Choose “Fargo”

Back in the days of our parents, when entertainment ranged from watching paint dry to pushing a hoop with a stick, life was abysmal. Now our generation has the gift of advanced technology, namely the ability to watch an endless amount of television programming. Every rose has its thorn however, as the plethora of options becomes overwhelming and renders it nearly impossible to choose what show to watch.

I will aid you in this difficult decision by strongly suggesting  Fargo  on FX.  Fargo  is an anthology series stylistically based on its namesake, the 1996 Coen Brother’s movie about a mild mannered Midwestern man, played by William H. Macy,who arranges the kidnapping of his wife in order to get rid of his debt from the ransom money his father-in-law would pay. When everything goes wrong, a pregnant cop, played by Frances McDormand, leads an investigation on the crime. The first season has a similar story arc with similar characters and a similar style but I don’t want to give anything away. Currently, we are one episode into its second season.

Fargo  is filled with twists and turns, so I would encourage you to start watching this season instead of binge watching it later. This way every waking moment of your week will be filled with anticipation and excitement.

At first I was skeptical; a show based on a movie—another lazy rehashing of ideas. It seemed like fanfiction to me. But, as oxymoronic as it sounds,  Fargo  is good fanfiction. It successfully expands the universe of the film. The show is successful for the same reason the movie is: the unique humor. Noah Hawley, the showrunner writer, nails the Coen Brother’s trademark sense of humor. The Coen Brothers are hilarious, not in the traditional Judd Apatow sort of hilarious way, but rather they have a sort of cruel comedy that makes you as upset as amused.

Some trademark examples include: in  Blood Simple  when a jealous and vengeful husband gives an impassioned speech about his cheating wife, you expect thunder and lightning to backdrop the moment but instead a bug zapper awkwardly goes off; or in  The Big Lebowski  when Walter tries to cast his friend’s ashes into the ocean but the sea breeze blows it all over the Dude. In  No Country for Old Men, a vicious bounty hunter takes an uncomfortably long amount of time to drink a glass of milk. In the show, Hawley gets that sort of humor correct, not as a copycat, but in a fresh way that still manages to pay homage to the original masters.

For example, in the first episode of the first season the protagonist Lester, played by Martin Freeman, who’s a giant pushover has finally had enough with his soul sucking wife and thumps—a very appropriate word for this scenario—his wife on the forehead with a hammer. All the while, there’s a humming washing machine, the walls are adorned with corny motivational posters, and an “oops” look adorns Martin Freeman’s face. The scene is the epitome of the show’s quirky humor. You feel guilty laughing, but its hilarious nonetheless.

Not only is it funny, but it’s a very important and substantive scene. It catalyzes the entire plotline of the first season. It’s also the first big step in the protagonist’s character development from loser to power-hungry douchebag. These funny, powerful, and memorable scenes come up time and time again in the first season and would surely make Joel and Ethan proud.

The second season, just based on the first episode, looks like it will continue this legacy. The casting is genius, with sitcom legends Brad Garret and Ted Hanson playing quasi-serious roles with a fattened up Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons to boot. Much like how the casting of Jordan Peele and Michael Kegan Key in the first season brought comedic actors to a drama, the casting perfectly adds a flavor that is consistent to the Coen Brother’s brand of humor.

You could choose other shows, even other FX shows like  American Horror Story—which has been severely waning in quality—but you really can’t do much better than  Fargo. The second season looks like it is going to be a twistedly hilarious ride.

Cover image: Katie Wheeler, Creative Commons Licensing