Fargo - S01E01 [open spoilers]

[JohnGalt]

@vd

Here’s the spot where Hanks was parked initially, without the bridge added in.
Google Maps

Very cool - thanks for finding the street scene.

I knew it was in Calgary; I looking for some exposition shots done in Duluth and Bemidji. I watched it again and noticed a few “wrong” items for Minnesota:

[ul]
[li]stop lights in Minnesota are almost never horizontal; they should be vertical[/li][li]there is no Marriott hotel in Duluth (the Sheraton does have a water view)[/li][li]the sign on the store front says “Senior Centre” - oops![/li][/ul]

Something else I noticed was the repeated use of low-frequency vibrating noises, such as in the scene with the washing machine. It also shows up in the hospital room at the end and in the street scene in Duluth. Anyone else notice it?

[AuntiePam]

From the AV Club review, which was less than enthusiastic:

That is, aside from one moment in the fourth episode—a moment that makes the show into something more than just an imitation of is predecessors; a moment that brings pause. Without getting into detail, Fargo reaches back through time and space and 18 years to brush Fargo, the film—to brush itself, really. The result feels like the show has learned how to do something with time and franchise-making that no other series has. For that alone, it’s worth keeping an eye on. Well: That, and the sweeping orchestral number that opens each episode—which invariably begins with someone or other driving on a desolate road, somewhere.

I was already in, but now I’m really curious.

[Joey_P]

@JohnGalt

I’m waiting for Bemidji’s iconic Paul Bunyan and Babe statue makes an appearance. They might have some copyright issues though. Does anyone know more details?

I believe I may have seen that in the previews for next week.

@Bryan_Ekers

He was funny lookin’. More n’ most people, even.

Funnier than Karl?
But seriously, I got the feeling he’s supposed to look like he cuts his own hair, but that seemed out of character for him.

[Bryan_Ekers]

I maintain I’d be a lot more enthused if it was Morgan Freeman.

[BrokenBriton]

@teela_brown

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

I think because he enjoys messing with people, whether it’s visiting them before killing them, encouraging an employee to piss in their bosses tank, phoning a son to tell him about his non-inheritance, making sure a traffic cop stops him, even killing someone because the other guy didn’t say ‘no’.

He gives people just enough rope … except for that traffic cop who, in his own way, he helped out - after his daughter called in.

Interesting variations on killing; frozen, knife, shotgun, hammer.

[Joey_P]

@BrokenBriton

He gives people just enough rope … except for that traffic cop who, in his own way, he helped out - after his daughter called in.

I was thinking this morning about the way Colin was still standing there after BBT drove away. It was almost like he used a Jedi mind trick on him.

Interesting variations on killing; frozen, knife, shotgun, hammer.

If they don’t pace themselves, there going to run out of idea real soon.

[BrokenBriton]

There’s obv. a lot of dark humour here. His wife after he hit her on the head was classic cartoon, knifed during sex, escaping a trunk and running away from the road … not so much the shotgun.

[Dewey_Finn]

@BrokenBriton

He gives people just enough rope … except for that traffic cop who, in his own way, he helped out - after his daughter called in.

Did anyone else think that Colin Hanks’ daughter was being really annoying there? “Dad? Dad? Dad? Dad?” Kid, your father is on duty and you’re talking to and distracting him via what appeared to be an official radio channel.

[Joey_P]

@Dewey_Finn

Did anyone else think that Colin Hanks’ daughter was being really annoying there? “Dad? Dad? Dad? Dad?” Kid, your father is on duty and you’re talking to and distracting him via what appeared to be an official radio channel.

But the chief and the other cop/deputy in Bemidji * were also having a conversation on the radio when she was walking through the hospital. Yeah, it was about a case, but in all my time listening to police scanners, I’ve never heard anything like that. It’s always very quick back and forths. Clearly, in these towns (or at least on the show) there’s some time for things like that. OTOH, maybe Colin and his daughter have a channel just for doing that and the chief is okay with it. Also, I assume it was on his regular police radio, right, I wasn’t paying close enough attention to see if it was on a CB/Ham radio.

But, I think we’re probably just reading way to far into something that was just meant to be a setup so we’d see how close he is to his daughter when they only had a few seconds to spend on it.

Besides, I don’t want to go poking a ton of holes into the show if I don’t have to.

*It’s gonna take some learnin’ to remember how to spell that name.

[koeeoaddi]

I didn’t love it. I thought it was brutal and obvious without being interesting. Maybe I was expecting something different, or in the wrong frame of mind. I’ll probably watch episode 2 to make sure.

[vd]

@JohnGalt

Very cool - thanks for finding the street scene.

I knew it was in Calgary; I looking for some exposition shots done in Duluth and Bemidji. I watched it again and noticed a few “wrong” items for Minnesota:

[ul]
[li]stop lights in Minnesota are almost never horizontal; they should be vertical[/li][li]there is no Marriott hotel in Duluth (the Sheraton does have a water view)[/li][li]the sign on the store front says “Senior Centre” - oops![/li][/ul]

At least some of the Bemidji establishing shots are in Drumheller, Alberta. So you may be out of luck.

This is where the shot was before the first scene at Lester’s office. It appears they piled extra snow in order to hide the dinosaur. Drumheller has a lot of dinosaur theming because of fossil beds in the area and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.

The Senior Centre is a block west of that spot, along with “Wade’s Jewellery”, which may be a serendipitous movie reference. The exterior of the travel agency / hit man call center looks like Drumheller, too. Except in the summer.

[What_the]

The shotgun moved after Billy Bob put it down… and then moved back. I can’t decide if that was a whoops or supposed to be the wayvthat the other guy’s mind saw it.

[BrokenBriton]

@koeeoaddi

I didn’t love it. I thought it was brutal and obvious without being interesting. Maybe I was expecting something different, or in the wrong frame of mind. I’ll probably watch episode 2 to make sure.

Generally I agree. It wasn’t special for a first hour but I temper that with knowing BBT and MF aren’t exactly short of money or job offers and that something must have lured them in.

[AuntiePam]

@BrokenBriton

Generally I agree. It wasn’t special for a first hour but I temper that with knowing BBT and MF aren’t exactly short of money or job offers and that something must have lured them in.

Good point. And a good yardstick for determining what’s worth watching.

It also helps when a channel/network has a reputation to uphold. AMC and FX and HBO especially won’t want to mess up their good track records.

[Sherrerd]

@obfusciatrist

Maybe that’s why it didn’t quite work for me. There was no part of me that was rooting for Malvo. No part of me that thought any of the murders were in any way sympathetic or remotely justified based on what was presented. Yes, the gas tank and brother beating was clever in its chaotic effect for the sake of chaos. But it wasn’t amusing as a result.
Now, I’m ok with a show about villains and don’t requite that they be in some small way redeemed or sympathetic. But if they aren’t I better be damned interested in where the path they’re on. And after one episode I’m not yet.
It is mostly my faith in the endorsement of the Coen Brothers that I’m going to give it some time to hook me in that way.

I, too, trust the Coens. In the original, there was a certain amount of black comedy in the depiction of the criminals. Maybe even ‘sympathy’ in that they were depicted as human beings rather than as evil archetypes.

But in the end, the Coens’ moral message was clearly expressed (in Marge’s dialogue, spoilered in case that needs doing):

So that was Mrs. Lundegaard on the floor in there. And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper. And those three people in Brainerd. And for what? For a little bit of money. There’s more to life than a little money, you know. Don’tcha know that? And here ya are, and it’s a beautiful day. Well. I just don’t understand it.

[TonySinclair]

@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.

IIRC, the caption at the beginning said it was based on events that occurred in 2006, which was ten years after the movie was made. So…

[amishboy51]

I wasn’t able to watch when the episodes were broadcast, but finally managed to binge watch the season in the past few days; hopefully, some people are still following this thread.

I had 2 questions/concerns:

Why in the world, when Lester spotted Malvo in the bar in Vegas, would Lester initiate contact?

Granted, he might see himself as a new man and feel flushed with success, but c’mon, how much hubris is possible?? I mean, he’s the sole witness to Malvo killing the sheriff, and, even if he managed to kill his wife and fool the police, he’s a guppy compared to Malvo, who he has to know is, at best, a contract killer, and, at worst, a sociopath. So why wouldn’t he simply slink out of the bar, as quickly and quietly as possible, return to his room, and immediately checkout? Instead, why would he, first, initiate contact with Malvo in the bar and then disregard a first warning (“Walk away”) and a second (“Are you sure this is what you want?”)?

Second, what’s the explanation for Gus Grimley stalking Malvo? A search for cojones, after being intimidated by Malvo?

He’s a failed cop who was already questioning his suitability even before encountering Malvo; now he’s a mailman, married to the cop who’s heading the entire investigation. So if he already knows from Molly and her father that Malvo’s back, why not simply call the police and report seeing the guy who resembled Malvo, whom he’d seen previously in the red BMW, and where he was staying, and let the cops handle it? And, even if he wanted to check out the cabin after seeing the red BMW leave, to make sure it was Malvo, why hang around for hours to confront Malvo? Especially after he’d just asked Molly not to go out in the field, because he couldn’t put Greta through another funeral? It would be less traumatic for her to bury her father, rather than her stepmother??

Aside from those questions, though, I really got a kick out of the show; casting Key and Peele as the FBI agents exiled to Fargo was brilliant!

[Sherrerd]

amishboy51, I think you answered your own question about Lester when you said “he might see himself as a new man.” All these months later I can still remember the fine acting on display from Martin Freeman; his Lester very clearly did see himself as a new man. Lester appeared to feel himself to be on a level with Malvo after having gotten away with murder, and he craved Malvo’s acknowledgment that they (in Lester’s mind) had that kinship.

As for Gus stalking Malvo: I took it that guilt had been eating away at Gus ever since the moment he let Malvo go after that traffic stop. Gus felt personally responsible for all the mayhem Malvo had committed since that day. So he felt that he, personally, had to stop Malvo (and of course he wanted to keep Molly out of danger).

(It’s such a great show. I’m so happy that the new season is coming up soon.)

[Elendil_s_Heir]

I agree with Sherrerd’s take on those two characters’ motivations.

[Charlie_Wayne]

@Sherrerd

amishboy51, I think you answered your own question about Lester when you said “he might see himself as a new man.” All these months later I can still remember the fine acting on display from Martin Freeman; his Lester very clearly did see himself as a new man. Lester appeared to feel himself to be on a level with Malvo after having gotten away with murder, and he craved Malvo’s acknowledgment that they (in Lester’s mind) had that kinship.

As for Gus stalking Malvo: I took it that guilt had been eating away at Gus ever since the moment he let Malvo go after that traffic stop. Gus felt personally responsible for all the mayhem Malvo had committed since that day. So he felt that he, personally, had to stop Malvo (and of course he wanted to keep Molly out of danger).

(It’s such a great show. I’m so happy that the new season is coming up soon.)

A new season? OMG! Thank you ever so much. I had no idea. I’m so excited.

One of the best measures I have found when it comes to selecting high quality TV shows or movies is the number of times I watch it after the first time - just for my enjoyment.

Fargo - the TV show - is one show that I have watched many many times and it never gets old. Every time I watch it, I appreciate it as a thing of real beauty.

I am so happy to learn there will be another season. This is one of the best shows ever made and I will be so happy if it resolves some of the outstanding issues from the first season.

I would just love to see some of the good guys get rewarded - even more so (in some cases) than they ever have been rewarded. I would also love to see more of some of the bad guys get their just deserts. I’m thinking about the surviving members of that truck company owner’s. The two boys and the wife and mother all deserve to have horrible things happen to them as do many other characters. It would be so delicious to see them all get theirs.

As you can can probably imagine, I am not a very forgiving kind of person. But I love great comedies - especially dark comedies made by the Cohen Bros. They are just great!