Fargo (TV series)

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

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polkablues

My house, my rules, my coffee

Jeremy Blackman

Oh my! She's actually a perfect fit for Fargo's sensibility. :yabbse-thumbup:

Jeremy Blackman

Watched the premiere and absolutely loved it. It was more than an hour long, but I wanted more. Nothing (including the actual Coens) has quite the same sensibility. I think every musical cue made me giddy. Even loved all the performances.

This could easily be better than Season 2.

Minnesota accuracy corner! The rich brother's place is supposedly in Eden Prairie. That's fine, but Eden Prairie is a rich southern suburb of Minneapolis. There's not that much open land. I think the most rural house you'd see there is something like this:





Probably nothing quite like the frozen tundra that we see in this episode. Doesn't bother me that much, though, because an upscale ranch house on a decent amount of land is certainly something you see in slightly more rural parts of the state, some that are only 10-20 miles away.

SPOILS

Here's the more bothersome inaccuracy. Everyone knows Eden Prairie. It's the 12th biggest city in Minnesota and a memorable part of the metro area. However, I had literally never heard of "Eden Valley." Absolutely no one, not even Scoot, would make this mistake.

Jeremy Blackman

This one was a bit underwhelming. Even if the plot excited you, there were definitely some obvious/boring character choices. Still a lot to appreciate. Just lacked intensity.

This 30-something Minnesotan who avoids technology is a mythical creature. It's actually taking me out of the show. If anything, I've observed that small-town Minnesotans get even more involved in social media to connect with the outside world and alleviate boredom. Certainly someone of Gloria's age.

I vividly remember perhaps 5 years ago stopping at a gas station in Pine River, a remote town (population 927) in northern Minnesota, hidden in thick pine forest (near the beautiful Chippewa National Forest, in fact). The two employees at the gas station had the newest iPhones and were already obsessively tapping away on them when we walked in. One of them used hers to very quickly give us directions.

Gloria saying "I'll have a diet pop" made me roll my eyes. I'll buy that she says "pop" (although that's steadily going out of style). But we're to believe she's so ignorant that she doesn't know there are multiple brands? It was just a weird moment of dumbness.

RegularKarate

I liked this episode. It felt like it was planting little seeds in my brain. I also keep remembering that by episode three of season 2, I wasn't totally on board and everything changed after 4 (or maybe 5?) so I'm just letting it happen.

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on May 05, 2017, 12:52:41 AM
This 30-something Minnesotan who avoids technology is a mythical creature. It's actually taking me out of the show. If anything, I've observed that small-town Minnesotans get even more involved in social media to connect with the outside world and alleviate boredom. Certainly someone of Gloria's age.

Nonsense. My girlfriend barely uses technology and we live in Austin. She has a Facebook account (that she doesn't visit) now, but certainly didn't seven years ago.
I think aversion to social media and technology happen to certain people no matter where they live. They're not painting her a small-town rube, they're just painting her.

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on May 05, 2017, 12:52:41 AM
Gloria saying "I'll have a diet pop" made me roll my eyes. I'll buy that she says "pop" (although that's steadily going out of style). But we're to believe she's so ignorant that she doesn't know there are multiple brands? It was just a weird moment of dumbness.

But every show has to do this. This happened seconds after the guy said "Two Beers". Why didn't that make your eyes roll? Because we're used to that. Because every show/ movie does it unless they have brand sponsors.

You have weird nitpicks for this show, Blackman.

modage

Two small things: I loved the premiere, was underwhelmed by ep 2 and loved ep 3.

The animated stuff was definitely a rip/nod to World of Tomorrow right?

Re: social media. This is back in 2010 so it's a totally different landscape then. I don't think my mom was on FB yet. It's reasonable to think Carrie Coon wouldn't have been sucked in yet either.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

Jeremy Blackman

I'll concede the point about social media.

Quote from: RegularKarate on May 05, 2017, 10:59:39 AMThey're not painting her a small-town rube, they're just painting her.

Her small-town-ness is central to that characterization, though. We've already been told how her police department doesn't even use computers.

But I think Gloria does have some kind of existential issue with technology that goes beyond that. The automatic door didn't work for her. (And was there something else?)

Quote from: RegularKarate on May 05, 2017, 10:59:39 AMBut every show has to do this. This happened seconds after the guy said "Two Beers". Why didn't that make your eyes roll? Because we're used to that. Because every show/ movie does it unless they have brand sponsors.

There were other brands even in this episode, though. Arby's. Whatchamacallit.

Could be that cola is considered the default by most service workers. Maybe they actually do accept "diet pop" as an order.

Either way I think it's obvious that "diet pop" was used here because you can squeeze a lot of rural Minnesota accent out of that phrase.

RegularKarate

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on May 05, 2017, 02:46:48 PM

Either way I think it's obvious that "diet pop" was used here because you can squeeze a lot of rural Minnesota accent out of that phrase.

I'll give you that. She did just say 'pop' and not 'cola' and it was obviously trying to make her seem more midwestern.

Garam

David Thewlis is having an absolute ball in this role, and it's the best season yet because of it.

RegularKarate

I definitely don't think this is the best season, but I really liked this last episode. Love the occasional return of Billy Bob Thornton as a narrator.

SPOILS

Are we being led to find out that Thewlis' wolf character isn't actually rich at all? We know he binges and purges, but that leaves you with nothing.

Jeremy Blackman

SPOILERS

I would say he's definitely as rich as he suggests. The binging/purging I think is an expression of his gluttony and greed. He wants to devour everything around him. The way he vomits is kind demonic, actually. I think those parallels are intended.

Jeremy Blackman

The most recent episode (308) is one of the series' best. Absolutely bonkers, intense, and delightful. I'd already put this season above the second.

polkablues

Ray Wise is a tactical warhead of awesomeness. I'm honestly amazed he's never been in an actual Coen Brothers movie. He's so perfectly suited to their vibe.
My house, my rules, my coffee

diggler

The first half of this past episode was intense as hell, very well done.

Is this the first season to feature actors who appeared in Coen films?
I'm not racist, I'm just slutty

polkablues

Well, Billy Bob Thornton.
My house, my rules, my coffee