One thing that’s always balanced out Fargo’s more self-conscious quirks is the show’s ability to balance oddball whimsy with dread. That dread has been sorely missing this season, but it arrived in “The Pretend War” with considerable force, starting with Ethelrida’s vision of a creepy disfigured man on the stairs, and running through an episode which is mostly about establishing all the horrible things that may or may not happen in the weeks ahead. I’m not going call this a “table setting” episode, because arguably most of Fargo’s episodes fall into that category, to the point where it’s a fairly useless distinction. But in terms of both escalating conflicts and finding ways to remind us of what’s at stake in all of this, “War” does a good job at turning the old screw.
Start with the creepy opener. It’s possible (it’s always possible) that I missed some set up, and there is an explicit explanation for both Ethelrida’s apparent waking nightmare, and the out-of-focus figure who rises out of the tub in Zelmare’s hotel room—if I did miss this, apologies, and I look forward to several comments informing me of said fact. As is, all I can say is that both sequences are well done, intensely unsettling, and inexplicable in a way that legitimately surprised me; so much of this season of Fargo already feels a bit overly-familiar that I appreciate any attempt to shake things up. The show has dabbled in the surreal before, of course, and this will presumably end up the same as the UFO sighting and other such oddities of the past, but it feels pointed here, a potent omen of doom (or Death himself).
Starting with such a nightmare (awake or otherwise) sets a definite tone, and while not every scene in the episode is quite so intense, most of them serve to remind the audience that this is a show where bad things often happen, and they almost always happen in ways we don’t expect, and sometimes to people we actually like. That may seem like an obvious point, but I hadn’t realized how much I was missing that foreboding vibe in earlier entries. It’s what gives all the writerly tics and self-conscious artifice its kick—the contrast between absurdity and horrific consequences is more or less the fuel this particular engine runs on, and it’s gratifying to find there’s still some juice left in the tank.
The botched hit on Lemuel and Zelmare and Swanee’s robbery last week has Loy and the rest of the Cannons on edge. So they decide to fight back, robbing a shipment of guns from Calamita and another Fadda stooge. It’s a gorgeous set-piece, with Calamita and the stooge driving a truck loaded with oranges into a fiery trap on the highway; the Cannon men force them out of the truck, sending one to die in the flames (actually, I don’t know if he died, but he didn’t look well) before branding Calamita on the cheek with a molten gun stock. I’m not sure how the timing on all of this works—for one thing, it seems odd that Loy would send his men out for the job and then go try and coerce Rabbi Milligan into getting his son out of the Fadda house. I guess the idea is that the robbery is just balancing the books after the earlier two attacks?
Regardless, it looks cool, and the quick view of Hell suggests everything is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. Tensions heighten between Josto and his brother after Rabbi tells Josto about the failed hit; for once, Josto seems to get the upper hand on his brother, busting into a meeting, shooting a gun a bunch, and forcing him to stand down by shoving said gun into his crotch. The way things stand, it’s hard to imagine the two of them managing to achieve any kind of peace between them, although I suppose it’s always possible that Loy’s machinations could give them a common enemy to take on. Josto orders Odis to put police pressure on the Cannons to try and get them to ease off his organization, and sends Ebal Violante (the older fella who’s had a couple of sit downs with Doctor Senator in the diner) to New York. The more we see of Josto, the more I’m enjoying how the character riffs on mafia hotheads of the past; you’d think his insecurity and quick temper would make him into a monster, but so far he’s preferable to Gaetano, even with the occasional acts of over-compensation.
Speaking of Odis, he’s having a tough time trying to get Deafy off his back; bribing an informant to sell the idea that Zelmare and Swanee have run off to Chicago certainly doesn’t work. I haven’t mentioned Odis much yet, but the character is one of the weaker elements of the season so far—Jack Huston is a fine actor, but Odis’ OCD behavior is just one odd element too many in a show that has never hurt for lack of odd elements. The actual mental illness is certainly not off limits for fictional representation, but the way it’s used here just feels arbitrary, as though the writers decided it would be interesting to do, and “interesting” was good enough. There’s a decent chance it will pay off at some point—if nothing else, the way other characters always react whenever he has to knock on a door multiple times before leaving suggests that it’s a behavior the audience is supposed to remember. But for right now, he doesn’t come across as believable or all that interesting, which is a bit of a drag.
More successful are developments on the “Oraetta’s pretty goddamn evil, isn’t she?” front. We see her and Josto engaging in some erotic asphyxiation (this is such an obvious Chekov’s gun moment that I really hope Josto doesn’t end up choked to death later), and then Ethelrida drops by to try and pick up some extra money apartment cleaning. In a decision indicating Oraetta is either a pretty bad criminal mastermind, or else so deeply racist she legitimately thinks Ethelrida will heed her instructions to the letter, the older woman agrees to the arrangement, with the stipulation that Ethelrida not open one particular unlocked door. But, wouldn’t you know it, Ethelrida is curious and maybe a bit suspicious; so the door gets opened, and we see how deep Oraetta’s rabbit hole goes.
All of this feels a bit too easy (why isn’t that door locked? Is the idea that Oraetta unlocked it to get drugs for her and Josto, and then just forgot to relock before she left for work?), but the scene of Ethelrida poking around and getting more than she bargained for is great, right up to the cat who almost ruins everything by knocking a glass bottle off a shelf. Oraetta has a lot of drugs, many of them dangerous, but she also has a shoebox full of clipped obituaries, and jewelry boxes and shelves full of pilfered goods from the people she’s killed, including a wrist bracelet with a victim’s name on it. It was obvious from the first episode that Oraetta was a bad one, and the discovery does feel like it could’ve been framed better to be more shocking; as is, the volume is impressive, but it doesn’t quite register as much as it probably should have. But it’s good to have Oraetta’s villainy more out in the open, and doing it relatively early on makes it much harder to predict where all of this is going.
The episode ends with Zelmare bringing her brother-in-law some of the money from the robbery. She tried to wash the puke off it in the hotel room rub, but it still smells; yet the gesture is a sweet one, as is the conversation between Zelmare and Thurman. This feels like some much needed character development for Zelmare, who is almost certainly going to be in big trouble soon—she and Swanee came off as aggressors for a while, and hearing her express concern for her sister’s family, as well as treat Thurman with a kind of teasing affection, will make it all the more upsetting if she and Swanee run into violent ends.
It also leads to a pretty sharp bit of irony: Zelmare gives Thurman the money because she knows the Smutnys are in debt; unfortunately, they’re in debt to the Cannons, so Thurman just lugs the bag of vomit-stained cash to Loy’s house. Thurman’s behavior afterward strikes me as excessively stupid (he comes home all happy and announces they need to celebrate because he just paid off the debt; did he think Dibrell wasn’t going to immediately figure out something was up?), but the way an act of generosity backfires feels very fitting for this show. The one major complaint I have so far this season is how artificial everything seems; while Fargo the TV show always comes across as a step removed, it felt like last season, however clumsily, Hawley was at least trying to find something new to say. This season, it’s back to riffing on familiar tropes, with too many characters that come across as the idea of something rather than actual people worth caring about. But there have been a few scattered moments of humanity, and I’m crossing my fingers we’ll see more of those before the blood starts to flow in earnest.
Stray observations
- It basically works—the sudden lines of fire are frightening enough that you can believe the driver would stop the truck—but it’s pretty funny that after Cannon’s men steal the truck, they just… drive it through the flames and go about their day.
- Okay, I think we’re about good on people making speeches that serve as subtle threats, let’s try a new approach for a bit.
- “Goodness. Your mind’s a clutter of grievance.” How long before Oraetta decides Josto is too sad to survive and takes matters into her own hands, do you think.
- “If a man’s pud needed a tug, would this be the place for said tugging?” -Deafy (If nothing else, I’m grateful for this season of Fargo for bringing Timothy Olyphant back to TV to do shit like this.)
- “I gotta tell you, I can’t remember the last time a white man tried to make my life easier.” -Loy to Thurman.
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Its kinda surreal. I binged Bly Manor over the last two days, and the cinematography this episode reminded me a lot of Bly and Hill House. The design of the ghost was very much Flannigan like, oh and the tension was haaaaaaard. I guess that’s the supernatural thing this season. First it was god and fish. Then aliens. Then the Wandering Jew and whatever Yuri was. Ghost demons fit nicely. Also it dawned on me that Oreatta talks like Jimmy from Seinfeld, just with maybe a few more murders. Speaking of which, the real life Oreatta Mayflower killed roughly 30 people. I’m gonna ballpark and say yeah, this nurse has been doing this a while. Oh and that demon thing was in episode one, like really briefly. It was in the road at the end before the camera tilted up to Oreattas house.
How old is the Angel of Death trope? I know it goes back as least as far as the aunts in Arsenic and Old Lace.
Id have to check but that play was highly influential. Also I’m fairly sure those two characters were inspired by real serial killers. The medical field has the largest amount of serial killers when you judge by profession. Hell the killer with the largest bodycount in history is doctor Harold Shipmen of Britain with 200 plus victims.
The play was actually inspired by one real serial killer in CT – my great-grandpa Carl helped crack the case!
As I said before, it was Amy Archer Gilligan. A big deal in 1917.
Ah – yes, missed it. Also – I was wondering about that demon(?) in ep.1. Makes sense now.
After looking it over, I’d say that yes, Arsenic and Old Lace popularized the concept of angel of mercy. Those aunts were inspired by the very real Amy Archer Gilligan, who poisoned as many as 50 patients, although she wasn’t a nurse. This was in 1917, Jane Toppans trial was in the early 1900s. Those two cases were big news at the time, leading to this general concept of murderous medical prapractitioners. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Archer-Gilligan
I don’t know, but it does happen, like this time in recent memory:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efren_SaldivarI hate to say things like “and you have to wonder how many times it happens but they cover it up” but this seems like a time when it’s appropriate to say “and you have to wonder how many times it happens but they cover it up.”
I live in Ohio and we’ve had two major medical serial killers. Michael Swango who is still alive, and Donald Harvey who died in 2017 after someone hit him with a lead pipe.
Swango worked in our va hospital on long island and my brother in law knew him. Said he always gave people there the creeps but nobody would have ever guessed him as a killer.Many in the medical field go uncaught and anonymous. Crazy.
Oh my god, that must be a bizarre experience looking back. Also yeah i don’t doubt that some people never get caught sadly.
Was he in the Study or the Conservatory?
Hah. More like prison with nobody around but I’d prefer that.
**spits out elderberry wine in horror**
I almost forgot about that figure in the road, even though it terrified me.
I didn’t notice the figure until someone else had pointed it out, but it was definitely spooky and unsettling.
Maybe it’s because there’s a Nazi scent on the breeze these days (thanks The Boys – among others) my knee jerked: Oreatta’s a Nazi.
I guess that Ghost is just a known entity in the Smutney Family based on how everyone reacted to it. An annoyance who shows up to spook them every once in a while.
Some kind of curse maybe? I remember Swanee talking about that kind of stuff last episode and Milligans father saying I curse you. Perhaps curses and demons are a thing?
Calamita telling the hold up guys he was going to find them no matter what may be a hint that he is going to be killed and still come back for revenge.
Yes, The way Zelmare immediately sensed the presence of the Spectre in the tub indicated that she knew exactly who was there, without needing to look around.
Well, the Roulette family anyway. Thurman doesn’t look like he senses much of anything.
In my opinion, I dont think the guy playing Thurman really works for that part. He looks he could be Ethelrida’s older brother, rather than her father, and he has no chemistry with Dibrell.
On the other hand that scene with Zellmare and the ghost was chilling , watching her face as the snowman is passing her to visit Swanee.
Zelmare seemed to be unfazed by that spooky character. I assume it’s the same entity that Swanee asked Dibrell about in the last episode (about how it followed their family to KC from Mississippi).
Except for maybe the very satisfying scene where the guy faces his victims last season, I could do without all the supernatural BS on Fargo.I hope that sort of eyerolling BS doesn’t diminish this season.
Seeing the supernatural used three seasons in a row kinda presents a pattern. Idk if it’s all Coen Brothers homage. The UFO out of left field could be traced to The Man Who Wasn’t There. Last season’s comeuppance for the Russian hitman was interesting. It took place in a Lebowski type setting, sure, but the Narrator character was maybe the more important reference in that basically, the show presented this unkillable super-hitman … and so Fate or God Himself had to step in and pull this character off the board. But because the show set it up, weirdly, in the opening scene of the season, it plays out … yeah, weird and obtuse and sorta satisfying. With creepy ghosts this season (and in the music and fire imagery) I remember thinking “Hey, now they’re doing an homage to Sam Raimi!” which is fine by me. He’s Coen Bros adjacent.
Yeah, the hitman’s comeuppance, along with the Narrator character’s earlier scene in the bar with the cop were such great scenes that I’m glad they were there, unlike the gratuitously random deus ex machina UFO nonsense.
I still love the part where automatic doors wouldn’t open for her, leaving her to sometimes wonder even if she existed (I think about that now whenever I have to wave my arms at a door), and I still laugh when I think about the other cop pinching her, along with the other cop’s immediately frank discussions of her reproductive efforts, and the little cartoon in the middle.So I’m giving the supernatural stuff a pass for now, but I hope it works. I mean, it’s a funeral home. I imagine a kid living there’s imagination’s gonna run wild now and then.
Zelmare made a reference to “Mean old Mr Snowman” after the guy came out of the tub.
I immediately thought that the “ghost” was a sign of the schizophrenia that both Ethelreda and Zelmare have (runs in the family).
Well, the lesson here is: Always hire a professional to launder your money. I have a feeling Loy’s penalties are a bit harsher than the IRS.
I’ll serve you an audit… in hell!
I did enjoy the fact that “launder” was taken literally in this sense.
“Regardless, it looks cool”were u seeing the same CGI fire I was? looked ridiculous
Putting aside for a moment the fact that the Fadda truck could have literally just driven through the flames, just like Loy’s crew did, how exactly did the Cannon men walk through the fire in the first place?
It looked like the fire had a spiral walkway for them to get through when it showed a shot from above. I figure that is why their shadows kept appearing on different sides of the truck..
An overhead shot of the flames showed a kind of labyrinth pattern that would allow the Cannon men to walk in on a spiral.
Something I noticed tonight… As someone who’s lived there I haven’t seen anything that says “Kansas City” about this series at all.I certainly don’t expect a show like this to be a documentary about where it’s set, especially since it was evidently filmed in Chicago, but the setting just seems so… generic which wasn’t the case in previous seasons.
https://www.thecinemaholic.com/fargo-season-4-filming-locations/It looks like they shot a lot in Chicago as a stand in for Kansas City, but I agree it doesn’t have a really strong sense of place.The slaughterhouse was the most obvious attempt at grounding it in Kansas City, with Lemuel being a huge fan of Bop and Charlie Parker being the other.
As someone who doesn’t live in KC and never has, I also feel the setting doesn’t feel like a character as it has in past seasons. One of the things I loved about season 3 was those sweeping wide shots of a snowy “Minnesota” (Calgary served as a good stand-in).
Yeah, needs at least a couple of shots of the downtown, Plaza, or 19th and vine. Or a boulevard/fountain combo or two. So many classic vistas to choose from in KC!
Go figure, I live in Minnesota and the one thing that’s taken me out of the show in past seasons was how clearly it was not shot in Minnesota. It wouldn’t be a big deal if they didn’t use the names of real towns and cities and then pick Canadian locations that bear no resemblance to the actual places as stand-ins, but they have constantly. (Duluth, for example, is a city of steep hills on the coast of an enormous lake—it has a pretty distinct look that’s not just “a snow-covered place.”) The Coen brothers are from the Twin Cities and shot the movie in Minnesota, so it was sort of jarring to go from that, which got the references so right to the show, which was clearly made by outsiders.
Pretty sure the ghost first appeared at the end of ep 1. As the camera pans across the street to the nurse talking in the window- there is a solo figure briefly visible in the middle of the street. Totally spooked me at the time.
Haven’t seen the latest episode, but man this season has been a snore.Things I come to Fargo for: Very likable hero characters (Molly, Gloria Burgle, basically the heirs to Marge Gunderson.)Creepy, weird, scary, charismatic villains.A whole host of quirky characters in between.Clever plotting.The first three episodes had almost none of that. The most Fargo-esque element is obviously Oretta Mayflower and she pales in comparison with the better characters from the shows’ earlier seasons.I will probably give this season 2 more episodes.
Tastes vary of course — so far I’m loving this season, it’s up there with the second season for me.I think Ethelrida is going to turn out to be the Molly Solverson character who puts all of the pieces together, as suggested by her narration in the first season. She’ll obviously be more of a Nancy Drew type than a cop.I think the complaints about some things — the detective’s tics, the drawn out Ipecac — are fair. But I’m enjoying the overall mix of characters a lot, and I think this episode’s turn for Josto in his confrontation with Gaetano makes it more understandable what put him in charge besides inertia.
I think Hawley knows having the avatar of ultimate good be a cop doesn’t jell well with the current climate. Also it makes this season more unique to have the law not be shown in a positive light.
Patience will hopefully be rewarded. I am enjoying the ride so far… I LOVE Olyphant and Huston anytime, I don’t dwell on tics or odd characters, it all works out somehow with this show every season. I do think Ethelrida is a bit of a dog whistle, much more going on than we are seeing and the one to root for…
I just can’t with Gaetano. He’s a monster from a Bugs Bunny cartoon. He’s not even a character, never mind a Fargo villain.
Chekov = the guy on Star Trek. Chekhov = the playwright who said “If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the
following one it should be fired. Otherwise don’t put it there.”
Haven’t done this in a while, let’s see if it works for this season of Fargo:A List of Fictional Characters Ranked by Their Success (or Lack Thereof)The Answerability Edition1) Deafy “We dissuaded them of that notion with a noose and some horses.” Marshall Wickware isn’t fooled by Odis’s fake informant gambit, or impressed with Gaetano and Calamita’s tough talk and crazy eyes. Sure, he missed out on Zellmare and Swanee last episode, but the fault for that lies more with Odis and the local police than with him. In true Raylan Givens style, he hasn’t yet had a confrontation he didn’t come out on top of, verbally, at least.2) Josto “What is it today, with everybody talking back to me like we’re having a debate?” Josto got a nice ride, some marks on his neck, and fluffy white powder to put him in the right frame of mind. Oh, and he also got a moment of dominance over his psycho brother. But it all came at the cost of a lot of aggravation, and his future plans put a lot of weight on Odis’s twitchy shoulders. I’m not holding out hope of him holding on to this position.3) Loy “What’s that like, killing your own family?” “Nobody’s dumb and smart at the same time.” Gains 100 guns, possibly the devotion of Mort Kellerman out of Fargo, and his own money back, albeit with the cloying scent of Swanee’s vomit lingering upon it. Part of the problem with Chris Rock as Loy, and with big-name stunt casting in general, is familiarity. Every once in a while Loy will make a face that’s straight out of Rock’s ornery old man impression, which I’ve seen in dozens of standup bits, sketches, and movies over the past 30 years. Suddenly, I’m not watching a Kansas City crime boss under pressure, I’m watching a famous comedian doing a squint I’m conditioned to find funny. Rock’s more successful in this role when he’s doing less visible acting, as in his confrontation with Thurman, or his talks with Doctor Senator.4) Oraetta “When you sleep with a mouth full of razors, it’s your own throat that gets cut. Believe you me.” Things with Josto escalated quickly, from handjobs to breath play. However, you could see in her eyes that Ethelrida’s admission of weakness probably left Oraetta more satisfied than Josto did. Still, Ms. Mayflower’s limits come peeking out this episode, as both Josto and Ethelrida leave her making excuses after correcting her on basic issues of fact (though Josto was himself wrong—Casablanca was shot in Arizona and the WB lot, not in Casablanca or Istanbul).5) Zellmare “Tell her don’t let any sorry ass cut in front of her in line” “Uh, what line?” “Any line” Zellmare is a cool character in that she’s a loving sister, aunt, and lover, while at the same time being a coldblooded killer and thief—the opposing concepts give her more depth than a lot of the characters who’ve gotten a ton more screentime this season. Not sure what’s up with Mr. Snowman, but if he’s an omen rather than just a transient stress dream, Swanee has bigger things to worry about than a little Ipecac poisoning. 6) Thurman “All that matters is your daddy fixed things.” Yeah, Thurman’s the goofy white mortician, but he’s almost impossibly naive in matters of thieves, loan sharks, and his own wife. He gets what will doubtless be a short-lived feeling of relief, and Dibrell doesn’t even get that.7) Ethelrida — Gains a buck, a dangerous secret, and Papa Fadda’s ring, but loses her notebook. Honestly, this one’s on Oraetta: if you’re a serial killer with a trophy room, you need to keep that shit locked. No exceptions! The big question right now is whether the specter hanging over her is there because of the Cannon Syndicate, or the murderer across the street.8) Rabbi “I laid on the kibosh, but the boy saw my fangs, no doubt.” No good deed goes unpunished for Rabbi, who gets his hand slashed by Loy while seeing Calamita, instigator of the murder attempt on Lemuel, get his wrist slapped by Josto. But Rabbi’s eternal head-down slouch is a sign that he’s used to this being his lot in life. Refusing Loy’s bribe brings up a question. Last week, it seemed his first loyalty was to the hostages, Satchel and Zero, people whose shoes he’s stood in and with whom he identifies. But maybe his true loyalty is to the hostage system itself, more than any of its victims. Maybe his real interest is just seeing that the hostage swap is played fair and square (until the inevitable double-cross, that is).9) Violante “I sleep in a closet, with a stuck hanger in my jacket, so I don’t fall down.” Not exactly sure what this means, but I think I get the gist. Consiglieri Violante’s episode is spent in uncertainty. Are they pretending to be at war or at peace with the Cannons? Is he going to New York to tell them everything’s okay, or to get reinforcements? Is Gaetano or Josto in charge?10) Calamita — Gains a real recognizable scar, and gets dunked on by Deafy, Josto, and Omie, a Cannon enforcer whose name I only remember because I had closed captioning on. He’s a menacing-looking guy, but you have to start wondering after this and last week’s confrontation with Rabbi, if he’s really all bark, after all.
I think it’s pretty clear Deafy is going to be completely misled by his prejudice to some kind of tragic end for someone.He’s the kind of officer who will shoot first and make up an alibi later, figuring that nobody will believe a Mormon is lying and a Black or Italian person is telling the truth
Yeah, it was telling that seeing that Thurman was Dibrell’s husband seems to have inspired him to kick the Smutney front door in.
Mort Kellerman’s favor won’t do Loy Cannon a lot of good. He got whacked by Dodd Gerhardt in a flashback in season 2.
I thought the Dodd flashback was later in the 50s but wikipedia says it’s 1951. So the Kellerman gang might help Loy out, but they better get a move on, ‘cause bad times are coming.
Personally, I’m waiting on the big reveal of how Rabbi Milligan is related to Mike Milligan (of Kitchen Bros. fame).
It’s a good question. According to the wiki, Mike Milligan was born in 1949, so he’d be an infant during the events of the show.
I like this list. Keep it up.
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There’s some further reveal coming in Rabbi’s flashback.
On Rabbi:who gets his hand slashed by Loy while seeing Calamita, instigator of
the murder attempt on Lemuel, get his wrist slapped by Josto….he’s used to this being
his lot in life.
Very good, very astute. This is great., and I’d love to revisit the list near season’s end.
Deafy when full Bugs Bunny pulling out a carrot to chomp on while threating two gangsters with being drag to death.
I don’t agree with your Calamita take at all. A young Calamita was the first one through the door when they ambushed the Irish, stabbing the guard in the eye and then blasting away. He’s clearly their ace. And what was he supposed to do when three guys have shotguns on him? That was definitely tough guy material. A guy who sees his compadre get set on fire, faces three killers with shotguns, and gets a hole burned in a face, all while standing there stoically and with total composure, is definitely not a man who is all bark.
Oh, he’s definitely supposed to be the Faddas’ ace, which is what we got from the flashback, and what we may get again next ep, based on the preview. But since the flashback, the show’s largely used him to establish other characters’ bonafides by having them dunk on him. And there’s always the risk that if you do that too much, the character just becomes Worff on TNG: a character whose main purpose is to show us—by getting his ass repeatedly kicked—that other characters are really threatening, but who seldom kicks much ass of his own.I mean yeah, it’s impressive he didn’t flinch while getting branded, but they could’ve just shot him in the face and it wouldn’t have mattered how stoic he looked before it happened. He would’ve just been an enforcer careless enough to stumble into an ambush after he tried to assassinate the rival crime boss’s son. IIRC, Senator gives Omie a pointed look during the breakfast scene with Violante that said “What the hell? Why didn’t you just shoot him in the face?”
Great to have you back doing these. Hope you continue!
Violante is right, but he might shoot up the rankings soon? He was cipher for uncertainty about the war. Yes, the mob war seems inevitable, but because every escalation is from either an error that everyone soon picks up on OR is the predictable result of every mob movie (aggressive younger brother challenger plus Loy as reluctant expansionist- which is kind of interesting idea but underdeveloped).
That the Fadda family has turned into a brother’s quarrel is disappointing. Did they takeover or eradicate the Irish and Jewish mobs and to what extent? Correct me, but don’t some of the Fadda henchmen look like era type Irish and Jewish mobsters?
This is even crazier note, but didn’t Oraetta say she was making Ethelrida her “special project”? Maybe as in she’s trying some even clumsier Palpatine and Anakin dark side persuasion? Is that why she “forgot” to lock the door and her cat is also some unknown soul? Plus, she’s transferring murder ghosts with her poison? Will journal become cursed?
Idk, but season seems geared for a war and it’ll pull ol’ swicheroo and keep pulling these false starts until Ethelrida exposes Oraetta as she tries to further for some reason. All based on hazy speculation of first scene of Ethelrida doing hard math problems and rolling her eyes about “victors” and “winners.”
Can’t say my speech is precise enough to convey my reckoning about these matters, but I enjoyed this power ranking and echo others who say keep it up!
Violante could definitely shoot up the rankings, depending on who or what he comes back from New York with.I haven’t noticed any obvious Irish or Jewish types in the Fadda gang, aside from “Rabbi” Milligan. The way he’s ostracized among the Faddas makes me believe there aren’t any other Irish (or Jewish) elements in that organization, although it’s possible they’re there and they just avoid the turncoat who betrayed their former organizations.Oraetta sends out mixed signals. When she said the special project line, it sounded the way you’re interpreting it, like she wanted to groom Ethelrida. Then she sent Ethelrida’s family an ipecac pie and in this episode seems to have forgotten about her offer completely. Confusing things even more is that the last time we heard a line about someone in a Coen Bros. project making a character their “special project” it was a death threat (in No Country for Old Men).I’d be surprised if Oraetta’s capturing souls or anything else supernatural, since her entire persona seems to be based around science rather than spiritualism (there’s the whole “Sagittarius” thing, but a disturbing number of people talk about astrology as if it was a lost branch of astrophysics rather than a mystical belief system).
Not entirely sure what to make of it, but it seems purposeful.The premiere had Duke Ellington’s Caravan as a set piece accompaniment.Then when Ethelrida cleaning Oreatta’s apartment the music was, a Danielle Darrieux number with the exact same meter and key changes.Or maybe just interesting happenstance.
See my comment just above. The soundtrack is on point.
The devil/ghost is credited as ‘the snowman,’ making his first appearance under the streetlights at the close of episode 1. You can check my work, but it’s factual.
During Loy and Rabbi’s confrontation, can someone explain to me why Rabbi at one point put up his hand near Loy’s face and said, “Mommy” (at least I think it was Mommy)?
I thought it didn’t quite track either. Best I came up with was, since it was coming after Loy saying the Italians weren’t Rabbi’s people, Rabbi was replying sarcastically. (As in, “Oh, and I suppose YOU’RE my Mommy here to save me – when our skin tones don’t even match?”)
I thought that was pretty obvious. Loy was saying Milligan is Irish and doesn’t fit in with the Italian crime family but Rabbi knows he would never belong with the Cannons either so he has no reason to betray Josto. For now.
I guess sometimes I’m not “Fargo” smart enough to get these kind of moments.
While watching I got the sense is what you mentioned, but it felt really out of character for no-nonsense Rabbi to suddenly be sarcastic and oblique. Maybe it was Ben Whishaw’s delivery.
Good thing this show is on. Now I know that Racism Is Bad.
this show’s not…goodsorry it’s just references and cool schtick and self-consciously sui generis demographic cross-study pulp from concentrate mixed up and nothing matterssame with Joker and Trudy Ecktive and Watchmen (probably idk) and basically anything else lately whose only driving motive is to bombard you with so many flashy distractions and dope-ass references and titter-inducing cult minutia that you potentially overlook its complete and utter lack of a soul or a point
I take issue with comparing it to Watchman (I don’t know the others). But, as someone sick of super his anachronistic soundtrack choices, I am appreciating the beautiful arrangements of the Fargo theme for brass and winds, and the subtle shifts in mode. Paying attention to the soundtrack and cinematography pays off – that’s where a lot of the character and plot nuances lie.
Yeah see that’s the thing, I feel like just constantly trying to get the plot is a sign that there’s not much deeper here. Does the plot mean anything, or is it just really fun to try and guess what will happen?
Uh hot take dude
You’re… wrong.
i would say give watchmen a proper shot. i went in presuming i would hate every second and i think it was some of the best tv i’ve ever seen.
Sorry yeah that was a misfire. I’ll give it a shot. I’m just wary of any “Hey it’s IP but only kinda IP it’s also something else” media
There’s this weird tone thing so far that I am sure others have noticed:The black cast is playing it dead straight, but about half of the white cast is playing like they are in an old timey Warner Bros cartoon from back in the day when they were pretty free with rude stereotypes. I’m wondering if there is a particular reason that will become evident, or if it’s just a weird stylistic choice.
You’d think with Chris Rock, they’d have a little more levity with the Cannons, but it’s Aunt Zelmare that’s probably the goofiest of the black cast. So yea. It often feels like two different shows depending on who’s onscreen. And sometimes at the same time, like Elthelrida’s parents. Mom is straight and serious, Dad’s meek and dopey. Rather than feel like a believable couple (The Blumquists) they’re a sitcom trope.
That’s been my problem as well. Every actor seems to be on a different show, even ones who are sharing a scene. I’m not sure what the Italian brother is going for, but it’s not working at all. Super distracting and unintentionally hilarious. Any time he’s on screen, I end up voicing what I assume are the director’s notes, “That’s good, but I feel like it could be bigger, just really exaggerate every single thing you’re doing.”
The faces he makes when he’s drunk remind me a lot of old silent movies where the bad guy was totally over the top. All he needs is to start twirling his mustache.
How long does Ipecac stay in the system because Swanee looks like she might need a trip to a doctor?
“Molten gun stock”? Uh, no.
I’m rapidly losing interest in this season. Maybe it’s the glacial pacing or mostly uninteresting characters, but mainly, it’s the Oreatta character. I just find her to be a mashup of a bunch of cliches and not particularly interesting. I don’t care about her motivations, and I don’t really care about what she’s going to do next. And the Fargo accent couple with dark undertones is well beyond tired at this point.
That’s kinda where I am with it. Some elements are interesting, but this is starting to feel a lot like how Season 3 dragged its feet until Mr. Wrench showed up on the bus and shit really took off the last couple episodes. I just feel like the plotting doesn’t have much tension. Season 1 and 2 both had this continuous, dreadful tension that kept you watching and binging. There’s just too much fat in this season – too many characters, too many plot threads to follow in too few episodes to give them any depth. Season 1 revolved around Malvo, Lester, and Molly, and that was it. Her dad, Key+Peele, etc. were all minor side characters not really key to the plot. This season has, somehow, like 10 main characters we have to keep track of.
I love the cars in this, hope someone does an article over on Jalopnik at some point. Only complaint is that, like most movies that use vintage cars, they all look like they just rolled off the showroom floor (i.e Dazed and Confused). No beaters.
Calamita was branded on the cheek with a molten gun barrel. The stock is the other end.
There’s something to be said for the comfort of regularly scheduled programming. I’m used to Fargo coming on earlier in the year, so I’m frustrated it’s airing against Sunday Night Football. In my house, it will lose every time. Did you see that game? Russell Wilson is an assassin.That said, the pie plot worked out great! Now let’s hope having dark secrets and letting a 16 year old girl snoop around your house to easily find them, makes sense.
‘Start with the creepy opener. It’s possible (it’s always possible) that I missed some set up, and there is an explicit explanation for both Ethelrida’s apparent waking nightmare, and the out-of-focus figure who rises out of the tub in Zelmare’s hotel room—if I did miss this, apologies, and I look forward to several comments informing me of said fact.’
At the end of the first episode you can see the creepy guy standing on the street. Other than that I don’t think there was much to miss.
How did Loy know what teenage Rabbi did on the night the Italians ambushed the Irish?
The same way Ethelrida knows enough about mob dealings to narrate the whole story: it’s local lore that gets passed around. I’m guessing people at funerals like to gossip and she has probably overheard plenty.
The guy who plays the brother Gaetano lays it on a bit thick at times, reminds me of Nacho Libre. I keep expecting him to say “take it eeessseey”.
Can we all just admit that, unless there is an epic turnaround in the back half (one not indicated by the writing or characters so far), this will easily be the worst season? At least 1&3 always vibrated with wicked, pulpy life when certain story elements fell flat (and Season 2 was an unqualified masterpiece). But this season is the first that seems to be earning the groaning “prestige TV” pejorative. No way the Coens and Hawley wanted this show to become “slower, talkier Boardwalk Empire”, but that sure looks like where we are so far.
Pardon me for my silly question, but why would the other characters know, or assume to know, that Swanee is Native American? She doesn’t tell them, so they would have no reason to think so. And she’s played by a white actor. And the show is set in 1950. I can’t fathom why anyone would reach that conclusion.Editing because I just noticed her father is Chinese. But my question still stands