This is a series that is modeled after, and loosely, spun off of, the movie of the same name. There is actually a tie-in to the movie that is involved in one of the plot lines. As with the movie, this is a very untrue story set mostly in MN, in the towns of Bemidji and Duluth. It stars Martin Freeman (from the series Sherlock and The Hobbit movies) as Lester Nygaard, and Billy Bob Thornton as Lorne Malvo, a hitman who crosses paths with Lester in a hospital after Lester is decked by his high-school bully, Sam Hess. Malvo suggests that the bully should be killed, which Lester neither endorses nor rejects, and because Lester does not say no, Malvo ends up killing the bully which leads to an investigation of Lester, and things go downhill from there. Hess was loosely mob-connected, and the mob (out of Fargo) ends up trying to find out what happened to him, which also causes problems for Lester. The series also stars Allison Tolman as Deputy Molly Solverson, a police deputy from Bemidji, who is the only competent officer in the department, and Colin Hanks as Officer Gus Grimly, an officer from Duluth who has a run-in with Malvo. There are several recognizable stars among the supporting cast including Bob Odenkirk, Kate Walsh, Joey King, Oliver Platt, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Stephen Root, and Keith Carradine.
For those who get the Blu-Ray, the extras include audio commentaries on three episodes which include the showrunner Noah Hawley and rotating members of the cast, a two-part making-of documentary, a discussion with Hawley and the cast members about creating the show, a feature about the character of Malvo, and deleted scenes. Some of the sets also come with a Fargo-themed beanie.
Overall, the series is great. It tells one long story and is more like a 10-hour movie than it is a TV show. There is a lot of violence and some sexual content, so it is definitely not family-friendly. Freeman is wonderful as Lester who is kind of like William H. Macy's character in the movie, but definitely, not a carbon copy, and Billy Bob Thornton dominates every scene he is in. It is a bit hilarious for those of us who actually live in MN to see what cities they decided to set the show in. As anyone who lives here knows, Bemidji and Duluth are nowhere near each other and there is no way that a quick trip can be made between the two cities, especially in the winter. And, of course, the show does do the very over-the-top accents just like the movie did. It is a great crime drama that has a similar tone to the movie but is definitely its own story and not just a remake or reboot of the movie. It is definitely worth checking out.
For those who get the Blu-Ray, the extras include audio commentaries on three episodes which include the showrunner Noah Hawley and rotating members of the cast, a two-part making-of documentary, a discussion with Hawley and the cast members about creating the show, a feature about the character of Malvo, and deleted scenes. Some of the sets also come with a Fargo-themed beanie.
Overall, the series is great. It tells one long story and is more like a 10-hour movie than it is a TV show. There is a lot of violence and some sexual content, so it is definitely not family-friendly. Freeman is wonderful as Lester who is kind of like William H. Macy's character in the movie, but definitely, not a carbon copy, and Billy Bob Thornton dominates every scene he is in. It is a bit hilarious for those of us who actually live in MN to see what cities they decided to set the show in. As anyone who lives here knows, Bemidji and Duluth are nowhere near each other and there is no way that a quick trip can be made between the two cities, especially in the winter. And, of course, the show does do the very over-the-top accents just like the movie did. It is a great crime drama that has a similar tone to the movie but is definitely its own story and not just a remake or reboot of the movie. It is definitely worth checking out.
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