• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Fargo - Season 3 - Brothers, Bridge, and Backstabbing in 2010 Minnesota - Wed on FX

C

Chumley

Banned
DiscoJer said:
It's only the third season, but it seems like it's starting to get a bit formulaic.

Since it's Fargo,k you do have to kind of have a female sheriff, but this one seems sticking too close to the Frances McDurmond style (albeit not pregnant) of the movie, while Allison Tolman seemed quite different, still professional and competent, but just different.

You have the Lester character. Somewhat meek but fairly amiable person who gets started down the path of crime/evil. In Season 2 they sort of flipped the switch by making it Peggy, but here it's back to being like another Lester.

And the other Ewan McGregor brother is the same supposed hot shot business guy who turns out to have problems. Hard to care about him.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead's character is by far the most interesting. But at the same time, it's more like is she another Malvo, leading the Lester character further down the spiral? Or is she more like an Ed, just going along blindly because she actually loves the Lester character?

The catch with her though is she is just too beautiful, really striking looking.. She doesn't look like a normal person, much less a petty criminal
Click to expand...

Winstead is Peggy 2.0 only with less depth so far, if we're comparing how each pilot established the two characters.

I also think she was miscast considering until now the show did a pretty good job at picking people who looked like they actually live there, or in the case of Dunst her makeup + weight gain added authenticity. Winstead just looks like a model in all of her scenes.
 
U

UrbanRats

Member
Chumley said:
It's neither. Malvo is still the single most mesmerizing character the show has ever had but there was a lot of dark humor between him and Lester, while S2 was filled with colorful characters and satire of the period.

It's only been one episode but this season so far doesn't have the same level of humor, it's far more straightforward and frankly doesn't seem nearly as inspired.

Like, the Scooty McNair character plot device was straight up lazy.
Click to expand...
Thanks.
I have very limited time lately, and I wonder if I should bother.

I'll wait for more opinions once more episodes are out.
 
H

hydruxo

Member
Lord of Castamere said:
Mongolian Throat Singing, cool, that's fine, and I guess the point was to make the audience feel uneasy, but it was just loud and annoying to me. Personally, I think silence would have been more effective.

What would have also been effective is showing us that he had a gun before she searched the house. He wasn't really a threat, so I didn't feel tension from her searching for him. They painted him as a bumbling stoner, and grandpa looked like he had a heart attack. So you have a bumbling stoner, with no known weapon, versus a cop with a shotgun, with crazy throat music playing in the background. It was just a weird sequence. I'm not sure I liked it. Compared to the diner scene in Season 2, were they built that kid up us a punk and then he snapped and started murdering. That was shocking.
Click to expand...

I didn't like that scene. They play that music and have this unsettling atmosphere like something is going to happen, and nothing really does.

Overall the premiere was just okay. I'm intrigued enough to keep watching but I'm definitely feeling the formula is wearing a tad bit thin with this show. Also, not big on the whole Ewan portraying twins thing.
 
L

Lord of Castamere

Member
What's odd is the some of the scenes in this episode were better in the trailers. Like MEWs Hi was cut from the episode. With a her in a line up spliced over her Hi line instead. I guess to jam in that she's a criminal.

The automated door scene was worse too. It was a different scene, and maybe it will become a running joke(unfunny running joke), but in the episode it didn't really make sense. Is she supposed to be stupid but good hearted? Technological inept? The rest of the episode she seemed like a normal cop and mom. Just that one weird scene where she can't get in an automated door. It didn't do a great job establishing her as a character.

It wasn't that funny either. The shrink scene, and "What country are you from?" were okay jokes, but the shrink scene kinda makes me mad in hindsight, because they wanted tension in the house search but that character wasn't presented as a threat. The Malvo scene at the end of S1 Episode 1 was so effective at fear and tension in hindsight, it was also short, and didn't need weird music. Such a fall. They'd better not waste Shea Whigham.
 
K

Kalor

Member
I enjoyed the episode but you're expecting the same elements to come up now, unlike the first series or the movie where it's a surprise. Although it can be fun just to see these familar elements set up and then played against each other in different ways but I don't know how much longer they can do that. They set up some interesting stuff like the books and the totally American investment guy so I'm excited to see where it goes.
 
D

Daft_Cat

Member
UrbanRats said:
Thanks.
I have very limited time lately, and I wonder if I should bother.

I'll wait for more opinions once more episodes are out.
Click to expand...

To answer your earlier question, it feels more like 1 than 2. Both in terms of time period, and the smaller, more intimate scope. And one mysterious character in particular did give me some Malvo vibes. I'd also add that even with some of the "been there done that" sentiment interspersed throughout the reviews, the first two episodes still scored very high with critics. It's not like this is sitting at a 60 MC. On the contrary, it's around 90 (I know MC is shit - just bringing it up to give a sense of the aggregate).

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the premiere and found it to be on par with previous series. Found the new cast to be charming and intriguing, as well. Yes, there's a basic template at play here, but FARGO's always been about riffing on familiar conventions of film noir in an unlikely setting. For me, it's a great sub-genre, and while there's a risk of its particular charms growing stale over time, I'm more than willing to give them a couple of episodes to see where things go. It's definitely not a criticism I would've arrived at on my own. At least, not yet.

Looking forward to future episodes!
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
Chumley said:
It's neither. Malvo is still the single most mesmerizing character the show has ever had but there was a lot of dark humor between him and Lester, while S2 was filled with colorful characters and satire of the period.

It's only been one episode but this season so far doesn't have the same level of humor, it's far more straightforward and frankly doesn't seem nearly as inspired.

Like, the Scooty McNair character plot device was straight up lazy.
Click to expand...

Malvo is so wack.

He's everything that's wrong about the Antihero Television Industrial Complex.

"Badass" and flat as a Niagra Falls Souvenir Penny.

Molly WAS Season 1, basically the one thing that redeemed it and elevated it above its "Hey Remember This Shot From Miller's Crossing" pedigree.

Mike Milligan runs circles around Malvo. Best In Class.
 
A

Arkeband

Banned
I'll sit through two gratuitous shots of Ewan McGregor's ballsack for every one shot of MEW's butt.

tenor.gif
 
D

Daft_Cat

Member
BenjaminBirdie said:
Malvo is so wack.

He's everything that's wrong about the Antihero Television Industrial Complex.

"Badass" and flat as a Niagra Falls Souvenir Penny.

Molly WAS Season 1, basically the one thing that redeemed it and elevated it above its "Hey Remember This Shot From Miller's Crossing" pedigree.

Mike Milligan runs circles around Malvo. Best In Class.
Click to expand...

Malvo felt like Anton Chigurh pumped through the Fargo machine. Effective and fun as hell to watch, but definitely more of a riff on a certain character type. Milligan had the same sort of mystique, but he also felt less like a Joker/Chigurh type force of nature and more like a fully fleshed out character with an actual arc. In that sense, he's the more compelling character.

I'm of split minds, though. As epic, sprawling, and tragic as season 2 was (seriously - it feels almost like a Scorsese crime saga set in Fargo), the first season left more of a mark on me. I'd say season 2 is better TV, but I definitely have more of a soft spot for Lester, Molly, Malvo and co. Might have something to do with the fact that season 1 is a bit more fun. Easier to return to.
 
U

UrbanDandy

Member
I'm interested how V.M.Varga will play out. Malvo had the mind and muscle, while Miligan had the mind, he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty (that was left to Hanzee). It seems with Varga, he can do well with manipulation and still be very intimidating.
 
L

LiQuid!

I proudly and openly admit to wishing death upon the mothers of people I don't like
People complaining about formula and familiar set up PLEASE. It's been a single episode, chill the eff out. Every game of Chess starts with the same board setup.
 
T

The Internet

Member
They have been filming Fargo for the past few weeks beside our office building here in downtown Calgary. I ran into Bob Odenkirk a few years back and I was like "Mr. Show! What are you doing here?!" And he said filming a new TV series called Fargo.

I still have yet to catch an episode (seen the movie) but will start this weekend.
 
T

TripOpt55

Member
I really enjoyed the premiere. I like the (seeming) return to the smaller-scale story of the first season. Season 2 was great, but I preferred Season 1. I did think it felt very similar to the setup of that, but I'm sure the season will take us in some unexpected directions. Otherwise it felt like Fargo. Enjoyed the humor and style.
 
D

dead souls

Member
Decent, but not great. It definitely feels like it's repeating itself. It really suffered because I watched it right after the exceptional Hap and Leonard finale.
 
C

Chumley

Banned
BenjaminBirdie said:
Malvo is so wack.

He's everything that's wrong about the Antihero Television Industrial Complex.

"Badass" and flat as a Niagra Falls Souvenir Penny.

Molly WAS Season 1, basically the one thing that redeemed it and elevated it above its "Hey Remember This Shot From Miller's Crossing" pedigree.

Mike Milligan runs circles around Malvo. Best In Class.
Click to expand...

I really disagree, and I'm talking about the presence he had on the show, not so much who carried it or not.

Like, nothing else in Season 1 or 2 matched this scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk6FShZBUB4

Milligan was great but he's more of an actual character who had his own personal arc. Malvo was a force of nature under the guise of friendly ol' Billy Bob Thornton, he's similar to Chigurh in that he was almost a supernatural figure, but beyond that the character felt unique to the show and utterly terrifying.
 
A

Alpende

Member
I liked it. It had that classic Fargo TV feel. Mary Elisabeth Winstead is beautiful and I thought Ewan McGregor's characters were interesting and different enough. The storyline between the rich brother and the criminal enterprise should be good.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
Chumley said:
I really disagree, and I'm talking about the presence he had on the show, not so much who carried it or not.

Like, nothing else in Season 1 or 2 matched this scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk6FShZBUB4

Milligan was great but he's more of an actual character who had his own personal arc. Malvo was a force of nature under the guise of friendly ol' Billy Bob Thornton, he's similar to Chigurh in that he was almost a supernatural figure, but beyond that the character felt unique to the show and utterly terrifying.
Click to expand...

God he's so fucking insufferable.

I guess it depends on your tolerance of BBT. Whenever I see his flat stupid face all I can think about is his flat stupid band that he will never in his flat stupid life shut up about.

Except in Man Who Wasn't There.

God he is perfect in that movie.
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
CARRIE COON SEASON IS OFFICIALLY IN FULL SWING!

giphy.gif


Phenomenal season premiere. Surprised to see so many people down on it but loving Legion so much. Legion looked nice but the dialogue never clicked with me. This on the other hand, had me completely locked in for every scene. You can already see the threads of how the case might play out (the note with the address, Swango and Maurice being linked through Ray, etc) but I wonder how the money laundering scheme is going to shake out.
 
Moff

Moff

Member
Season 1 was definitely the Billy Bob Thornton show and I thought it was glorious, some of the best I have ever seen on TV and mostly because of him, incredible presence

I also really liked Season 2, even the UFO stuff, but it was never even close to being as memorable as season 1
 
S

Sectorseven

Member
The Internet said:
They have been filming Fargo for the past few weeks beside our office building here in downtown Calgary. I ran into Bob Odenkirk a few years back and I was like "Mr. Show! What are you doing here?!" And he said filming a new TV series called Fargo.

I still have yet to catch an episode (seen the movie) but will start this weekend.
Click to expand...

They're still filming for this season? That's cutting it awfully close.
 
T

TB14

Member
Yep, still the same ole Fargo and you can't ask for much more than that. Looking like another win for Hawley and co. I'm gonna be in heaven watching this and Twin Peaks at the same time next month.
 
B

Brerlappin

Member
Thank God i have Gaf to let me know that Season 3 is going to be a generic, boring, formulaic season and i should just quit after one episode to save myself the time.
 
S

SuperStiltzkin

Member
Set up episode is a set up episode and I'm fine with that. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and David Thewlis were the standouts for me and I find myself gravitating toward their characters. Obviously each season starts with something gone wrong to really stir some development in all the other characters who we've only barely gotten to know. It's a TV show, you're gonna get to spend more time and learn about all the characters and see them fleshed out.

Spikematic said:
Pretty surprised some people are hating on it. I loved everything about it, weird Mongolian throat music included.
Click to expand...

I think silence would have been better. I really enjoyed Legion, but I think Hawley could have dialed back his music video tendencies in this first episode. It doesn't hurt to have some restraint.
 
TTOOLL

TTOOLL

Member
It's Fargo, it's good. Is it formulaic? Hell yeah! But it's damn good!
The characters are good, setting is excellent, atmosphere is just something else.

Remember, guys, it's Fargo, you'll ger more Fargo. That's it.
 
B

Bobby Roberts

Banned
This was a really damn good episode of television. More blatantly comedic than the show usually is, but nicely balanced with Hawley's ability to make shit really real in a real fuckin hurry... Even when nothing ultimately comes of the tone switch, plot wise. It's still a great example of the show's ability to pull you in and spring something unexpected on you and make it work.
 
Sapiens

Sapiens

Member
I liked what I saw so far - I'm not the biggest Ewan McGregor fan and I was worried about the dual role thing, but it wasn't distracting in any way. I believed it.

Looking forward to the rest of the season.
 
P

Pyroclastic

Banned
Sapiens said:
I liked what I saw so far - I'm not the biggest Ewan McGregor fan and I was worried about the dual role thing, but it wasn't distracting in any way. I believed it.

Looking forward to the rest of the season.
Click to expand...

there were definitely at least a couple accent slips, but other than it was better than I though it'd be, I'll assume emmet comes into his own a bit more as the season goes on.
 
K

kevin1025

Banned
Am I crazy or did Carrie Coon pick up an old, dusty Hugo Award to use as a weapon when she went back to the old man Stussy house...?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Locked
Fargo Season 3 - Full trailer up now - Premieres April 19th on FX
2 3
117
14K
Cornballer replied
  • Locked
Jim Gaffigan to trade in Hot Pockets for doughnuts on Fargo season 3
10
2K
Pamplemousse replied
  • Locked
Ewan McGregor to Star in Fargo S3 [Up: S3 premieres Wednesday, April 19th]
2 3 4
183
23K
Cornballer replied
  • Locked
  • Poll
Fargo - Season 3 - Brothers, Bridge, and Backstabbing in 2010 Minnesota - Wed on FX
0
100K
5taquitos replied
69th Primetime Emmys | Hosted by Stephen Colbert | Sept. 17 8e/5p
20 21 22 23 24
1K
100K
neoanarch replied
Top Bottom