Fargo the TV series

Still fond of Blood Simple, and M. Emmet Walsh punching through the wall.

 

I just finished the second episode. I'm in.

These TV series based on movies used to be pretty bad, if I'm not mistaken. But since "Friday Night Lights," it seems that creators have gotten the formula down. Basically just inhabit the world created by the original work, but don't let the original work limit you too much.

 

I finally saw the pilot on On Demand and I'm in, especially after reading it's supposed to get even better. And the show really captures the flavor of the movie as far as the characters and interactions.

Thornton is really great, a real sinister SOB who seems to want to start shit between people out of amusement. And Freeman is great too, which isn't any great surprise to me. Man, I found myself really rooting for him at the start with the Sam Hess confrontation and the browbeating he gets from his brother and wife, which then makes me real conflicted with what happens as the episode goes on.

Scene that stays with me: Near the end, when Molly shows up at the chief's house carrying the two cans of paint.

 

Is there a little "Breaking Bad" here, too, with the mild-mannered, hen-pecked husband Turing to the dark side?

 

I see a few differences. For one, Lester is a much less central part of this show, and I think the third episode goes a long way toward cementing that. Also, unlike Walt, he doesn't really seem to have any plan. I also think they're motivations are different. I don't think Lester is really getting any sort of thrill from his actions. He doesn't necessarily miss his wife, but he also doesn't enjoy being a "wanted" man. Stylistically though, there are lots of similarities: the great usage of wide open scenery, the dark humor.

I thought the third episode was just fantastic. The scene running from Gus' arrival at the police station to the diner was just fantastic. Allison Tolman is just terrific.

 

I agree now, after the third episode. At this point, I don't think Lester is going to be a White/Draper/Soprano anti-hero.

 

I honestly find that refreshing. It seems like the in the Molly/Gus pairing we may actually have two legitimate heroes. The very last scene aside, there was a nice bit of hopefulness towards the end...spiders aside.

 

Waiting to learn exactly what happened down in Sioux Falls back in the day.

 

In the storeroom where BBT and the blackmailer talk, you'll see a box marked "LeBoeuf."

 

Well, THAT's certainly an overt reference to the movie. Now we know where the money came from.

Also, having a hard time believing the two police chiefs could be so obtuse, but whatever ...

 

That's what stood out to me too as a bit of a stretch. Alan Sepinwall addressed that particular point, but then he also couched it by saying it seems to fit with the growing sense of mysticism/religion, etc.

I had a hard time believing it too, but another good argument I read (I can't remember where, maybe A.V. Club), said it also ties into this ongoing theme about how the characters perceive their neighbors/peers. For example, Lester is meek and quiet, so he couldn't do that, or if that man says he's a minister it must be true.

Overall, I really liked the episode. The scene in Stavros' office before the plague descends is great with some fun production techniques.

 

I couldn't stop laughing at the end of this week's episode. Poor Lester! It looked like he grew a brain when he needed a ride back to town.