“Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred.”
Every week we’re choosing one TV show that deserves your attention because time is precious and there are some stunning shows available to watch.
This week it’s one of the most visceral, gripping and brilliant shows that has been released in the last few years, Fargo.
1) What’s it about?Â
I’ll be honest and admit that I had some preconceptions about this series because I absolutely love the Coen brothers’ Oscar winning original. William H. Macy and Frances McDormand starred in a near perfect blood-drenched noir that managed to balance thrills, laughs and some genuinely shocking violence.
I’m delighted to say that this show is probably better than the film though because like all good TV shows, it unfolds slowly with each character, clue and detail given enough time to breath as the murderous tapestry of the sleepy Minnesota town unfolds.
Season one revolves around the down-on-his-luck insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) who is invisible in his job, ridiculed by his wife and still regularly bullied by the high-school jock.
A snake has more of a spine than Lester does but his life takes a malevolent turn when Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) passes through Bemidji, Minnesota and impacts the community in unimaginable ways.
Malice, violence, murder, infidelity, deception and crime all sweep through the town like a destructive blizzard and it’s left to Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) and Duluth police officer Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) to sort it all out.
The show is incredibly cinematic, it ties in with the movie and the opening shots of each episode are better than 95% of the films that you’ll see at the cinema, while Billy Bob Thornton’s brilliant character is probably the most unnerving but charismatic villain since Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men.
Season two is just about to premiere in the US and I thoroughly recommend getting up to speed. It’s just brilliant television.
2) It’s almost like…Â
The original film with a healthy dose of The Wire and Breaking Bad thrown in for good measure. High praise indeed but it’s well deserved.
3) It’s worth your time because…
The acting is absolutely wonderful and while Thornton steals most of the best lines, Allison Tolman’s character Molly ties the whole thing together. It’s a superb performance because she manages to balance a sense of vulnerability with toughness, naivety with shrewdness all the while exuding enough likability and warmth to melt even the thickest snow.
The cast reads like a who’s who of supporting actors with Oliver Platt, Colin Hanks, Patrick Wilson and Adam Goldberg all given their time to shine.
4) Did you know…?
If you look at a map you can see that Fargo is actually in North Dakota not Minnesota.
5) One episode and you’re hooked…
I can’t remember a pilot episode that was as brave, ballsy and blood-soaked as this one. Watch it, you won’t regret it.
6) If the show was a person then…
It would be the neighbour that you’re really not sure about. Part of you wants to go over and talk to them but there’s still that lingering doubt.
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