FX's "Fargo" Reviewed

A Review: Fargo

I don't watch Game of Thrones. I didn't watch Breaking Bad. I haven't been obsessed with the hysteria of a mainstream TV drama since Lost. Pre-twitter era. Shocking, I know.

But Noah Hawley's Fargo changes that for me. I still don't tweet about the show, but that doesn't mean I'm not glued to my TV every Tuesday night at 10 p.m. The show is mystery. The show is violence. The show has more twists and turns than an M. Night Shyamalan movie.

Fargo works on so many different levels. It's creepy, and it's worth it.

If you don't believe me, just watch the pilot. It will be two hours well worth your time. There are ten episodes planned for this season. A season that is already eight episodes deep. In these eight episodes so far, things have gone from freakin' awesome to even more freakin' awesome. Allow me...

The pilot The Crocodile's Dilemma is a murderous heap of "Did That Just Happen?" television. I guess this show isn't for the faint of heart. The character driven show centers around some folks we meet here. 

Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) is a timid middle-aged man who lives in Bemidji, Minnesota with his wife. Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) is the bad guy who traverses the area and doesn't care what anyone thinks. Yes, he kills people. Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) is the one trying to right all the wrongs. And Officer Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) is an intelligent, yet extremely cautious lawman from Duluth caught up in the whole thing.

I realize the show is called Fargo. But the events take place in Minnesota in 2006. North Dakota is brought into the storyline later, but the title is mostly based off the Coen Brothers Oscar-winning 1996 film of the same name.

Four people die in the first episode. The Chief in Bemidji, Lester's wife, some naked guy in Malvo's trunk, and a man who used to bully Lester named Sam Hess. If you like shocking television, again, this show is for you.

More characters are introduced in The Rooster Prince. Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench are hired guns from Fargo (see!) who investigate the Same Hess murder. The cool thing about Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) is that he is a deaf actor. Trust me, this show is cool. Even on a casting level.

You might be thinking, "More characters? How can I keep up?" It's easy. All the story lines are intertwined! Even eight episodes deep, connections continue to pop up. For example...

In episode three, A Muddy Road, Stavros Milos (Oliver Platt) and Don Chumph (Glenn Howerton) are introduced into the storyline connected to Malvo. Stavros owns a supermarket chain called "Phoenix Farms." You can't miss a second of the show, because it pops up again.

If that isn't enough to grab you, I promise episodes four through eight are just as gripping. Malvo kills more. Lester frames his brother for a murder. Grimley shoots Solverson. We lose recurring characters. And more pop up.

Funny guys Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key appear in later episodes as FBI agents tracking Malvo. The duo supplies comic relief while showcasing their serious acting chops.

In this past week's episode, The Heap, Fargo took a serious turn. A time jump. With dozens of questions still unanswered, the show leaps one year into the future! Solverson is pregnant, Malvo looks radically different, and Lester isn't the same timid man we met in the pilot.

If you want a gripping drama to tune into every week, I suggest Fargo. I've yet to be bored by Hawley's creation. If it can entertain me, it can entertain you. With two episodes left, no one can predict what will happen next. A second season is confirmed, but questions remain about the show's future. Rumor has it Fargo could end up like FX's other murder-driven drama American Horror Story. Some recurring actors and characters, but a different storyline. I couldn't fathom that scenario with Fargo! The show has surprised me this far. No matter which way the network decides to go, I expect that trend of surprise to continue. 

With Freeman transforming from quirky to power-hungry and greed-driven, Fargo also displays some actor's talents previously undiscovered. Who knew a Brit could talk like he's from Minnesota? Allison Tolman? Who's she? An actress working her day job when she got the call to become Deputy Solverson, Tolman has turned heads.

I give Fargo an 8/10*. 

*SO FAR. I know there is more this show has to offer. Eight episodes into the ten episode season. In two weeks, this should be 10/10.