Remember how much you all loved the dual commentary on Mad Men, by myself and Margaux Poupard? Well, strap yourselves in, cause we’re doing the exact same thing for FX’s Fargo.
Margaux: Billy Bob Thornton is getting all McConaughey on us, this is the best I’ve seen him in ages.
Trevor: Yeah, he is putting in work. My favorite part: him telling the guy to pee in his boss’s gas tank, then calling the boss about it and laughing. I feel like that tells a lot about Lorne Malvo and why he does what he does: mostly just for kicks.
Margaux: Exactly! have the peeing in the boss’s gas tank in my notes too, with the word hilarious next to it. I think they do a wonderful job in the opening to tell you everything you need to know about Lorne Malvo. He’s more empathetic towards animals than he is concerned with the dude running out of his trunk in his boxers. Into the freezing-ass snow, I might add.
Trevor: That’s a good point. I like his psycho Ken Burns hair cut, and the little twinkle of malevolence he gets in his eye, like when he tells Sam Hess, “I just wanted to see what you look like.”
Margaux: I was also seriously impressed with Martin Freeman’s Lester Nygaard, and not just because he convincingly pulls off a Midwestern accent. His life truly fucking blows. The phrase: if you get the chance, you should really kill yourself, comes to mind.
Trevor: Since you mentioned it, True Detective, along with Rick and Morty and now Fargo, is a great example of 2014 being a killer year for TV.
I liked Freeman a lot. Of course, being a fan of Sherlock and The Hobbit I was in the tank for him from the get-go, but Lester fills the shoes of William H. Macy’s Jerry Lundegaard without imitating him. That’s one of the things Fargo does best, I think: make certain characters analogous to those from the Coens’ film (such as Alison Tolman’s Molly Solverson), but give the actors enough breathing room to fully inhabit them.
Margaux: I completely agree that we’re in some sort of “golden age” (for lack of better term) for TV, even though the pilot episode was long for TV, an hour and a half, it was as compelling as the movie. If not more so because it seems like they’re gonna criss-cross through Minnesota. And it has more of a true crime feel, watching Freeman’s Nygaard was as refreshing as watching B-Cran’s Walter White start to recognize his own power.
Trevor: That’s another indicator that FX intends on making Fargo its own beast – the show shares a title with the movie, but most of the action will take place in Bemidji, MN, with some of it in Duluth. So “Fargo” is more of a tonal inspiration. Which I think the show is achieving nicely. The Coens have such a unique style that trying to imitate them is a fool’s errand, but the show isn’t about imitating them. I’m not explaining this very well. Here’s an example: Lester kills his wife, Lorne kills the chief of police, and Lester’s response is to run head-first into the wall to knock himself out. I loved that. I laughed out loud, and I admire the shot for being so Coen-esque.
Margaux: I like the role reversal of Marge’s role initially being filled by a dude, though I did cry when Molly shows up to gunned downed chief’s house to give his pregnant wife cans of paint. And when Lester kills his wife while mumbling, “Oh geez” and “I’m sorry” was also another great Coen-esque moment. It felt true to the tone but not cheap or trying too hard.
Trevor: I wish I had a gif of Freeman swinging that hammer. I’d send it out to people a lot. (Mostly Jorge.) I was genuinely shocked by that moment. Such a great slice of black comedy, really in line with the Coens’ body of work.
One thing that bothered me, though: Kate Walsh looks damn good in a red dress, but I thought she was over acting a little bit. Of course, that might be intentional, because with a cast this talented there is unlikely to be anyone falling short. We’ll see how the widow Hess figures into the plot.
Margaux: I liked Kate Walsh a lot, actually wished we saw more of her character in this episode. Her non-reaction to her kids beating the shit out of each other with hockey sticks was prime. Especially Molly tackling them. But can we talk about Hess getting epicly shanked through the back of the head?
Trevor: I forgot about that! The kids wailing on each other in the background was a great sight gag. Sam Hess got it good. Lorne is kind of a boogeyman, and I like it. I love that he just spoke to Lester and decided to kill Sam for him, seemingly on a whim. But he has such a powerful, poisonous presence that he made a murderer out of Lester.
But seriously, fuck Sam Hess.
Margaux: Ha, agreed. But it’s funny you should say boogeyman cause in my notes I wrote that Lorne is kind of a Robin Hood but with murder. He helps the downtrodden but taking out the trash, so to speak.
“Robin Hood” is a much better descriptor. And he’s not a monster, I don’t think. He tells Colin Hanks’ Gus Grimly, “There are some roads you don’t wanna go down.” This sets him apart from other notable psychos like, say, No Country for Old Men’s Anton Chigurh.
Margaux: Yeah, Chigurh is in a class of psychos all his own though, but I see your point (and love any reference to No Country). Speaking of Grimly, don’t suppose his last name has any foreshadowing attached to it…
Trevor: Yeah, exactly. A few of the character’s names are telling. “Malvo” is the bad guy; “Solverson” is the cop, etc. Bob Odenkirk’s character’s last name is Oswalt, I wonder if that will come into play, haha.
Margaux: Ha 2x! I didn’t even notice that was Molly’s last name. But speaking of Odenkirk, and I am a huge fan, I am not a fan of his accent though. I’m not holding it against him cause he’s too damn charming (and I don’t want the Comedy Gods to be mad at me).
Trevor: I want to see if he’ll be involved more. IMDb lists him as appearing in five episodes, so he might just be there for local color. Even if that’s the case, it says a lot about how seriously Fargo takes its supporting cast. I’m very much looking forward to Glenn Howerton, Oliver Platt, and Key & Peele.
Margaux: Cannot wait for Key & Peele, that would be my only complaint, that they weren’t bickering hilariously in the background of nearly all scenes. But I get it, plot or whatever.
Trevor: I like the plot but what I like most so far is the atmosphere. The plot, when you boil it down, isn’t something that’s never been done. But neither was the plot of Fargo, the movie. These characters interest me, the black humor is right up my alley, and just overall I didn’t want last night’s episode to end. I don’t think a show has hooked me so fast since – well, since True Detective.
Margaux: Samesies. Even if the plot isn’t something new, I’m still excited to see where these particular characters will take it. The atmosphere is about as dark as the humor and there is still more to come.
Trevor: I’m thinking four and a half stars? I mean, this fuckin thing hit the ground running.
Margaux: Totally. Too early to call it the full five? Maybe it’s the hangover but I’m feeling generous.
Trevor: You know what, fuck it, five sounds right. “The Crocodile’s Dilemma” was a weird, dark, but wholly original mic drop.
About Author
