Fargo: Series Review

By Mason Leaver

In 1996, Joel and Ethan Coen directed and released the dark-comedy-murder-mystery Fargo. It quickly became a cult classic (as many Coen Brothers classics have). Then, almost 20 years later in 2014, FX released a new series by the same name. The TV mini-series ran for ten episodes, focusing on many of the same themes and motifs as the original film. I was a latecomer to the series, and began watching the first season in the fall of 2019. 

It was one of the best shows I had ever seen. 
​
Now, in 2020, Fargo has released two more seasons, in 2015 and 2017. Another season is soon on the way. Fargo has been well received in all three seasons, having won 3 Golden Globes, over 50 other awards, and been nominated for over 200 awards. Fargo has managed to deliver a consistently entertaining, thought provoking, and stylistically told story in just 30 episodes, skillfully borrowing from and improving on the film it is inspired by. 

​The first season of Fargo is the most directly tied to the original film. The story focuses heavily on a detail from the film (which makes watching the original film very important). But more interestingly, the show uses many visual cues that are meant to tie the show and the film together. The main character, Lester Nygaard, played by Martin Freeman, and Jerry Lundegaard, the main character of Fargo 1996, can be seen as two interpretations of the same sort of character. The other main character of the season, Molly Solverson, also shares many visual similarities with the protagonist of the film, Marge Gunderson. The show also plays heavily into Fargo (1996)’s motif of the disillusioned small town police officer trying to bring about justice despite her department’s objections. ​

Jerry Lundegaard, played by William H. Macy, and Lester Nygaard, played by Martin Freeman.

However, the first season of Fargo’s strongest points are not in its similarities to the film, but in the ways in which it expands on the ideas of its predecessor and how it improves in storytelling and style. The plot of the first season is very complex. It has many twists and turns throughout, and overall provides a story that feels very intelligent and intricate. Part of this complexity comes from the show’s length, sitting at about 10 hours compared to the 2 hours afforded to the film. Of course, a large part of this also comes from the direction of showrunner and creator Noah Hawley, who has breathed new life into the project. The characters of season one of Fargo, while similar in some aspects to the characters in Fargo 1996, have a depth which the film was unable to achieve. Freeman’s performance as Lester Nygaard is deep and complicated; Lester is a character that everyone can understand and hate simultaneously. Perhaps the most captivating performance in the entire series is Billy Bob Thornton’s performance as Lorne Malvo, the villain of the show. Malvo is one of the most interesting and terrifying villains I’ve ever seen, right up there with Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men (2007), also a Coen Brothers production. Malvo is a character of a Biblical nature, often making references to the Good Book, and the show has many visual hints and clues that he may be more than he seems (his name itself is an anagram for Moral Novel).  The first season of Fargo also takes major strides stylistically from the relatively tame style of the film. Interesting editing and use of voice over, great musical choices, and very surprising story choices all make for a very strong opening for the series. 

Lorne Malvo in silhouette

The second season of Fargo takes place in the 70’s, following the story of Molly Solverson’s father, a state ranger in Fargo. Two rival crime family’s have gotten into a gang war with Fargo caught in the middle, and it is up to Solverson to put a stop to it. This season once again focuses on the goodhearted cop working against his own station to bring about justice, but manages to deliver it in a very different way. The ineffectual police work featured in season two is very different from season one. 

Season two of Fargo is likely the weakest of the three seasons released so far. This isn’t to say it’s bad, but it struggles to leave an impact compared to seasons one or three. The characters of season one are not as compelling as those of other seasons, and the story does not feel as complex. The gang war of season two lacks the intimacy that season one and season three feature; many caught up in it are characters which we spend little or no time getting to know. This is not to say the entire season is bad, however. There are still plenty of tense and surprising moments in this season. Stylistically this season leaves even more of an impact than its predecessor, most noticeably through a frequent use of split screen editing and other forms of fast paced editing. The score especially stands out, which was never a strong point of the film. Perhaps the most impactful aspect of this season are the major risks that are taken in the story. Without spoiling anything, this season features some very unique choices, which I can imagine some audience members will love and some will hate. Despite being the weakest of the three seasons, the second season of Fargo is still worth a watch. 

An example of split-screen editing in Season Two of Fargo.

Season three of Fargo is where the show truly shines. Once again, the story focuses on the disillusioned cop struggling against her fellow police officers, but once again, for very different reasons. The story of this season feels fresh and very different, even more original than the first season. Ewan McGregor gives two excellent performances, playing twins Emmit and Ray Stussy. McGregor manages to make the Stussy twins feel very different from each other, while also giving them plenty of similar idiosyncrasies. It’s a convincing performance that could not have been easy to pull off. Once again, the show manages to create new and interesting characters, most noticeably in the Stussy twins and the terrifying V.M Varga, played by David Thewlis. Season three of Fargo makes some very interesting choices in how they tell their story, including a lengthy animated section in one episode, as well as a scene which far surpasses the unique choices of season two, in an encounter which seems to borrow from Twin Peaks. It’s perhaps the strongest season of the show so far, and it continually surprises you at every turn. 

Ewan McGregor portraying the Stussy twins.

I write this exploration of the seasons of Fargo as one review rather than three because Fargo is, at its core, one unified story which explores the same themes and ideas over and over through different lenses. Stripped down of all of the fascinating characters and captivating stories, both the film and series Fargo are about exploring fundamental questions. What are the highest highs and lowest lows of human morality? What is justice? Is it a virtue or is it dangerous to be sure that one is right, and that everyone else is wrong? These are some of the questions that Fargo constantly asks the audience. Even the show’s opening title sequence, which faithfully insists that “This is a true story” forces the viewer to ask questions about truth and fiction.  But most centrally (especially in season 3) is the struggle between order and chaos. What is the world, most fundamentally? Order, or chaos? The very beginning and end of the third season address these themes most directly, but Fargo does not provide it’s audience with an easy answer. 
    Fargo (1996) as well as seasons one through three of Fargo are available now on Hulu, with another season coming soon. Fargo ​is well worth the price of a temporary subscription.