Fargo - S01E01 [open spoilers]

[Charlie_Wayne]

@interface2x

The reason they said it was a true story at the beginning is so that you’d be more likely to go along with the story if you believe it actually happened.

Gosh! That makes me feel like complaining somewhere. But where?

Who you gonna complain to?

[Accidental_Martyr]

Fargo is fictional but the Coen brothers claim they drew some inspiration from this case.

Murder of Helle Crafts

[vd]

@Accidental_Martyr

I figured it was a reference to Marge’s husband Norm from Fargo.

I think it’s safe to assume it’s intentional, since it was covering up a location-revealing sign.

[Chefguy]

@Accidental_Martyr

I liked it. I’m going to keep watching.
I caught a couple of Coen brothers references:

1. Norm’s pizza sign.
2. White Russian on the “specials” sign at the restaurant/diner.

Did anyone catch any others?

The scene where the police chief is awakened by a phone call was identical to the same scene in the movie, right down to his spouse throwing her arm over him, and his “Oh, geez; where?” Having her be pregnant was an additional wink at the audience.

I didn’t think Thornton conveyed menace very well, but perhaps he was leaning more to the crazy than the evil. I didn’t like the basement disappearing act at all; it was just too pat. However, I liked the first ep and the cast of largely unknown actors, who give it a sense of realism.

[AuntiePam]

@Elendil_s_Heir

I liked that it lied to us right out of the gate, saying “This is a true story,” just as the movie did.

I liked that too, but had a hard time convincing my husband that it wasn’t a true story. “But it says right there – based on a true story!” I told him they did the same thing with the movie. “That wasn’t true?” And then I told him about the Japanese woman who died looking for the nonexistent buried loot.

[Accidental_Martyr]

@AuntiePam

I liked that too, but had a hard time convincing my husband that it wasn’t a true story. “But it says right there – based on a true story!” I told him they did the same thing with the movie. “That wasn’t true?” And then I told him about the Japanese woman who died looking for the nonexistent buried loot.

The true story of the Japanese woman who “died looking for the money from Fargo.”

Death in the snow

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/18/she-thought-fargo-was-real-the-misguided-voyage-of-kumiko-the-treasure-hunter.html

[Chefguy]

@Accidental_Martyr

The true story of the Japanese woman who “died looking for the money from Fargo.”
Death in the snow | Movies | The Guardian
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/18/she-thought-fargo-was-real-the-misguided-voyage-of-kumiko-the-treasure-hunter.html

That’s just one sad tale.

[Trom]

@Chefguy

The scene where the police chief is awakened by a phone call was identical to the same scene in the movie, right down to his spouse throwing her arm over him, and his “Oh, geez; where?” Having her be pregnant was an additional wink at the audience.

I didn’t think Thornton conveyed menace very well, but perhaps he was leaning more to the crazy than the evil. I didn’t like the basement disappearing act at all; it was just too pat. However, I liked the first ep and the cast of largely unknown actors, who give it a sense of realism.

I was disappointed she didn’t get up to make him some eggs. Gotta have some breakfast…
Overall, I enjoyed the first episode and will be watching the rest. As someone who grew up in rural, central Minnesota (family vacations to Brainerd!) I’m always interested to see how Minnesota is portrayed by Hollywood.

[Octarine]

I thought the first episode was very entertaining, and I’ll definitely be watching the second one. Although, to me, Martin Freeman had been a bit typecast - I keep expecting Benedict Cumberbatch to saunter into the room and tell him to drop the accent and get back to London . . .

[GrandWino]

I caught that this show takes place in Bemidji, MN rather than Brainerd, correct? I heard someone reference being in Bemidji.

[AuntiePam]

@teela_brown

Why’d Billy Bob Thornton put the deer in the trunk?

I laid awake last night trying to figure this out.

All I could come up with was that the mess from the deer might make it more difficult for investigators to find out that the guy under the tree had been in the trunk. Was that a shout out to No Country for Old Men, which also had a dead man under a tree?

So Billy Bob hung around long enough to ensure that his victim was dead and then put the deer in the trunk to muddy the situation.

[Sherrerd]

@Charlie_Wayne

One small point that bothered me though was at the beginning of the episode, they flashed a notice saying this was based on a true story and the names of the people involved were changed to protect the innocent. Yet the events in this TV show had almost nothing in common with the events in the movie. So, I just don’t get what is going on in that respect. …

As has been discussed, neither the movie nor the show are based on true events; I’d guess that showrunner Noah Hawley wanted that notice up as a tribute to the Coens, and to fans of the movie.

@Washoe

Beats managing a Cinnabon in Omaha.

But why not both? Odenkirk’s Fargo character Bill Olson could be related to Saul, and they’re both working in the Midwest…

*Meet Saul who’s lived most everywhere
Like Albuquerque
(As a millionaire!)

But Billy’s only seen the sights
A guy sees in Bemidji Heights
What a crazy pair!

But they’re cousins! Identical cousins,
And you’ll find
They think alike, they con alike
On shows they do walk-ons alike.
You can lose your mind…
When cousins
Are two of a kind! *

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Bob Ducca

I caught that this show takes place in Bemidji, MN rather than Brainerd, correct? I heard someone reference being in Bemidji.

Yes. You can see it on the town water tank, the police vehicles, and the cops’ shoulder patches: http://starcasm.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Fargo-TV-Series-Shawn-Doyle-Allison-Tolman.jpg

[Jophiel]

@Bob Ducca

I caught that this show takes place in Bemidji, MN rather than Brainerd, correct? I heard someone reference being in Bemidji.

Yeah, it did. It was on the squad cars and such (I only noticed because I’d never heard of the place so it was a weird looking name).

[Trom]

@Bob Ducca

I caught that this show takes place in Bemidji, MN rather than Brainerd, correct? I heard someone reference being in Bemidji.

Yeah, the first episode mostly took place in Bemidji. A lot of the movie took place in Brainerd.

edit: Woah, I’m slow.

[joebuck20]

@AuntiePam

I laid awake last night trying to figure this out.

All I could come up with was that the mess from the deer might make it more difficult for investigators to find out that the guy under the tree had been in the trunk. Was that a shout out to No Country for Old Men, which also had a dead man under a tree?

So Billy Bob hung around long enough to ensure that his victim was dead and then put the deer in the trunk to muddy the situation.

I assumed he did it just because of his twisted sense of humor.

[Chefguy]

@joebuck20

I assumed he did it just because of his twisted sense of humor.

I’m with Auntie on this one; I think he put it in there to scramble forensic evidence, so the cops would think Frozen Boy was the driver, and somewhat demented. No head injury has raised doubt, of course.

[teela_brown]

@Chefguy

I’m with Auntie on this one; I think he put it in there to scramble forensic evidence, so the cops would think Frozen Boy was the driver, and somewhat demented.

Policewoman (and soon to be captain?) Molly will not be fooled forever. She is already puzzling about the issue you mention in your spoiler, and I predict she’ll meet up with the Duluth cop and they’ll compare notes about stolen cars and inexplicable crime scenes.

I like that the Lorne Malvo character is less like the two dufuses in Fargo the movie and more like Anton Chigurh.

[AuntiePam]

@teela_brown

I like that the Lorne Malvo character is less like the two dufuses in Fargo the movie and more like Anton Chigurh.

Yep. Giving Colin Hanks a chance to walk away was a symbolic coin toss.

Billy Bob is less intense than Javier, but not by much.

[Charlie_Wayne]

@AuntiePam

I laid awake last night trying to figure this out.

All I could come up with was that the mess from the deer might make it more difficult for investigators to find out that the guy under the tree had been in the trunk. Was that a shout out to No Country for Old Men, which also had a dead man under a tree?

So Billy Bob hung around long enough to ensure that his victim was dead and then put the deer in the trunk to muddy the situation.

One other mysterious event (at least to me) was that they seemed to uncover the deer in the snot first. Then they seemed to find it in the trunk.

Was there more than a single deer?

Or … did they not find a deer under the snow but maybe only found some blood and a few small body parts and assumed that was the entire deer?