I let this show go past me at first, since when I heard of it I didn't know if the idea of remaking a movie and stretching it out to 10 hours was a good idea. Hearing good things later, I took a look and was more positive when I saw that it was not a remake of the film, but rather another set of stories happening within the same universe – albeit with some overlaps and connections to the events of the film. While this is the case that it is not a direct lift for television, it is clearly meant to replicate the world of the Cohen brothers' films, in particular Fargo but there is a lot in here which connects to their more general tone. The risk with this is that it would serve to not only remind how great Fargo and other films from the siblings are by virtue of how far off the mark it falls; fortunately though, although it is not quite at that standard, it never really disappoints on its own or by comparison.
Using the world of Fargo along with elements of Blood Simple, No Country and others, what we get is a story where the influence of a hired killer spreads through a much simpler community, bringing out the worst in some and spreading fear and death through others. In doing this it also mixes the odd with the comic, with the dark, with the violent, and with the tense. It is a very effective mix and it works very well throughout this season. It is most clear as to how well it works because, even as some aspects are weaker and a lot of the plot actually doesn't make logical sense, but it all still engages because of how well delivered and sold it is.
The cold, slow tone is very effective at building tension and a sense of foreboding, and this is played well throughout the 10 episodes. There are some elements where the narrative reaches beyond what works, and some characters are maybe a bit too broadly drawn; but at the same time the sense of the odd and the tension continue to work to keep you with it regardless of what happens. The dialogue at times is a little off the Cohen's best, but considering it has 10 hours to deliver and does so mostly consistently, it can be forgiven for not always clearly the bar as well as it does in the majority of scenes. Technically the look and feel of the film add to the cold tension; the slowly moving camera is perhaps overused but it never really got old for me because one could not be sure when it was leading to something or when it was just hanging there with the suggestion. The slow-burn approach is often cleverly applied and it was hard not to be impressed by the way it thinks nothing of staying out of the building and showing 2 minutes of walls while inside the biggest action sequence of the season plays out.
The casting is very much the cherry on the top of all of this. Thornton has worked with the Cohens a couple of times now, so he knows the approach and he draws heavily on their iconic still "force of nature" killers. He is very enjoyable throughout, with a sense of charisma and menace which works in context really well. Freeman may never top Macy in a similar role, but he is mostly pretty assured and sells his character well. Tolman and Hanks are very engaging, with good performances and without the distraction of them being quite as well known as others. The use of Carradine is great and he brings a lot to small scenes – in particular the one he shares with Thornton is very well played. Odenkirk is a very good bit of casting and he plays his comical sheriff in a way that is funny but also has heart. The casting continues with roles for Goldberg, Howerton, Platt, Key & Peele, and others. I will not say all of them work as well as others, but generally the casting works.
I think the show has been a bit over-hyped, because it is not without weakness, and there are aspects that you need to go with; however generally it does deliver and engage with such consistency and confidence that the viewer is more than happy to go with it. I was genuinely surprised by how well it "does the Cohens" and just how strong, entertaining, tense, fun, horrific, inventive, and fresh so much of the season felt. Well worth seeking out.
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