Fargo
- Thread starter Been Jammin
- Start date
Each season has introduced an outside "mystery" force that plays a role in the plot. This season has Ray Wise playing what seems (IMHO) an avenging angel determined to set things right, who shows up at odd times and odd places to assist the righteous to go after the wicked. (The appearance at the bowling alley being a rather obvious homage to Big Lebowski and Sam Elliot's role in it.) He first showed up to assist Gloria and push her investigation along in L.A., which in turn as we know now was part of an overall story arc which is ultimately going to lead to the crime syndicate being exposed.
He cites verses from Psalms relating to standing up and assisting God to go after the wicked and evil doers. The bowling alley (again IMHO) was a sort of way station (Purgatory) for lost souls, with Nikki and the deaf prisoner given a reprieve and allowed to live and sent on their way, while Yuri the Cossack is bleeding out and likely dies. (It has to be a supernatural bar, because the bartender didn't give anyone a bill and let Nikki go without paying and she had a double.) He was letting Nikki know that Ray was alright and had been reincarnated as a cat, but had to stay behind to pay a price of penance.
The Wise character is named Paul Marrane, who in literature (Letters Writ by a Turkish Spy) is also known as the "Wandering Jew." This character in turn is based on an old piece of folklore/myth about someone who taunted Jesus while on the way to crucifixion and as a result is condemned to wander the Earth for eternity making amends for that behavior.
He cites verses from Psalms relating to standing up and assisting God to go after the wicked and evil doers. The bowling alley (again IMHO) was a sort of way station (Purgatory) for lost souls, with Nikki and the deaf prisoner given a reprieve and allowed to live and sent on their way, while Yuri the Cossack is bleeding out and likely dies. (It has to be a supernatural bar, because the bartender didn't give anyone a bill and let Nikki go without paying and she had a double.) He was letting Nikki know that Ray was alright and had been reincarnated as a cat, but had to stay behind to pay a price of penance.
The Wise character is named Paul Marrane, who in literature (Letters Writ by a Turkish Spy) is also known as the "Wandering Jew." This character in turn is based on an old piece of folklore/myth about someone who taunted Jesus while on the way to crucifixion and as a result is condemned to wander the Earth for eternity making amends for that behavior.
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This season has been my least favorite. The show now seems very formulaic instead of fresh and quirky:
You've got your female cop lead character who on top of everything but has a idiot boss.
You've got your over the top mysterious bad guy this year Varga previously Steve Buscemi and Billy Bob
You got your rich guy. Parking lot king. Super market king. etc.
You got your nice guy loser. Ray this time, Colin Hanks in season one. Jessie Plemons.
You got your nice guy girl friend wife. Pushing him to the dark side.
You have some weird supernatural UFO or whatever the bowling alley scene was. (a shout out to Kingpen?)
You have some kind a massacre.
Somebody gets stuffed in the word chipper, their ear chopped off or mouth and nose glued shut.
The plot seems a lot looser this year. Next week is the finale and I had not idea how they are going to wrap this thing up.
You've got your female cop lead character who on top of everything but has a idiot boss.
You've got your over the top mysterious bad guy this year Varga previously Steve Buscemi and Billy Bob
You got your rich guy. Parking lot king. Super market king. etc.
You got your nice guy loser. Ray this time, Colin Hanks in season one. Jessie Plemons.
You got your nice guy girl friend wife. Pushing him to the dark side.
You have some weird supernatural UFO or whatever the bowling alley scene was. (a shout out to Kingpen?)
You have some kind a massacre.
Somebody gets stuffed in the word chipper, their ear chopped off or mouth and nose glued shut.
The plot seems a lot looser this year. Next week is the finale and I had not idea how they are going to wrap this thing up.
I don't think it is even in the same league as Saul. I didn't see the first 2 seasons of Fargo, but Season 3 has not been all that great, IMO. It's enjoyable to watch, but it isn't must see TV (like Saul) IMO.
Go back and watch season one. I think you'll really like it.
Agree. Comparing Season 3 Fargo to Saul is like the Tulsa Drillers to the 90s/00s Yankees.
English guy with stereotypical bad teeth, Russian dude with wolf hat, Asian dude with head phones in always dancing. Season is terrible.
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Then stop. If you have plenty of free time watch season 2. 3 is garbage but I'm gonna go down with the ship.
This thread makes me feel a lot better. While season 3 hasn't gone True Detective bad, it is not very good. At least compared to the first two seasons, both of which are great.
Hopefully season 4 rebounds.
I am looking forward to reading some real news media accounts of the true story they're telling, the story itself is pretty entertaining.
Thought the finale was about what I expected. Big massacre to thin the heard. Quirky death for Carrie Coon. Looked like Emmitt got away but no. Kind of liked the last scene cliffhanger. So who was right? Did justice triumph or is the game totally rigged.
Tons, there's no underlying "true" story, it's completely concocted like the movie.
Then why do they go to such lengths every show to remind you that it's a true story? Every other TV or movie just lets the viewer assume rightly that it's fiction.
Anything to get people to keep watching that crap...
https://filmschoolrejects.com/fargo-true-story-ab136d07c86b/
Carrie Coon played Sheriff/DHS Agent Gloria Burgle..... I believe you are thinking about Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Nikki Swango).
Because it's a "quirk" that the Coen Brothers are kind of known for and which they used for the original movie and they've stuck to that script afterwards.
I liked all three seasons. Here's IMHO the "thing."
You've got to view the show as if it were happening in an alternative universe. One where UFO's and wandering Jews (angels) and similar exist.
If you can easily accept that most of the comic book genre movies occur in an alternative universe where Earth/Human race is being threatened and attacked (or defended) by aliens and those with super powers, it shouldn't be that difficult to accept the same for Fargo.
To me, doing something innovative and different, rather than create some sort of copy of every cop and lawyer drama that ever aired, deserves at least a bunch of style points.
You've got to view the show as if it were happening in an alternative universe. One where UFO's and wandering Jews (angels) and similar exist.
If you can easily accept that most of the comic book genre movies occur in an alternative universe where Earth/Human race is being threatened and attacked (or defended) by aliens and those with super powers, it shouldn't be that difficult to accept the same for Fargo.
To me, doing something innovative and different, rather than create some sort of copy of every cop and lawyer drama that ever aired, deserves at least a bunch of style points.
That would be fair if I knew I was watching something like that going in.
Otherwise it's like watching Crank 2:
I still enjoyed watching it but agree that season 3 is weaker than the other two. It will be hard to keep it going too much longer without shaking it up somehow. I do like the fact that they jump to a different time period each season.
Not sure that many would take issue with much of what you are suggesting--people like the funky stuff to an extent, it's the lack of character development and the storyline that lacked in season 3. I'm certainly not complaining about UFO's or wandering Jews.
I thought Season 3 had some rough patches (compared to season 1 and 2) but I thought it rebounded pretty well towards the end.
The creators have said they might not do another season.
The creators have said they might not do another season.
