Fargo S3

It’s set in 2010 and will premiere on April 19. Looks like a great cast.

I hover over the link for fxnetworks . com, I see that’s what it says, yet all I’m taken to is a link for http : // shop . fox . com

Looking forward to it; I just hope they can match season two for quality. Speaking of season two, FX is holding both one and two for ransom. You have to pay to see them, even if you are already paying for cable. Fuckers.

That’s strange - it just happened to me, too. Try this (the webpage for the S3 cast and crew): http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/fargo/cast-crew

Takes me to a shopping site.

I’ll wait for most or all of it to air and then watch it back-to-back.

Took me to where I wanted to go - fxnetworks fargo site.

Dammit, that happened to me, too, even after I cut and pasted it and then separately clicked on it as a test. Fox really wants people to buy junk from them.

Just watched the Season 3 premiere and it’s every bit as good as I’d hoped. From the very first scene set in East Berlin in 1988 we know we’re in the Fargo universe (apparently this scene isn’t just there as a meta commentary on truth but will linked in some way to events occurring thousands of miles away and 22 years in the future, in 2010 when this season takes place.)

Once again we have the now familiar ingredients: the good cop, the loser trying to make a few bucks and by doing so invoking a maelstrom that will engulf many others, the memorable villain and the astute and manipulative young woman. The cast give wonderful performances in this first episode: Ewan McGregor playing twins, one wealthy one not so (and differentiating them incredibly well), Mary Elizabeth Winstead as his girlfriend (she practically steals the show and I love her already), Michael Stuhlbarg, Carrie Coon as the cop and so many more both in this one and coming in future episodes.

I’m in heaven for the next 10 weeks!

I liked it, but I’m wondering if the formula is going to be stale the fourth time around (including the movie). Hopefully, they will break it up, but another season of fundamentally decent Midwestern cops triumphing over evil is pretty well examined by now.

I’d watch Ewan McGregor read the phone book.

I really enjoyed season one…binge watched it while snowed in on my mother’s 75th…but never got around to season 2. Am I right in thinking each season is stand alone? Do I need to have watched S2 before I start S3?

Each season is stand alone, but S1 and S2 share some characters (played by different actors at different ages).

All the seasons are stand-alone. There are links between seasons 1 and 2, some characters in the second season, which is set before season 1, are younger versions of the first seasons’s characters (well, 2 of them anyway, although one is a small child).

I read on the SDMB years ago that this song is an example of what (American) English sounds like to someone who doesn’t speak it. It was bizarre to hear that turn up in the soundtrack to this episode. And If I’m not mistaken, the grandfather led into that scene by saying something like, “Now you’re speaking English” in response to getting served a beer.

I felt that way a bit last night with Ray & Nikki. They kind of reminded me of Ed & Peggy from last season, especially with bathroom & air conditioner scene, where she was more proactive while he seemed confused.

Not at all necessary, but you really, really need to watch season two, as it’s fucking brilliant.

I am so happy that this show is back. Noah Hawley has not lost his touch.

The only thing that could make me happier would be if Scoot McNairy had survived that air conditioner attack. Hey, maybe he has a twin brother! It could happen.

I had to watch it twice, once for the story, and a second time for details about the setting. It’s hard for me to watch since being from Minnesota, I’m looking for Minnesota-related anachronisms (?). Some that I noticed:

  • the anniversary party has snow on the driveway! No real Minnesotan would tolerate letting snow accumulate like that, especially if it was going to be driven on, since you’d never get it off until springtime or warm weather

  • no way would you drive a Corvette in Minnesota in the winter, given its rear-wheel drive, usually non-grip slick tires, and especially the low clearance - you’d be constantly scraping the bottom of the vehicle on snow

  • the accents sound like they’re copying Martin Freeman copying William Macy’s interpretation of a Minnesotan accent. Season 2 was better, since it was set in southern Minnesota where I would find a “northern-Minnesota” accent to be jarring

  • the “yield ahead” sign was not typical for Minnesota - looks like a Canada thing

  • Eden Prairie is a pretty big suburb of Minneapolis; it’s the home of the Minnesota Vikings (at least for now) and the home of the “Mystery Science Theater 3000”. I’d expect most Minnesotans would remember seeing “Eden Prairie” (but that was a pretty stupid criminal)

  • You can’t sell alcohol in grocery stores in Minnesota

If I watched a third time (or took notes) I’m sure there’d more.

But I still very much enjoyed this. Mary Elizabeth Winstead owns the screen in every scene that she is in and is the most memorable character (so far).

(bolding mine) - I thought they were selling fruit in a liquor store.

I enjoyed the first episode, but it did feel very familiar. I hope they break up the formula a bit, but even if it’s similar to the previous seasons I’ll still enjoy it. You get those actors and Noah Hawley and it’s hard to go wrong.

The music is always excellent, and that was an inspired choice.