Ethan Coen's popular film, which recently racked up an astounding 18 Emmy nominations. Similar to HBO's "True Detective," this new story will feature different characters, a new time period and a differnet "true crime" story that will unfold over the course of 10 episodes.

"We could not be more proud of Fargo," said John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks & FX Productions. "Noah's audacious, bordering on hubristic riff on my favorite Coen brothers film earned 18 Emmy nominations – the most for a single program in our history. Fargo was nothing short of breathtaking and we look forward to the next installment."

MacGuffin

'Fargo' Season 2 to Be a Period Piece Inspired By Coen Brothers' 'Miller's Crossing' & 'The Man Who Wasn't There'
Source: IndieWire

We only just learned Monday morning that there would even be a second season of FX's hit miniseries "Fargo," but by the end of the day we knew when it would take place, some of the returning characters, the inspirations and much more about the second season. Noah Hawley shared many details on the anticipated follow-up to this year's Emmy-nominated thriller at a "secret" panel discussion with executive producer Warren Littlefield at the TCAs (it wasn't announced until FX revealed the existence of Season 2). Check out everything we now know below:

Season 2 will focus on the story of Sioux Falls.

"If you were paying attention to Season 1, you know we made a lot of references to Sioux Falls," Hawley said. "That was deliberate. That wasn't an accident. So what this next 10-hour movie is going to be is the story of Sioux Falls."

In the first season, we learned Gus' (Colin Hanks) boss, Ben Schmidt, had an unfortunate incident in Sioux Falls that was never explained, where bodies stacked up "two stories high." Who was he with? Well, Lou Solverson, Molly's father who managed the diner after he retired from the force. Could the bloody event be what the '70s set story is all about? In a word, yes.

The story will take place in 1979 and include characters from the first season.

"The movie will take place in 1979," Hawley said. "It will take place mostly around Laverne, Minnesota, Fargo, and, of course, Sioux Falls."

The main character Hawley confirmed would return for Season 2 is Lou, played by Keith Carradine in Season 1. The actor won't be returning, seeing as the time setting is almost 30 years before the events of the first season, but it will prove interesting to see what casting will go through to find a look-a-like who can also imitate Carradine's hardened, but lovable persona. And hardened he most likely will be, seeing as Hawley said the police officer will be recently returned from duty in Vietnam.

Other characters confirmed to return are Lou's father-in-law and Duluth police lieutenant Ben Schmidt, played by Peter Breitmayer in Season 1, who Hawley said "will factor in there somewhere" (obviously, since he was part of the aforementioned event). Molly Solverson and her mother will also be characters, but don't expect to see Allison Tolman reprise her star-making role: Little Molly will only be four years old in Season 2, which means...

Allison Tolman won't be returning (and neither will the rest of the cast).

Obviously, many characters died in the first season of "Fargo," a fact not worth noting when we all thought it was going to be a one-off miniseries. Now that there's going to be more events near the Great White North, critics were curious if anyone would be coming back. Hawley said Season 2 would feature a whole new cast, but some characters would return as younger versions of themselves. Conversation quickly turned to newcomer and crowd favorite Allison Tolman.

"She should be in everything anybody ever makes as far as I'm concerned," Hawley said, echoing the sentiments of many who watched Tolman's empathetic performance in the first season of "Fargo." He went as far as to call Tolman Monday morning before the announcement to tell her, before saying her lack of involvement in Season 2 "is a crime and a tragedy and you all should be very angry [about it]."

Later, a critic asked if Hawley had considered using Tolman to play Molly's mother. "It seems a little gimmicky to me," Hawley said. "I would like nothing more than to see the continuing adventures of Molly and Gus, but I felt it would be disingenuous [...] to give her another crazy case."

"Fargo" Season 2 will be inspired by "Miller's Crossing," "The Man Who Wasn't There" and, of course, "Fargo."

Noah Hawley said the first season was inspired by three movies from the Coen Brothers, and he confirmed Season 2 would follow suit. "So if the three movies that influenced Season 1 were 'Fargo,' 'No Country For Old Men,' and 'A Serious Man,' this year we are in 'Fargo,' 'Miller's Crossing,' and "The Man Who Wasn't There.' So let the internet speculation begin."

Obviously, the period piece nature of Season 2 alludes to the two new films (though it's funny Billy Bob Thornton won't be returning in Season 2, despite starring in one of the season's inspirations). What other elements could be of note? "Miller's Crossing" told the story of warring mobs, indicating a possible explanation for all those bodies stacking up in Sioux Falls. "The Man Who Wasn't There" dealt with another poorly-conceived plan regarding a husband and wife who aren't exactly a loving couple. Hmm...sounds vaguely familiar.

Noah Hawley will not write every episode of Season 2.

"You know, I'm not going to write all the episodes this time," Hawley said. "I had four writers I worked with on the first go round who helped me break all the episodes, and then I went off to write them because I had the time to write all 10 of them. But, you know, these writers I worked with -- Bob De Laurentiis, Steve Blackman and Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert -- these are great writers who contributed so much to the first season it would be unfair not to let them write episodes in the second season."

"I'll probably write five or six," Hawley added. "We're just starting to break that story for Season 2 now."

We may get to see what "Fargo" looks like in the summer.

"I'm not writing another blizzard episode, that's for sure."

Production on Season 1 was incredibly difficult on the cast and crew, with conditions reaching wretched temperatures for anyone not raised in the Arctic. So will the second season see a seasonal change?

"I think we're beginning to earn the right to explore that," Hawley said regarding seeing the Fargo area during a different time of year. "I think moving forward it would be fun to start in a wintery environment and then maybe switch over during the course of the season. Or, if we do a third one of these [seasons], come back and see summer in Fargo."

"Believe you me, we would do Fargo, Honolulu, if we could," Hawley said.

Don't expect to see Season 2 until Fall 2015 (at the earliest).

As stated earlier in the day when FX renewed "Fargo" for a second season, the FX team reiterated when fans should expect to see the second season -- and it won't be for at least a year. Production is slated to begin in January 2015 and go "deep into May," meaning a Fall 2015 release would be right on schedule. The timing would still coincide with the winter months, as the first season did, even if we may see another season in the Fargo universe this go 'round.

FX is seriously jealous of "True Detective."

There were so many references made to HBO's smash freshman series, you would think FX was competing directly against it for most of its Emmys.

Earlier in the day, CEO Jon Landgraf, who's admitted to losing out on his bid for "True Detective" to HBO, referenced the show by saying its creator and writer Nic Pizzolatto has to prove he can write a second season as good as the first whereas Hawley does not, a not-so-hidden dig at Pizzolatto's work on the disappointing first season of AMC's "The Killing" (though that show remarkably has made it to a fourth season thanks to Netflix).

During Hawley's presentation, he joked that "Fargo" was close to casting Colin Farrell for Season 2, another obvious jab at rumors surrounding casting on "True Detective" -- casting that's not nearly as exciting as previous rumors made it out to be. Is the network preparing for a face off at next year's Emmys, where HBO's non-miniseries could switch categories if it's unsuccessful in its bids to win as a drama series in 2014? Or is Landgraf's company still smarting from its failed bid for the landmark crime drama? It certainly added another dramatic element to Monday's FX presentation.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

03

............i just wet my pants

03

source: EW



Oh, you want new details on Fargo's second season? You betcha, we got 'em!

During TCA's winter press tour, FX CEO John Langraf revealed that Ronald Reagan will figure into the second season of the network's hit anthology series.

The new chapter travels back to 1979, where a young Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson, played in the first season by Keith Carradine) returns from Vietnam and begins to investigate a local gang and a mob syndicate.

"It covers something that was referenced in the first installment by Lou Solverson, Molly Solverson's [Allison Tolman] father," Langraf said. "It's a big sprawling, in some ways, more comedic [season], though at times, a very serious show. It's set in the late '70s against the backdrop of Ronald Reagan's first campaign for President of the United States. Reagan is a character in it."

After the panel, Landgraf confided to EW that Fargo will actually be casting the role of Reagan, not using archival footage. "Reagan will be interacting with our characters," he said, noting that the role has not yet been cast.

Joining Wilson in the second season: Ted Danson as Hank Larsson, Lou's unflappable father-in-law; Nick Offerman as Karl Weathers, a local lawyer; Jean Smart as Floyd Gerhardt, the matriarch of the Gerhardt crime family; Jeffrey Donovan as her eldest son, Dodd Gerhardt; Angus Sampson as her inarticulate middle son, Bear Gerhardt; Kieran Culkin as her youngest son, Rye Gerhardt; and Kirsten Dunst as small town beautician Peggy Blomquist, and her husband Ed (Jesse Plemons), who attempts to be supportive of his wife's self-discovery, even if he doesn't quite understand it.

In that vein, Langrad noted that feminism will play a big role in the second season. "A lot of what it's about is the cultural transformation that was going on at the time," Landgraf said. "It's about the sense that the war has come home. It's also about feminism, so there are some really significant female characters. It's a big, sprawling, incredibly ambitious [series]. Noah [Hawley] just channeled the Coen brothers and tells stories in a way that's so fresh and so surprising."

The second season of Fargo is slated to begin production on Monday, with the 10-episode anthology miniseries expected to premiere in the fall.


and also: patrick wilson discussing playing 'young keith carradine' http://www.hitfix.com/the-fien-print/patrick-wilson-teases-his-fargo-season-2-accent-and-more