Fargo the TV series

I was prepared to hate this for profaning the title movie.

But, ya know, it was pretty damned good.

Billy Bob was awesome, almost an Anton Chigurh level in his performance. Awesome.

The first 50 minutes or so lays down a lot of plot/character track and the last 20 minutes really pays off.

I'm in.

 

Am I the only one who noticed the sign advertising the White Russian special at the coffee shop? The show is expertly done, similar enough - but different. And to think I was worried about FX when The Shield, Rescue Me, Justified and Sons of Anarchy announced they were ending. Between this, The Americans and The Bridge, FX is bringing it.

 

I really, really, really liked it. Billy Bob, Martin Freeman, the female cop (who I don't think I've ever seen before), Kate Walsh were all excellent. And I've heard Hanks is outstanding in the coming weeks as well.

Totally sold.

 

It took a litlle bit to get in to but enjoyed it. I will be giving it a go.

 

Really enjoyed it. Wasn't quite what I was expecting. There's still some dark humor, like the one brother beating up his younger one with a hockey stick and the cop doing a flying tackle to break it up. Some interesting plot twists. Billy Bob is one creepy sumbitch though.

I noticed there were a few salutes to the movie, like Lou's Coffee House (or whatever).

 

It seemed to me like a cross between No Country for Old Men and Twin Peaks set in Minnesota.

I didn't find it as funny as the movie, although the brother beating up the other brother with a hockey stick scene was great. Billy Bob is terrific.

Not raving about it, but I'll keep watching.

 

Twice, I've been a True Believer:





I'll be dead and gone for the next forty-year cycle, so no worries.

 

I'm in. Body count was slightly high for a pilot, but Billy Bob was really good. Same with Martin Freeman
Speaking of nuggets, the sign outside the shop where Lester gets accosted by Hess and his sons was called "Norm's."

 

That's a good description of it. Also, if a show was pitched to me that way, I wouldn't need anything else to be onboard.

I did not expect so much death so early on, but yeah, like everyone else, I enjoyed it and can't wait to see where it goes from here.

Something that makes me even more excited is that all the reviewers said the show got better as it went along. They got the first four episodes.

 

I loved it.

I agree that the body count was higher than I expected, but I also just finished binge watching Breaking Bad, so I definitely became used to that show's slow burn pace.

The No Country for Old Men comparison is pretty apt. The Billy Bob Thornton/Colin Hanks scene was composed very similarly to the quarter scene.

Also, I'm glad there was some payoff to them continually showing the fish poster.

 

I really liked it, and a couple of the pre-Tuesday reviews (Sepinwall, I think, and Grantland's Greenwald) both said the pilot was just OK but that things really ramped up from there. By the fourth episode (critics got the first four), they had high praise for it.

FWIW, here are is my top tier for Coen bros. films (today):

Fargo
O Brother
No Country for Old Men
True Grit
Raising Arizona
Lebowski

 

I'd go Lebowski, Fargo, NCOM, O Brother, True Grit, Raising Arizona