FX premiere Fargo Season 1 (2 Viewers)

[Carl LaFong]

So -- what's Malvo's bodycount up to now?

Glad you asked; I've been keeping score. I make it 31 definites and 2 probables, (not including King, Milos Stavros' beautiful dog.)
Here's the breakdown:

The frozen accountant, Sam Hess, Chief Thurman, Don Chump(h), Mr. Numbers, Fargo Crime Syndicate (22), the unnamed policeman guarding Wrench's hospital room (not confirmed dead, but as Monty Python would say: "not at all well"), Burt, Weezy and Jemma in the elevator, and Linda Nygaard. Plus the guy at the phones at "Rundle Realty" in Reno, (also not a confirmed kill, but I'd say his survival is dicey at best, wouldn't you?)

Other deaths - at least 4 - can be variously attributed to Lester, Numbers & Wrench or (un)natural causes (i.e., hazardous fish).

 

[JohnMor]

A perfect finale to a near perfect series! Gonna miss Molly & Gus. But... wow. What a spectacular piece of work this series has been.

 

[Walter Kittel]

There was a lot to like in tonight's finale, but I'm still thinking about whether I liked the way the episode handled Gus & Malvo...

A) DId everyone just agree to sweep what amounts to an execution under the rug? How did Gus explain the situation in a way that does not end up with him being charged with homicide?

B) There is an argument to be made that Gus not contacting the authorities when he spotted Malvo indirectly led to the death of the two FBI agents and (presumably) the used car salesman.

Everything else was really well done, but I'm not completely on board with the resolution of Malvo for the above reasons. I did really like the idea that good does eventually trump evil (although the real world tends to disabuse me of that notion at times.) Even though it was a bit obvious, the 'Lester is on thin ice' visual metaphor was satisfying.

Curious to see if it comes back next year, and will it be re-imagining another Coen Bros. film?

- Walter.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I think the story shows how humans are flawed creatures, and when they feel their family is threatened, action over judgment can produce unintended consequences. A super-rational Gus would have acted differently, but an emotionally-engaged Gus acted as he did, to eliminate the threat to his wife and unborn child, and while it could be seen as an execution (emptying your gun's ammo into a man going nowhere with a freshly stinted compound fracture of his lower left leg, and only with a knife as a weapon), I guess it depends on whether the state's authorities or local authorities charge Gus with homicide, or dismiss them upon review of Malvo's body count (just avenging the FBI agents' death would be looked upon favorably by the feds too).

I had a hard time watching Malvo reset his own left leg. Eww....

 

[Quentin]

I think that it's clear on a legal level that Gus could/would be in big trouble for what he did. But, Fargo is a morality tale, and his actions (like Patrick points out) are morally noble. We're not meant to dwell on the reality of what could/would likely happen in legal terms. Malvo was evil incarnate and a joker who played with the very nature of people. His games led to a lot of misery (seen and unseen) and, also bit him in the ass in the form of a Lester who fought back and a Gus who did not hesitate to act like a predator at the crucial moment.

I was just glad to see Lester get his.

 

[Carl LaFong]

B) There is an argument to be made that Gus not contacting the authorities when he spotted Malvo indirectly led to the death of the two FBI agents and (presumably) the used car salesman.

By that logic you could argue that Gus allowing Malvo to go free in the pilot episode led to the subsequent deaths of everyone! After every front page homicide, someone will invariably point fingers elsewhere and blame everyone but the murderer. It gets a little silly after a while, though. Gus didn't have a crystal ball. The only person responsible for the FBI agents' deaths was the guy who shot them - Malvo.

 

[Walter Kittel]

By that logic you could argue that Gus allowing Malvo to go free in the pilot episode led to the subsequent deaths of everyone! After every front page homicide, someone will invariably point fingers elsewhere and blame everyone but the murderer. It gets a little silly after a while, though. Gus didn't have a crystal ball. The only person responsible for the FBI agents' deaths was the guy who shot them - Malvo.

I think there is a big difference between those two scenarios. When Gus first allowed Malvo to go free he had no idea who he was, or what acts he was capable of performing. The second time, he knew that Malvo was the subject of an intensive manhunt.

- Walter.

 

[JohnMor]

Well, the 2 FBI agents could equally be held responsible for the massacre of the 22 people in Fargo then. Certainly their dimness/stupidity added to their own deaths as well as those of the 22 people. But ultimately, the one truly responsible for those particular deaths is Malvo.

One could also make the argument that Gus felt guilty about not mentioning that he may have seen Malvo, and hence his actions in the finale.

LOVED it when Lester dropped through the ice. I actually burst out laughing at the speed of it. And of course, ironically, he was almost put into the ice earlier by Numbers and Wrench. Also, liked the DLR plate nod. LOL.

 

[Carl LaFong]

Well, the 2 FBI agents could equally be held responsible for the massacre of the 22 people in Fargo then. Certainly their dimness/stupidity added to their own deaths as well as those of the 22 people. But ultimately, the one truly responsible for those particular deaths is Malvo.

I couldn't agree more. I see no value whatsoever in blaming others for Malvo's murders. Might as well blame the gun lobby, or the manufacturers of the knife Malvo used on Numbers and the belt (I think it was a belt) he used on Wrench's police guard.

 

[bujaki]

Gus mentioned he's getting a citation for bravery. From whom? The postal workers' union?
His actions were those of a vigilante; he was no longer a police officer. He was not defending himself. Why wasn't he arrested and charged with manslaughter?
I mean, I understand his motives for killing Malvo, and I'm glad he did; but he still committed a crime and was not arrested for it.
This soured the conclusion for me. The happy family shot at the end shouldn't have existed, unless Gus was out on bail.

 

[Carl LaFong]

BTW, Malvo offed at least 2, and possibly 3 more people in the final episode, bringing his personal bodycount up to 33 confirmed / 3 probables. (Plus the dog.)

Added to the list are Federal Agents Budge & Pepper, and (probably) the car salesman/librarian. (The same guy told Lester he worked a library in the pilot, even though Bemidji apparently doesn't have a library.) Knowing what we know about Malvo, I find it unlikely that the three unconfirmed (Mr Rundle, the hospital police guard and the car salesman) are still alive and kicking.

UPDATE: Noah Hawley has confirmed in a post-series interview that Malvo did indeed allow the car salesman to live, and that's why the car is gone. I'll try to find the interview again and link to it.

 

[Carl LaFong]

Gus mentioned he's getting a citation for bravery. From whom? The postal workers' union?
His actions were those of a vigilante...

His actions were those of a postal worker ; )

 

[JohnMor]

His actions were those of a postal worker ; )

 

[joshEH]

Loved the music for the show overall, but when the Burwell movie-theme proper started up...huge grin.

Also, "DLR" plates, and the Bunyon/Babe statues. Perhaps they were noticeable last week, but I missed 'em.

I think, in the end, I feel the saddest for Chief Odenkirk, who comes across as pure innocence. All he ever wanted was a stack of pancakes and a V8, and now he's on a first-name basis with the dark heart of humanity's soul.

And as I suspected, we did get the, "Gus-goes-after-Malvo-to-protect-Molly" sequence, it just went the more optimistic way. Lucky for Gus that Malvo was crippled, because damn, that was a move that usually leads nice dumb-guys to their end. Do they give citations for letting two FBI agents die so you can lie in wait and kill a wounded, unarmed man?


Would have liked one last scene between Molly and Lester, but justice was served, Coen-style, nonetheless. Tremendous finale. Tremendous show. Game of Thrones is going to rule my heart for the foreseeable future, but this jumped to a strong No. 2 on the list of my favorite TV of the year.

I hope we get more, though I don't see how it could possibly remain this good.

 

[joshEH]

Also, the web-chatter about the potential for another round of this is more optimistic than I would have expected, given the ratings-numbers, but apparently Noah Hawley inked a two-year deal with FX, and more Fargo could well be part of it.

Maybe the fact that FX seems to air 378 minutes of commercials for every 30 seconds of show has something to do with them being able to turn a profit on this.

 

[Simon Massey]

Not sure what the ratings are but It probably helps this seems to be a critical hit too as a lot of these channels seems to be after prestige shows they can build around.A satisfying season and whilst there were high points I was impressed by how consistent the whole season was more than anything else - I assume that every episode was written beforehand since it has that feel to it.Sent from my iPad using HTF

 

[Greg.K]

A new season wouldn't quite be the same without Thornton's gravitas, but I'd be interested to see what they come up with.

 

[joshEH]

 

[joshEH]

A detail I only noticed the second time:

The young man at the car dealership whom Malvo holds hostage was the same guy with the wife whom Lester tried to sell a life-insurance policy to in episode one. The wife was pregnant with the daughter he was pleading on behalf of nine episodes later, by which he had apparently switched careers (from librarian).

I love the goofy performance Malvo put on for the salesman when explaining why he liked the car. They never did forsake that playfulness the character had when he wasn't wiping out humanity. This is the guy who encouraged a kid to piss in his mom's gas tank just to watch it happen.

("Son, she compared you to a clam.")

What I loved about Odenkirk's speech was how it redefined his relationship to Tolman's character. Before, it felt like he was stonewalling her, and now it feels like he couldn't even perceive such evil before. While I'd love a 1979 Sioux City period-piece for Fargo season 2, I'm going to assume it will be spoken of, but never shown. Would love to be proven wrong.

 

[Bryan^H]

I finished it. I started out thinking it would be a pretty bland show, but with each episode it got better, and better....until I couldn't wait to see how it turned out. The acting, suspense, and atmosphere are fantastic. Probably the best show I've seen on TV since season one of Dexter.I can't wait to revisit it on Blu-Ray.