Just one word. Yes or no?

— Lorne Malvo

There are many drama and thriller shows I have seen over the years. This is a particular type of genre most enjoyable to me, as it often demonstrates the full scope of talent needed for the production of a high caliber world which you can spend hours examining. Ever since I first saw “Breaking Bad” (2008-2013), everything else never reached the point of ideal presentation to me, as if the shows that came after the brilliant world building done by the one and only Vince Gilligan just did not “taste” as good. I have actually seen a lot of people complaining on the internet that after the greatness that was “Breaking Bad” , every other possible production of high performance was already spoiled in their eyes, not being able to be as enjoyable. I do not fully agree with this sentiment, but I do understand where people are coming from. I too felt, for a very long period of time, that there was not many shows that can be put in the same tier as the story of transformation and change of Walter White.

This point of view was definitely challenged recently, when I sat down and watched the full season 1 of “Fargo” (2014- ) in one day. Although I still do think “Breaking Bad” is what every show should strive to be, “Fargo” truly reminds me of some original quality TV with a “Breaking Bad” feel to it. Since it is still ongoing and there will be a new season coming out later this year (which is on my personal list of shows to look forward to in 2020), I have come to a conclusion that “Fargo” is probably one of the best shows currently on television.

The positives

First off Martin Freeman’s character is one of the things that just “works” in the series. Lester’s character progression from a mild and scared man to a successful and sneaky salesman is wonderfully done. The spineless nature of Lester actually reminds me of the main character of the 1996 movie, Jerry. I really enjoyed the way he dealt with the challenges that came up, as the show presented creative solutions. What comes up to mind first is when Lester switches beds with his bed neighbor at the hospital and puts bandages on his face in order to leave undetected and frame his brother for the main murders of the case. The character strives to become important, a man – if you want to put it that way. This stems from his deprecating and self destructive initial existence, in which everyone around him constantly reminds him of what a failure he is. As the season moves on, Lester becomes more and more desperate to try and survive the final hunt, and seeing him to what lengths he is willing to go to survive is very exciting.

Another huge positive for “Fargo” is the main antagonist and probably my favorite character overall in the season, Lorne Malvo. He seems to be such a straight forward
“evil” type of character, yet the more you examine him, the more layers of personality begin to peel off. I think this is something the Fargo series as a whole excels at, and what makes them stand out when compared to other shows: the ability to create a extremely complicated and engaging anti hero. Just like the original movie, varying types of evil in the world are represented by different characters, and Malvo seems to soak up many types of character qualities. Brutal, yet forgiving. Serious, yet willing to play games. He is the lifeblood of the series, creating the initial conflict and ending the final sequence of events. Honestly, whoever can pull off a haircut like that and still be so menacing deserves all my respect.

The dynamic between Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench is excellent. I cannot pin down exactly what it is, but Adam Goldberg really fits perfectly into the role of a unique hitman. From the very first scene when they are introduced, the viewer can already tell how important they will be for the long term story telling of the season. I have been told by friends that this wont be the last time we see them so they are probably one of the bigger reasons why I am looking forward to Season 2. I also think that their theme is very enjoyable as it fits the style of music I listen to, which further adds to my interest towards these characters. I would definitely recommend checking the soundtrack for “Fargo” out, as it adds a lot to the overall experience as well.

The negatives

This second section is really on the lighter side, as there is not a lot I can fairly criticize the show for. In a lot of productions, even a lot of Coen brother films, the viewer needs to suspend their viewpoint and disbelief in order to fully immerse themselves into the complicated scheme of events that takes place in front of them. This is recommended since that is one of the ways you can really enjoy yourself and get the experience the creators intended, but in some cases this tactic can become conflicting.

One scene in the season shows a car accident and important character deaths occur because of fish falling from the sky. To me personally, this event comes off a little botched, as beforehand other interactions and problems that can be questioned in regards to possibility are explained in the realm of realistic occurrences. However, this specific examples relies more on natural events, luck and writing in a solution to the character’s problems and I cannot say I enjoy that.

Besides that, I also did not fully enjoy one of the other main characters and the central moral compass of the series, Molly. The actor did an excellent job portraying her, but I personally enjoyed my moments with other characters more, and whenever the camera switched back to Molly, in the back of my mind I was always interested with what Lester and Malvo were up to. You can say that this isn’t really Molly’s fault, since “Fargo” does rely a good bit on mischievous actions and evil, which just makes the show better.

There is also a lot of other ideas in my mind about this show, but like all other future overviews, I will try my best to keep it on the shorter side in order to give an honest and direct first impression of all cinematic creations. If I ever feel like there is other great and unique ideas that could be added to what has already been said, I will definitely make a new post about it. But overall, this was season 1 of “Fargo”. I am looking forward to watching season 2 very soon and writing about it as well.

FINAL RATING: 9/10