I am a huge fan of the work of The Coen Brothers and Fargo is number two on my official Coen Brothers countdown, The Big Lebowski being my favorite (but check out also No Country for Old Men or The Ballad of Buster Scruggs). I was more intrigued than excited when I heard that Fargo was being turned into a TV series. I mean, what could they really do with it? However, Noah Hawley did a wonderful job of expanding the Fargo universe and the Coen Brothers’ cinematic universe to the CBU if you will!
How to Download Fargo (TV series)
You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like xxxx, check out also his other films- film one and film two.
The Movie Review
The way that they did this show was very clever. As of writing, there are four seasons, each of them is set in the same universe as the original Fargo and each one features numerous nods and references to other Coen Brothers movies which I got a huge kick out of.
However, this is an anthology series with each season being its own contained story arc with its own characters and actors. I really like this approach here it makes each season seem extra special. Yet, it does also mean that some seasons are better than others. To be fair, I like seasons 1, 2, and 3 a great deal, but 4 was just ok for me.
All of the seasons although they are different involve some kind of crime caper. The first season has two local law enforcement officers in Deputy Molly Solverson and Officer Gus Grimly trying to solve a series of murders that are linked to a strange, brutal, and ruthless man that has just blown into town.
Season one was set in 2006, but season two takes place in the late 70s. This season has a husband and wife try and cover up a hit and run they were involved in. While this is bad at the best of times, the person they hit was the son of a mob family! However, it is complicated by the local law enforcement looking into the guy they hit for a murder in a diner!
Season three is my favorite season of Fargo so far. Taking place in 2010 we have a probation officer and his girlfriend (who is out on parole) trying to pull off a heist to better their lives. As you would expect, it goes horribly wrong, there is family drama, a murder that needs covering up, and the local law enforcement on the case too. I had the most fun with this season and it also had my favorite cast as well.
Now, season four is not bad, but it just never clicked with me the way the others did. The setting here is the 50s which is great and I got a huge kick out of seeing Chris Rock in a role like this. However, the whole trading sons thing and the power struggle between these crime families was not something that I got invested in. To be honest with you, I feel like I need to watch this season again to give it another chance.
While season four did not do it for me like the other three did it is still a good watch. Overall, Fargo is a very entertaining series and while I loved the connection to Fargo the movie, and the different nods to other Coen Brothers stuff, you do not need any prior knowledge of that to enjoy this awesome crime caper series. If you are looking for something fun, with lots of twists and characters that are well-written, this is the show for you.
