Fargo, FX Original Series [SPOILERS]

[Dead Flower]

Lester's wife was fuckin cracking me up. So dumb.

Malvo scaring the kids for no reason. He's such a rascal.

Def best ep yet. Billy Bob Thornton and Keith Carradine both mesmerizing in that diner scene.

Also...

I'm gonna stick my whole thumb up your ass later.

Aces!

[Forsaken]

I've never seen BBT as good as this, maybe I just haven't seen enough of him. What a great charachter Malvo is! So intruiging.

It just shows how good of an actor he is. So versatile in all of his roles. From Sling Blade, to Bad Santa, to this. He can play anything. A person with severe mental illness. An extreme over the top comedy role which had me crying tears of laughter. And this Malvo character who is a hit-man and completely cold. His acting skills are phenomenal and severely underrated.

[Haters Gonna Hate]

Just binge watched the show. That elevator scene was really good. Also Colin Hanks is not as bad as in Dexter.

[downzy]

What did people think of the finale? At first I was a little underwhelmed by it. But like a fine glass of red wine, the more I think about it, the more I think it was a very suitable ending. I've read some feminist backlash about how

the wrong person killed Malvo

, but I think it was the right call and fit with the dynamics of the show.

A really great recap and review of the finale can be read here:

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/06/18/fargo-amortonas-forka-review

Really like this point from the review:

The finale offered a simple but stunning example of his nature in the form of a brainteaser. Lester is quite the riddle solver when there’s something to be gained, but doesn’t understand Molly’s basic notion of thinking of others – is incapable of it. The man on the train that Molly described would rather a total stranger have two gloves than keep only one of the pair for himself. Lester simply does not compute. He’d never even consider that there might be another person in need of warmth. He’d only lament what he’d lost and count himself a victim. Why toss the second glove? What would be in it for him? The entirely self-focused Mr. Nygaard can easily unravel the mystery of how to keep three prizes like the fox, the rabbit, and the cabbage, however.

[Forsaken]

Fuck I never got around to posting in the thread.

I actually had stumbled upon spoilers for the finale by accident so I knew what was going to happen prior to watching. Everything panned out nicely IMO. Found it only fitting that Lester fell into the ice hole, in a dark comedy type of way. I really hope they expand and have another season of this. Can't say for sure but i'd read that the creators intended it to be one season only but were open to making another like an anthology, kinda like American Horror Story or even True Detective with different actors. Would look forward to it and would definitely watch. This show lived way past my expectations.

[Forsaken]

Just binge watched the show. That elevator scene was really good. Also Colin Hanks is not as bad as in Dexter.

The writing just made Colin look awful, hell the writing in Dexter made Michael C. look terrible at times. That show was a pile of shit toward the end.

[Coma16]

So is it safe to assume that he escaped from the basement because he's the Devil?

[Forsaken]

We know Malvo is stealthy and fast. In the pilot Lester sees Malvo start to go down his basement steps, but then turns his back to look out the window and sees Molly's cop car pulling up. It's only a few seconds, but would be enough time for Malvo to quickly sneak out the back door (the way he came in). By the time Lester goes down the steps, Malvo is already outside... Or perhaps he did go downstairs and then escaped through a window (you can clearly see a basement window in certain shots). Or perhaps Malvo actually hid somewhere in the basement and didn't leave the house until hours later after the cops finally left Lester's house (seems the least likely but still possible as neither Lester nor Molly really searched the basement thoroughly as far as we know)... I forget if it was ever revealed how long after the murder Gus pulled Malvo over. But at the very least, the first two scenarios should be plausible enough.

Malvo's character serves a specific purpose in Fargo. He epitomizes the fact of life that no matter what you do or who you are, you are vulnerable. It was brilliant casting to put Billy Bob in that role, since he's anything but physically imposing. But throughout we see him intimidate people, remain in control when outnumbered, and able to do pretty much whatever he wants. The message is that none of us are safe from Evil/Malvo. That's the world that Gus and Bill know they aren't capable of dealing with on it's own terms, but which Molly can.

Malvo is the (nearly) unstoppable force. He does what you think can't be done. Molly and Lou know they are the thin blue line separating it from the rest of us. Someone has to do it.

[downzy]

So is it safe to assume that he escaped from the basement because he's the Devil?

The review I posted above makes a good point about some of the logical issues within the show. There's an argument that the story is meant to be more allegorical than literal. It's why the one FBI agent continually talks about whether his life is a dream, and if so, who's is it? There is definitely a dream-like quality to the show that could excuse certain events, like Malvo's escape from the basement. It's an interesting premise, one that you don't have to buy into.

And as Foresaken has elaborated, there are several more plausible explanations for how Malvo escaped (with the most likely that he escaped out the back while Lester was preoccupied with the arrival of Molly). I watched the first episode again this weekend and noticed that there's definitely an opportunity for Malvo to leave unnoticed.

[Coma16]

I've been saying "Minesoooota" all day lol

[Rovim]

Well damn. Fargo the movie is a personal favorite, so I was a little worried that the show will suck, but I thought it was great.

True Detective and Fargo seem to hint at maybe a new popular medium. It's a great time to be a lazy fuck that likes to watch too much tv.

[Forsaken]

True Detective and Fargo seem to hint at maybe a new popular medium. It's a great time to be a lazy fuck that likes to watch too much tv.

Yeah.

The anthology format seems to be working really well. True Detective, American Horror, and now Fargo.... writers and directors summed this up as a "10 hr movie", which really, it is. I read somewhere where a possible next season would have completely different actors as well.

From Hawley:

"the one thing I would say is that the movie [Coen brothers' movie "Fargo"] ended the way that it ended and you knew that Marge and Norm were going to go back to life as normal and that this true crime case was the worst case that she ever had. That's why we were telling that story, and it would be disingenuous, I think, to do the continuing adventures of.... It would stop feeling like real life."

So basically, just like the movie, we'd have different characters and a different story. Really digging it and hope they push for another.

[Bro-mero]

Loved the show

Season one received universal acclaim, so it will be interesting to see how well season two does with a whole different cast and plot. Losing Billy Bob for season two will suck for sure

[Rovim]

Loved the show

Season one received universal acclaim, so it will be interesting to see how well season two does with a whole different cast and plot. Losing Billy Bob for season two will suck for sure

How can you even top that shit. That's like trying to top Bad Santa. Will be a challenge for sure. BBT really brought it this time. But I thought he was a great actor after seeing a couple of his movies years ago, so it's no surprise. Malvo fucking evil and funny.

Edited June 24, 2014 by Rovim

[downzy]

Billy Bob was great, but let's not kid ourselves, it was also a great role to play.

I don't see why the creators/writers of season one couldn't come up with another great cast of characters for a second season. Billy Bob was great in the role, but he isn't the only great actor who can do wonders with a great part.

[Rovim]

Billy Bob was great, but let's not kid ourselves, it was also a great role to play.

I don't see why the creators/writers of season one couldn't come up with another great cast of characters for a second season. Billy Bob was great in the role, but he isn't the only great actor who can do wonders with a great part.

Sure. But his performance was inspired. It's not just cause it was a great role. Besides, if we're specifically talking about Billy Bob, then it's not even relevant cause he can play pretty much anything and it will be pretty good to great.

If they do make another season, I'll bet it's not going to suck.

[Forsaken]

This was cool:

http://uproxx.com/tv/2014/06/the-top-5-lorne-malvo-kills-from-season-1-of-fargo/

The Top 5 Lorne Malvo Kills from Season 1 'Fargo'

Lorne Malvo sure killed a lot of people during the 10-episode run of Fargo. I mean, other things happened on the show, too. Lots of things, in fact. A police officer named “Solverson” solved the case, a mild-mannered insurance salesman turned into Keyser Soze, people went to Vegas, there was a cake with a gun on it, etc. It was a good show. You should watch it, if you haven’t already. But that’s not the point right now. The points are (a) Lorne Malvo and (b) murder.

And so, what I have done — or rather, what I have attempted to do, because it was hard — is take all of the murders he committed on the show, and narrow them down to a top five. Notable omissions include Sam Hess, Stavros Milos’s son and dog, Lester’s second wife (which was more of Lester’s kill, considering the horrifying lengths he went to in making sure he didn’t get the bullet), the cop in the bathroom, and the chief of police in the premiere, among others. Probably. He wasn’t on camera for huge stretches of time. And there was that one year flash forward. He could have killed tons more people for all I know.

But anyway, the list. Feel free to make your counterarguments in the comments.

5) The Key & Peele sneak attack

The Key & Peele murders narrowly edged out Sam Hess getting stabbed in the head while enjoying the company of a Bemidji exotic dancer for one simple reason: Degree of difficulty. Whereas the Hess killing required only a knife and knowledge of his current location, this one necessitated the acquisition of a used car that looked enough like an FBI vehicle to temporarily confuse actual FBI agents, as well as the theft of said FBI agents’ paperwork to call off the backup. And then he had to sneak up on them through the snow-covered woods. Compared to all that, stabbing a guy in a strip club is easy. Ask literally anyone from Florida.

4) The STORMWATCH 2006 throat slitting

STORMWATCH 2006 was one of my favorite Fargo subplots (“The storm of the century, or what have ya?”), and it gave us one of the more exciting moments of the season. The biggest takeaway from the blizzard shootout — which was intense as heck, thanks to the way the scene played with the decreased visibility — was the part where Gus accidentally shot Molly, but Lorne cutting himself to use his own blood trail to set a trap was a very Lorne Malvo thing to do. RIP Adam Goldberg, RIP Adam Goldberg hair.

3) The no-look Vegas elevator triple murder

It’s the thing where he didn’t even look. Don’t get me wrong, it’s also the thing where he coldly and quickly cut bait on a plan that had been at least six months in the making and involved him (a) taking a lover, and (b) apparently learning dentistry, because that was … definitely something. But it’s mostly the thing where he threw a little mustard on it by doing it blind, like he’s the Magic Johnson of contract killers or something. Although I suppose Pistol Pete is the better comparison here if we want to be very on-the-nose and direct about things, which we might as well be, seeing as Lorne Malvo is not a very subtle man, as we’re about to discuss.

2) The Fargo mob rampage

Killed over 30 people, by himself, despite the fact that many of them were armed and he just walked right in the front door carrying a large automatic weapon, and damn near got away with it even though two FBI agents were sitting outside and he threw one of his victims right out the dang window and onto the sidewalk below.

Lorne Malvo was basically a supervillain. This brings up an important point: How great would it have been if Molly Solverson got so upset that no one listened to her about the Lorne/Lester connection that she decided to buy a mask and cape and start fighting crime under the cover of night, like a Minnesota Batman? (“I’m the hero Bemidji needs, dontcha know?”) My vote: Pretty great.

1) The Dennis Reynolds “suicide-by-cop”

Because of Glenn Howerton’s day job, and because of the bullet-riddled similarities to a legendary death scene from The Godfather, I will always refer to this murder as “the Sunny Corleone.” Number one with many, many bullets.

[Bro-mero]

I honestly felt bad for the bronzer guy when he died, that was a turning point in which I started to root against Billy Bob's character

[wasted]

Natural Born Killers tv series would be great.

[Forsaken]

I honestly felt bad for the bronzer guy when he died, that was a turning point in which I started to root against Billy Bob's character

Thought his role was hilarious really, seeing Dennis from Always Sunny in this series

[wasted]

I think it's the first TV series I'd rewatch since Sopranos.

[Ace Nova]

I scrolled down to the end of this thread because I'm finally getting a chance to watch it and I'm only on the 2nd episode. Just wanted to say that Billy Bob's character is an absolute badass.

[Rovim]

I scrolled down to the end of this thread because I'm finally getting a chance to watch it and I'm only on the 2nd episode. Just wanted to say that Billy Bob's character is an absolute badass.

So cold blooded and his ability to manipulate people into doing what he wants is scary. I don't even know anymore if I prefer the movie or the tv show cause it's a movie too, so it's like two different things that share some conceptual foundations.

[Lithium]

Just done watching it. What an excellent show - it reminds me a lot of Breaking Bad.

[Black Sabbath]

Started watching this again after my supervisor said how much he liked it. I enjoyed the first two episodes, just been putting it off. On episode 3.