Fargo (2 Viewers)

[Buster]

Decent first episode, but even by Fargo standards it was really weird ..... the music was very annoying, to the point of having to hit the mute button a couple of times.

B.

 

[lancer]

Really liked E3 , an entirely "Fargoesque" type of backstory as the 'Old Chief' does her investigation. Thought it really neat that Clint Eastwood's wife and daughter were in it as the same character, then and now. Very well done. And I love that box. -- Al

 

[lancer]

Still really liking this. With one brother down, things are beginning to roll. Still think the weirdo bad guy with the British accent is stealing the show. -- Al

 

[ivanmoe]

I was really enjoying this, but the plot is becoming a little too whimsical for my tastes. In particular, I'm thinking that the actions of the mobster that Al references are hurting his cause. Attempting to assassinate a prisoner in a jail cell just about guarantees an escalation of the attention that the target would subsequently receive from law enforcement, perhaps even to the point of Federal involvement. Having botched the first attempt, the money-laundering hoodlums then arranged for the bus carrying the targeted individual to be run off the road where the assassins could take another whack at her. This left me thinking that the miniseries has drifted off course for a crime-drama and veared into James Bond territory. Frankly, I'm sort of disappointed at this juncture. I may not even watch the last three episodes. It's just too silly.:redface2:

-Moe

 

[lancer]

I was really enjoying this, but the plot is becoming a little too whimsical for my tastes. In particular, I'm thinking that the actions of the mobster that Al references are hurting his cause. Attempting to assassinate a prisoner in a jail cell just about guarantees an escalation of the attention that the target would subsequently receive from law enforcement, perhaps even to the point of Federal involvement. Having botched the first attempt, the money-laundering hoodlums then arranged for the bus carrying the targeted individual to be run off the road where the assassins could take another whack at her. This left me thinking that the miniseries has drifted off course for a crime-drama and veared into James Bond territory. Frankly, I'm sort of disappointed at this juncture. I may not even watch the last three episodes. It's just too silly.:redface2:

-Moe

Interesting because I also was thinking things had started to press credibility, but more in terms of the extremely lax police procedures. It seems anyone can walk into a prisoners cell block unchallenged, be it an assassin, or an out-of-jurisdiction cop. Will stick with it as I am still hooked. -- Al

 

[mikemiller1955]

Interesting because I also was thinking things had started to press credibility, but more in terms of the extremely lax police procedures. It seems anyone can walk into a prisoners cell block unchallenged, be it an assassin, or an out-of-jurisdiction cop. Will stick with it as I am still hooked. -- Al

yea...
I didn't want to post and be "the negative guy"...
as others enjoy this show...and I'm still hanging in there...
but since you mentioned this...^&grin...

that scene in the jail cell...
kind of hard to accept...
coupled with the idiot, lazy character...
"Moe Dannick"...the soon to be Chief...
played by Shea Whigham...
who played Nuckey's brother in Boardwalk Empire...
who won't consider any of the overwhelming evidence and just wants to close the whole Dussey file...
is just stretching me too far...

Fargo has a habit of pushing the credibility of these supposedly "true stories"...
like last year...
space saucers in the last episode...
so...I expect aliens to make their appearance soon...^&grin...

and yes...weird guy...
V M Varga...
is stealing the show...

coupled with Sy Feltz...
Dussey's business partner
played by Michael Stuhlbarg...
who also played Arnold Rothstein...again in Boardwalk Empire

now...with all this in mind...
these are billed as black comedy crime dramas...
so...
maybe this should be expected...

with all that said...
I'm still watching and enjoying...

 

[Combat]

I've started using the FF button with this show. Things seem to have gotten mired down and I agree about the silly notion of arranging to kill a prisoner in the jail and then attacking the prison bus was a bit extreme. And didn't they arrange that quickly? That seems a bit extreme for folks supposedly smart enough to fly below the radar. As in here comes CNN to cover the story. Some interesting characters but not nearly as good as the first season.

 

[lancer]

I've started using the FF button with this show. Things seem to have gotten mired down and I agree about the silly notion of arranging to kill a prisoner in the jail and then attacking the prison bus was a bit extreme. And didn't they arrange that quickly? That seems a bit extreme for folks supposedly smart enough to fly below the radar. As in here comes CNN to cover the story. Some interesting characters but not nearly as good as the first season.

Yes, Season 1 set the bar high, sort of like Season 1 of True Detective did. Follow up seasons just don't seem to be able to maintain the same standard in writing, although Season 2 Fargo was entertaining. -- Al

 

[lancer]

Interesting episode last night, what with the homage to The Big Lebowski, and the headless assassin. The producers missed their chance in the bowling alley by not using Sam Elliott as The Stranger. :wink2: -- Al

 

[mikemiller1955]

Interesting episode last night, what with the homage to The Big Lebowski, and the headless assassin. The producers missed their chance in the bowling alley by not using Sam Elliott as The Stranger. :wink2: -- Al

The Big Lebowski...is one of my favorite shows...

I will watch the whole movie just to see the scene where Bridges and Goodman...
throw Buscemi's ashes off a cliff only to have them blow back in their faces...
it cracks me up every time I see it...

in the bowling alley scene...
with Ray the cat...
it also occurred to me that it would have been hysterical to have Sam Elliott play the part of the stranger...
but Ray Wise killed that role with his diatribe about biblical Jewish revenge...

the show took off so fast in this episode from the first scene...
that it was over before I knew it...

I'm a little confused about Ray's corvette and the pictures in Emmitt's office...

hope Sy recovers...
love his character...
somethings gotta give...

 

[lancer]

The Big Lebowski...is one of my favorite shows...

I will watch the whole movie just to see the scene where Bridges and Goodman...
throw Buscemi's ashes off a cliff only to have them blow back in their faces...
it cracks me up every time I see it...

in the bowling alley scene...
with Ray the cat...
it also occurred to me that it would have been hysterical to have Sam Elliott play the part of the stranger...
but Ray Wise killed that role with his diatribe about biblical Jewish revenge...

the show took off so fast in this episode from the first scene...
that it was over before I knew it...

I'm a little confused about Ray's corvette and the pictures in Emmitt's office...

hope Sy recovers...
love his character...
somethings gotta give...

"Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!". A great movie. As you say, not much time left to blow this whole thing up, but I have faith. -- Al

 

[mikemiller1955]

"Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!". A great movie. As you say, not much time left to blow this whole thing up, but I have faith. -- Al

yea...a White Russian...

Goodman almost stole that show with his Vietnam tirades....

the other scene that kills me is when Bridges dropped the lit roach in his lap while driving and wrecked his hooptie...

hysterical...

 

[lancer]

yea...a White Russian...

Goodman almost stole that show with his Vietnam tirades....

the other scene that kills me is when Bridges dropped the lit roach in his lap while driving and wrecked his hooptie...

hysterical...

I loved the scene where the Chief of Police nails Lebowski in the forhead with the coffee cup. It came out of nowhere and left me laughing for ages. Then Lebowski gets thrown out of the cab for hating the Eagles. What a great flick. So much to laugh at and appreciate. Watch out for the Nihilists. -- Al

 

[ivanmoe]

hope Sy recovers...

Mike, Varga made a face when the surviving Stussey expressed a similar sentiment. I took that to mean that Sy was toast.

Question for the other viewers...

I earlier expressed a concern that the series had wandered into fantasy. Up to a point, I'd been able to see the plot as plausible, even if a bit quirky. Could it be that it's simply not possible to hold viewers interest for 7-8 hours of a "straight" crime drama? Are some of these "devices" necessary to hold our attention, apparitions and such. The scene at the bowling alley reminded me of the bar scenes in The Shining BTW.

Oh, and a question about one of Varga's henchmen...

Did the guy who lost his ear to Nicki's mute-buddy end up dead? I ask because it was mentioned that two of them didn't return from the episode's Xmas massacre. One of the MIA was decapitated, I know. Inquiring minds want to know!

-Moe

 

[mikemiller1955]

Moe...his name is Yuri...Russian I think...the weird Jewish guy that set next to him at the bowling alley gave him a vision...he was alive then...but maybe he somehow died in that vision...

I think the Jewish guy represents God...maybe?

 

[ivanmoe]

Moe...his name is Yuri...Russian I think...the weird Jewish guy that set next to him at the bowling alley gave him a vision...he was alive then...but maybe he somehow died in that vision...

I was kinda hoping that he was dead. I recall Yuri talking about Cossacks in Russia, but I'd have to rewatch the scene where he beats up Nicki for the details.

I think the Jewish guy represents God...maybe?

Well, we had these bloody, thoroughly disheveled characters, one of whom is missing an ear, who showed up at a bowling-alley bar. No one who was there even batted an eye. Who, or what, Nicky's benefactor was, I can't tell you. I'm not sure that "he" was even really there, in the context of the show, that is. I'm afraid that's the sort of murk that we're navigating as of this last airing.:redface2:

-Moe

 

[mikemiller1955]

yea...for all the disclaimers that this is a true story...the Coen brothers must have embellished just a little...^&grin...don't you think?

maybe they should say it is loosely based on a true story...cause some of this stuff is unbelievable...

 

[lancer]

The Coen brothers have always used that true story disclaimer, but none of the Fargo stories have any basis in fact. The disclaimer is just a story device. -- Al

 

[ivanmoe]

yea...for all the disclaimers that this is a true story...the Coen brothers must have embellished just a little...^&grin...don't you think?

maybe they should say it is loosely based on a true story...cause some of this stuff is unbelievable...

The Coen Bros are certainly imaginative. I'm wondering if the old guy is like St Peter, or something similar, playing gatekeeper. If he likes the departed, they get keys to a VW Bug and are sent on their way. If he doesn't like them, they get confronted with their transgressions. They don't pass go, and don't collect $200. I just hope that this all makes sense at the end of the series. I hate loose ends!:wink2:

-Moe

 

[Combat]

It's weird to see Ray Wise in this show when he is also a character in Twin Peaks that is also airing. The whole bowling alley scene had a dream lilke TP-like feel about it. Also weird to see the guy from Z Nation. Pretty good episode. Maybe the best one of this season. I didn't follow the whole Cossack/Yuri theme. Yuri seemed a bit young to have been responsible for any of that.