Fargo (2014) - Season 1

What's more amazing: that True Detective Season 2 would be a steaming turd, or that an anthology series based off Fargo, one of the most respected movies ever, would turn out to be just as good as its source? If you asked me this question in March of last year, after TD's first season wrapped up, and before Noah Hawley's Fargo would premiere on FX, I would definitely pick the second option. There's no way this should work. But it does. And the world is a better place for it.

Fargo's first season is a self-contained story. It's like a ten-hour movie, and a fantastic one at that. There's so much that could go wrong here, from a high bar set by the outstanding movie to the fact that this was gonna be a freakin' Fargo TV show without the Coens writing. This could've been too quirky, too weird, too violent, too boring, too unfunny, and/or too bad. But it's not.

It works because Fargo gets so much right. The main ensemble (Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks) disappear into these ambitious and mixed-up individuals. Watching cops played by Tolman and Hanks develop as violence by Thornton and Freeman builds is oddly wonderful. Freeman gets a great character, the meek insurance salesman Lester Nygaard. His Walter White-esque transformation across a slim ten episodes is rapid, but it never feels rushed. Thornton is grimy as mysterious hitman Lorne Malvo, and he dominates nearly every scene he is in. It's incredible.

Supporting the four are Bob Odenkirk and Keith Carradine; both play valuable roles. The writing of the show is somewhat miraculous too. It owes a lot to the movie, but it feels like its own beast entirely too. It walks between the line of homage and originality quite well. The Midwest accents do take a bit to get used too, but it makes the environment of Fargo so distinct. Seriously, just like the movie, though, shit goes down. This makes for addictive television. Watch the first episode. And the second. Might as well watch the following eight too.

The flaws of Fargo, if any, include a bit of plot dependent too much on coincidence and circumstance. I am also not quite sure the biblical references get the payoff that was intended, either. But for the most part, Fargo works, and well. Despite being a loose cinematic adaptation and being an anthology, Fargo is original. It's distinct from anything else on TV at the moment. I can't wait for Monday's Season 2 premiere, which currently is getting even better reviews than Season 1.

9.5/10