Fargo season 3 !

CAN'T WAIT!!!

so EXCITING!!!!!

The first 2 seasons were really good. Also Carrie Coon is in it and I really liked her in The Leftovers and Gone Girl.

Ewan McGregor has such a remarkable face--he can looks extremely handsome or like a total skeez.

I'm glad to see he's doing serious acting again, after taking a ten year break from it cashing in with the Star Wars movies.

If this is just the first episode, this season is going to be really good

I'm kinda not feelin' it.

More, "Oh, he killed 'im, doncha know" Minne-SODA accents, more snow, more stupid people doing stupid things and the wizened cop following slowly behind like a basset hound.

A big ham with a big cock. Terrible actor.

TRAINSPOTTING 2 is terrific, go see it.

Loved him in Angels and Demons

I keep thinking I'm watching Matthew Rhys in The Americans when McGregor is playing the parole officer brother. He sounds like Rhys doing an American accent and he's wearing a wig and mustache like Rhys does as Philip Jennings.

I'd like to kill the person who chose the music for this episode

This season sucks donkey balls so far. Snoozefest.

Russian mafia, a murder, the analog old-fashioned female cop retrieves a phone book, ex-con gal pal rubs pussy blood on art, a car gets smashed up in a parking lot.

Yeah, I'm starting to see the cracks that some critics are talking about. The police department being part of the library is UFO-level absurd and too precious at the same time.

McGregor isn't pushing himself enough and Thewlis can't get past the fact that he's just an average actor. I can literally see the wheels turning in his head when he's ACTING and the jokey teeth aren't helping either. He obviously got his inspiration for the whole menace schtick from Christoph Waltz which -- as we now know -- is not a good idea. I also cringed every time the Asian guy did something. Not an actor, that one.

It's refreshing to see so many posters here not feeling it because the people at AV Club are creaming themselves over this. Those bitches cleaned my cock for the slightest of criticisms last week so I'll just leave them to their wankfest and not bother them anymore.

I like it a lot.

And, r14, your clock can remain dirty for all I care.

Sorry r14, I thought it was your clock that was dirty.

Of course your cock is dirty. Who would expect otherwise?

R16 Couldn't even land the most innocuous of jokes. Pathetic. No wonder you like this show.

Well, I'm liking it so far (2 episodes in). It's going to be hard to live up to season 2 though.

THIS IS A TRUE STORY

THIS IS A STORY

STORY

loving this. and fyi, many very small twons do not have separate buildings for civic use. cop store in a library is very possible.

R18 Yeah, I think I'm not warming up to it precisely because the second season was so amazing. I'm also becoming more and more aware of how the sausage's being made, i.e. the formulaicness of it all, and it's losing its freshness fast.

I [italic]did[/italic] love the establishing shot of the library/police station in the recent episode. I want to live in that shot for the rest of my life. Looks so incredibly cosy and welcoming and conveys what this part of Minnesota's supposed to be like perfectly.

R19 They were [italic]inside[/italic] the library, though, taking away space from the kids in the children's section. I have a feeling even cops in the smallest of towns wouldn't do that.

It's OK so far but no where near as good as the first two seasons.

how can you tell how good it is, its just started. Fargo always takes a bit to begin rolling. and the dark humor is so well done, as usual. glass walls? check. hummer rampage? check. and does rich boy Stussys partner have the hots for him? i've been getting a certain gay vibe from him.

I liked season two better than season one because i didn't like/believe the Billy Bob Thornton character.

I liked season two the best so far. I think the connection between seasons two and three is the sci fi/UFO angle.

I don't think Ewan McGregor is an interesting actor in this. I think his makeup while playing Ray is distracting. I'm always aware that I'm watching Ewan McGregor in a lot of makeup and a wig. Reminds me of The Americans, where the two main characters are always wearing wigs and fake mustache/beards.

I don't know the actor David Thewlis, who plays this season's ultrabad guy, but his fake teeth are on my nerves. He's no Mike Milligan or Hanzee Dent. And the Russian and Asian guys are no Kitchen brothers.

I'll keep watching it because let's face it, what else do I have to do at 10 pm on Wednesdays? I think season two spoiled me because it was so good.

Fargo is an absolutely great show and I look forward to seeing this someday. But I have to tell you, every time I scroll by this thread I think I'm seeing a picture of Cosmo Kramer.

[quote] More, "Oh, he killed 'im, doncha know" Minne-SODA accents, more snow,

Sorry we're not interesting to you.

Actually, I'm not sorry: you sound like an asshole, so I'm not very interested in you either.

Love McGregor, but not here. Both characters he's playing just feel forced. I'm not digging this season in general, frankly, but I'll give it a few more episodes.

I love Thewlis, though. He's hysterically funny. I specifically loved his discussion with the parking lot attendant.

It's not good. Such a disappointment. I can't stand McGregor and David Thewlis. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is bland. I love Carrie Coon but not enough to stick with this. I'm out.

Why do people get so bent out of shape just because someone doesn't like a show they do? I loved seasons 1 and 2 - and no - season 3 has not been that great, so far. Why are people cunts for having that opinion?

Fuck me my pussy is wet

Haha, a MinneSOD-dun getting smug. What a laugh. Enjoyin' all dat snow, eh, R25? Must be nice havin' tuh drive everywheres for da food and da movies, huh? Wad a glamer-ussy life ya must lead, huh?

Really funny, feelin' smug an' all, 'spechully what with yunz bein' so dopey an' havin' a TV show about how gullible yunz are, being' infested with them Russian mafia types an' all. No wonder yunz love the Trump up dere.

R23 Your point about the UFO/sci-fi angle sounds so interesting! I hope they make that connection.

R26 But that conversation has been done with the black guy in the last season already, and with Billy Bob and the thug in the first season as well. Is it really that funny for the third time? Also, I cringe whenever I hear business people talk in such a roundabout, flowery, and unconcise way. And it only ever happens on TV. Sure, let's all laugh at poor people for wanting to communicate effectively when on the clock. How working class of them!

I don't know, watching big city people humiliate the smalltown folk was never my idea of fun.

[quote]More, "Oh, he killed 'im, doncha know" Minne-SODA accents,

Don't get this objection, which I hear sometimes. It's like someone objecting to Scottish accents in a crime/black comedy-anthology set in Scotland. That's the accent in the area. not everyone has it, but many, many people actually do.

My nephew and his family moved to Minnesota and the accent drives him crazy. He doesn't want his kids talking like that. I said, "Bitch, you're from Lawn Guyland. That annoying accent you think you don't have? Yes, you do."

R14 I like David Thewlis ok. He's also playing the baddie in Wonderwoman movie this June. Thewlis is always lauded as a great actor by reviewers (especially professional reviewers) but I agree you can see him ACTING. Soft spot in my heart for Remus Lupin though.

R34 I clocked him as a mediocre actor when I was just a teenager watching one of his movies in the theatre and I still think so now. No presence and no range. I'm not bothered, though. Not everyone can be Judy Davis.

I'm more bothered, nay, [italic]offended[/italic], by bad acting. Like that Asian guy who is so clumsy, I almost feel sorry for him. You can't rest on pretty alone when you're doing Fargo, that's for sure. So I'm a bit concerned when I found this in his IMDb bio:

[quote]Andy Yu is one of Hollywood's fastest rising Asian actors...

I love and will always cheer on Asian talent, but they do have to be... [italic]talented[/italic] first.

[quote] But that conversation has been done

Plus Steve Buscemi had the conversation with the parking lot attendent in the movie "Fargo."

I know they like to include things in the tv version of Fargo that have been done before by the Coen brothers in their films, but .....sometimes it gets to be a bit much.

One conversation that made me laugh aloud was the judge in season two lecturing Kieran Culkin about Job and the devil. I was rewatching that episode last night and had forgotten Culkin's befuddled "What?" It was pitch perfect

I like the foggy art design and photography this season. The story hasn't grabbed me. Its very pretty to look at.

I keep thinking it Season 3 would be so much better if they had managed to assemble the right cast. Ewan is badly miscast in both roles.

I don't know if he is miscast. The roles aren't that interesting or mysterious. Nor are the other characters, so far.

I agree that Ewan is miscast. He's brilliant, but this just isn't the kind of thing that he does well. Similarly, I think Carrie Coons is a fantastically talented actress (she's out of this world on The Leftovers), but she seems too flinty and complex and fucked up for this role. But maybe there are surprises down the line and their casting will make sense soon.

lets hope so.

R37 Yes! While I bitch about the acting and the storytelling aspect, I constantly find myself wanting to eat some of the shots with a dessert spoon. That scene where the cop is ruffling through her stepfather's books? That's my idea of ASMR right there.

R40 I agree. Not everyone has the range to pull off playing two roles in a TV series or a movie. While I think he's a great actor, he just isn't up to the task in this case. Or maybe he wasn't pushed enough, I don't know. I suspect it has something to do with TV directors directing big name actors differently or even being afraid of pushing them as much as others.

thank godo i have all you major critics to tell me why i have to hate this season sooooo much. i was enjoying it, but now i know better.

(43) Or you could tell us why you are enjoying it.

Again, R43 - glad you're enjoying it. Some of us aren't. Maybe you like hot wings - I don't. It's okay. We can co-exist.

R43 Who's preventing you from not enjoying the show anymore? This is a discussion board, not a re-education camp. Perhaps you could point out the things you really like? Maybe I'll even change my mind on some of them when they're presented to me from a different angle.

R40, Ewan brilliant? Where? Genuinely curious, haven't really heard people lavishing such high praise upon him since 1997 or so.

Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge, Down With Love, Big Fish, Young Adam, Velvet Goldmine. When he's cast properly, he's quite good.

Well, I definitely wouldn't go as far as to call him brilliant, but yeah, agreed that he's capable of much better than he's showed on Fargo.

So when the Russian guy confronted the lawyer in the parking garage, he said his name was Yuri and was asking the lawyer guy about his roots in the Ukraine. That was obviously a reference to the opening scene in East Germany where the guy being interrogated was mistaken for Yuri, who was a Ukrainian immigrant. But since that scene took place more than 20 years before the current scenes, what is the connection?

I guess we've become blasé about such things, but no one's mentioned that the Police Chief's husband left her for another man, and that her son now has a gay dad and stepdad?

Yes we noticed. It's not a big deal.

They should have had two different actors play the brothers. The stunt casting of McGregor in both roles doesn't enhance the show, it makes it worse

"Don't get this objection, " - R32.

It's the affected nature of the actors. They also fake-stutter and break off sentences- stop, ya know- so haltingly and unnaturally that you can almost see the script onscreen.

Ted Danson and Patrick Wilson in last season were much better at alluding to the accent without becoming caricatures.

I'll still watch it all, because it's fun.

Just not getting better. I think my main problem is there isn't one character I've hooked onto or feel any shred of empathy for. They all seem dead inside, and I think it's because they're overplaying the blasé Minnesota attitude. They really are caricatures.

Scott Hylands (who plays the elder Stussy in the first episode) was so hot in his younger days. I remember staying up late to watch the Canadian cop show 'Night Heat' with him and hotty Jeff Wincott, who often showed a prominent bulge. I imagined them as having an intense fuck buddy relationship.

Scott Hylands, packing some Night Heat of his own!

Very interesting sidebar back story on Ennis in episode 3. But it has nothing to do with the main story.

Well, r58, it did tells us how he got his new name.

Which is why he got killed.

I don't give a fuck how he got his name. An entire episode of animation and the boring chief meeting boring people so we can see a name on a toilet doesn't cut it for Fargo. They are in True Detective territory now.

This really is a hard season to get through. What a shame. The first two seasons were great and they grabbed you from the beginning.

Once I had registered that the entire episode was going to be just about the chief's adventure, I started to enjoy it more. It was somewhat dry, though.

The luggage theft and the mystery box were all a bit too convenient for me. Also, if you need to read an online analysis of how those animation sequences connect to the main story, then the storyteller isn't doing a good enough job. Maybe it will be revealed at the end of the season. Or never, as was the case with the UFO last season.

I'd fuck the crap out of that douche cop in the bar if I were her. Just blow his little douche head with my Minnesotan wiles.

that douche cop was from Sunny Philly

R63 I know, that's why I'd fuck him! Been attracted to him since the first season of Philly.

Big disappointment. The chief and her son are two stiff characters without much personality or charm.

The fingerprints of the murderer were identified. It was the dead air conditioner victim. The chief is told this information and then says something like, "Well, let's hope it helps solve this case."

IRL, the case is solved. The dead AC guy killed the dead old man.

ah, but we know better.... and soon the Stussy brothers will too.

well said Allan Sepinwall

In season one, Molly, Gus and Gus's kid were characters who were warm and people you would care about IRL. Lou, too.

In season two, Lou and Hank were good guys who had been to war and knew what was important in life. Peggy was a fine mess who made you tune in to see wtf she was going to do next. And poor Ed. Also liked Karl Weathers and Molly's mom who was very 70s and trying not to worry everyone else. Even liked the girl in the butcher shop and the cerebral palsy kid she developed a crush on, even though he shot at Ed.

But this season.....I don't care about anyone.

R67 I defer to Sepinwall often but I have to go with Mo Ryan on this one; the emperor's buck ass naked.

Seems like the more disconnected from the main story and the kookier it gets, the more some people seem to enjoy it.

They seem to be more interested in making homages to coen brothers movies than in presenting interesting characters and plot.

"I can help!" - cartoon android

Only if you're a script doctor.

At first I thought I'd love this episode and this would be the point where the season would turn around. But alas. Is Noah Hatwley overextended? Or was season two just a happy fluke?

My love for Carrie Coons on The Leftovers knows no bounds, but she's a snooze here.

Yes, r59, but an entire hour of back story, albeit fascinating, and including nice cameos? It was like its own movie.

So he got his fake name from a toilet label? Fascinating. Is Stussy a common midwestern name? I've only heard of it through the clothing company.

It's nice to see that Thing from "The Addams Family" is still getting work.

I kind of understand all the objections to this episode, but I still enjoyed it way more than the first two shows.

Fargo isn't about the story, it's about the telling of the story. Fargo has always been a shaggy dog story. So I don't understand how people who have enjoyed the first two seasons see this one any differently.

Because there is nothing compelling about Season 3. If it's about telling the story then they are doing a lousy job. The characters this year are not interesting either.

I think this season is actually quite a lot like season 1. Many people seemed to prefer season 2 because it dropped you right into the middle of a big story of two powerful crime factions at war with each other. But if you liked Season 1 it's quite perplexing to me why you wouldn't also like season 3.

Too much makeup on Ray and Emmet. They both look fake. I think the stunt casting fell flat

R50, when the lawyer & the woman helping him googled the name on the business card, the computer seemed to take a picture of them.

The two guys came to kill him pretty quickly after that.

I wonder if they'll also kill the woman?

she was no threat. the lawyer was trying to stop the company invasion.

That was hilarious, R80.

Only one Google result in 2010 for a name, and it's a virus that turns into a cam, then kills computers.

Episode three was wonderful.

Connecting huge ideas about our existence & science with a deceptively hoaky murder mystery is what Fargo is about.

The sheriff's journey on the show is fascinating to watch and be a part of.

So far without having to spell it out, we know her mother died, her husband is living with a man, her (briefly) stepfather has been murdered, some aggressive dick is suddenly replacing her in her job!

She's a woman with a full plate.

Why did she "run into" the guy from the plane (Twin Peaks?!)

The animated story of the little robot ("I can help!") was a lot of fun.

This show is so smart. I agree with the posters who find it gorgeous.

"surmise."

Yeah, I can't imagine Ray Wise (the Twin Peaks guy) was cast to do a few lines in a couple of scenes. Will we be seeing him again, I hope? (Of course there were other name actors in this episode who probably aren't coming back, so maybe not.)

The stamp.

i worked on it and it gets crazier and crazier. Don't give up.

They should do a flashback in which Gloria finds her ex fucking a guy.

I hope it gets better. I am "meh" on it right now, where as I was fully invested with the other two seasons by this time. And crazy does not mean good. Good for me is when I can't wait to see what these characters say or do or what will happen to them.

It's not as "amazing" and "legendary" as FX's ads have been harping endlessly. Boring shit.

I get all the existential musings, quirks, and folksy parts about average people that involve cruel and sometimes senseless deaths rooted in greed and jealousy, but it is just not working this time. I know awards shows love it when actors play multiple roles, but as much as I like McGregor, the seams are showing. His accent is spotty to say the least.

Furthermore, there is nothing interesting, scary, forboding or ominous about the villians yhis time. Is Thewlis supposed to be this season's villian from out of town who will charm the pants off of you while slitting your throat? Hmmm...

I think they've been too influenced by Twin Peaks. There is some real Lynchian stuff going on.

I would like that if I were watching Twin Peaks.

But I'm not.

best opening so far this week. had me smiling, chuckling and out right laughing. peter and the wolf, indeed.

The whole episode was several steps up from the previous three. Hopefully, it continues apace.

The Thornton bit was affected, and I still watch Thewlis on mute, but the rest was pretty good. The ending made me giddy with excitement. Go get those perps, girls! And bring down the Illuminati while you're at it.

It dawned on me this morning that this whole Trump saga we're experiencing would make an excellent season of Fargo. Not-too-bright guy with bad hair and a silly speaking voice gets involved in a crime and then, in trying to cover it up, makes things even worse.

r94 if you mute Varga dialogue how do you have any idea where the story is going?

R96 I watch those scenes with CC on. No worries, I never miss a line of dialogue; I'm pretty OCD about that.

Thewlis's voice is quite musical to me.

Yeah, I don't get the Thewlis hate. I think he's terrific here. I know we've seen this kind of character before, but he's killing it.

R98 Well, it's quite mewling [italic]to me[/italic]. I did laugh though when he said "WC" and she didn't understand him. That's how we all call the crapper where I'm from; saves precious milliseconds when you're in a hurry to "drop the kids at the pool".

[quote] dawned on me this morning that this whole Trump saga we're experiencing would make an excellent season of Fargo. Not-too-bright guy with bad hair and a silly speaking voice gets involved in a crime and then, in trying to cover it up, makes things even worse.

Plus the addition of such weirdos as the "season" goes on... Carter Page, Rod Rosenstein, the über cray Roger Stone. Putin. The Russians Trump meets with but won't allow the American media to photograph. Sean Spicer hiding in the bushes. Sarah Huckabee lying like a rug while trying to be cutesy and folksy. The mysterious disappearing and reappearing wife who nobody can understand. The tall, silent son.

It's Fargo + Twin Peaks

I guess Varga's teeth deteriorated from the bulimia.

R102 Yeah, they're textbook bulimic teeth. I was raging at the screen, going "how are you getting your essential nutrients if you just vomit it all out all the damn time?!"

But of course, it's a control thing for him so RDA is the last thing on his mind.

I think Thewlis is always good but his character is so disgusting, it is even hard to look at him, he looks dirty and gross...you just know he smells bad. I started watching him in the 90s so I have been a fan for a long time.

I admit I am not loving this actress but I think she is playing it the way it was written for her...it looks about as bland as the northern midwest can be. I kind of wonder why anyone would live there, unless they just like winter.

Did a lot if Russians settle in Minnesota and the Decodas? Too bad for them, I have only met one really nice Russian (Asian)...they are usually not sweet people.

Decodas

is that some russian hackers?

There were a lot of Russian references this week -- Peter and the Wolf, the Stalin poster, the talk about the KGB ...

I always wanted a decoda ring

watched episode 4. still gorgeously produced. still going nowhere.

Has there been a woodchipper yet in this season? It's been such an "homage" to the movie Fargo so far that I sometimes forget I'm not watching a youtube re-enactment.

Everyone was praising Carrie Coons saying they were so glad she was in Fargo this season, because she's so good in the Leftovers. I wasn't impressed with her in this, so I watched a few episodes of the Leftovers and .....same. Not impressed.

And Ewan McGregor has been equally unimpressive.

Thewlis is not an interesting bad guy. We've seen the poetry spouting, world-traveling bad guy in this show before. He's just gross.

The tone is off. They seem to be condescending to the characters. Maybe the novelty of this local culture has warn off me. The bad girl is completely uninteresting.

Coon is amazing on Leftovers. Here, she's just not ideally cast. She's not of this world; too ironic, too east coast.

I'm still thoroughly enjoying it even if some of the patterns, themes and archetypes are becoming familiar. I can't think of another show that takes such glee in entertaining its audience.

So, what's up with the motion-detection thing? Is it some riff on our (not really the) Chief being a bit of a luddite and off the grid -- doesn't use computers, not on social media, so... she doesn't exist in 2017's world?

"I can't think of another show that takes such glee in entertaining its audience."

DAFUQ does that mean?

Therefore, you and this show do seem like a perfect match.

This is my first "Fargo" season, and I'm enjoying it so much that I went back and binge-watched the entire first season on Hulu over the past few days. Now on to season 2!

The motion detector thing just makes me wonder...what are they trying to say? Is she a ghost? Is her ego so low that she doesn't register? What is the problem?

Well, our "Wolf" uses technology to worm his way into people's lives and to build his empire. Perhaps the lack of technology in her life will end up saving her and the motion detector is just a fun riff on that.

Oddly, Coon's character's issues with the motion detectors is paralleled by her Leftovers character's issues with touch screens. For those of us who watch both shows, it's a little disorienting.

So will the fact that her stepfather wrote science-fiction have anything to do with the UFO at the end of season two??

I'm too lazy to go look it up again, but last night I was browsing Netflix and one of the films I passed through was some animated short about a dystopian future from the perspective of some outdated android and the animation was very similar in style to that used in Fargo. Assuming this was some kind of homage to that story/film.

Fucking loving this show. Season 2 was one of my all fave things. I was worried because I thought the first 2 eps of season 3 were a bit flat, but then there was that glorious episode where she visits Hollywood. So fucking incredible. Shot through with melancholy. I'm hooked. Can't wait to see where this season goes.

did not notice how much i was invested in the last 10 minutes of last nights show until the credits began and i actually took a deep breath and relaxed my body. such a good, fun, awe-ful episode. not to mention the best dad mug. lots of laugh out loud, OMG scenes too.

I'm out.

r125 there's always reruns of Big Bang Theory you can watch.

Five more episodes of mayhem and mayonnaise!

R126, is so lame. If this was a movie discussion you would have brought up Fast and the Furious, thinking you were giving a superior cut down on intelligence. Anyway, this season has become a parody, unlike the other two seasons which were excellent. The characters who aren't boring are cartoons, like the usually excellent Shea Whigham, as the policewoman's sexist new boss. What a shame. And the bulimic British villian? Please.

I enjoyed the last two episodes. There's nothing this season that matches last, but it's fun enough, I guess.

i obviously is building piece by piece. sometimes a viewer has to sit back and let the story unfold. that is why i love Hawley's slow deep burns. and you know the burn is going to be big and harsh when it finally gets to us.

This week's episode put a lot of puzzle pieces on the board; the IRS guy being an amusing one.

I like slow burns. Season two was one. Difference is that I cared about the characters, even the "bad" ones. That is why it could take its time. Everyone here is just a bunch of ticks. The show is not god awfu, but the bar for the previous two seasons is not being met. And when you have someone playing twins the degree of difficulty is extremely high.

don't you mean twins playing twins playing twin?

I'm with R125. This was the episode where I decided this season wasn't working and I'm out as well. Awful and affected; the worst combination.

The gay villain from Legion was insanely handsome so I'll be sad to miss him. Also, that Asian "actor" should really take up an acting class or two. Gurl, no.

Now if you will all excuse me, I have a random woman to beat up. You know, just to raise the stakes. And that's right after I'm done upping the stakes with my nth monologue on how life sucks in my shithole so my act of violence will have a societal and cultural justification behind it.

Totally agree, R134. I don't know what they hoped for this season, but it's not working, and I'm HUGELY disappointed. Bigly, in fact. Seasons one and two were perfection - they made Fargo one of my all-time favorites. This season, however, has been a complete letdown so far. I want to keep watching in hopes it will get better and redeem itself, but I can't see it happening. There's not one character I give a shit about.

Not even Madame President from 'Battlestar Galactica?"

Remember at the end of season 2 when they discovered Ted Danson's house full of those notes with the weird symbols all over them? Never referenced or explained, at least so far.

Personally I really like the Sy character.

There seems to be some debate as to whether Varga peed in the mug and forced Sy to drink it, or if he just rubbed his dick around and then made him drink water out of it.

[quote]Remember at the end of season 2 when they discovered Ted Danson's house full of those notes with the weird symbols all over them? Never referenced or explained, at least so far.

Not sure what you mean by that. It was explained what he was doing in the season 2 finale. Are you thinking that it might be referenced this season?

If it was explained, I sure missed it, R139. I just remember the daughter being shocked at finding those slips of paper all over....help me out-

it was piss in that cup. otherwise why would Sy have been so grossed out. warm piss. nearly made me gag just watching

R140 Ted Danson was trying to develop a universal language that used symbols to allow people to communicate and therefore avoid conflict.

R141 I think the feeling is that most straight men would be grossed out by drinking from an unwashed mug that had been "tainted" by a dick (probably uncut in this case!)

I took it that there was already water in the cup and Varga just dipped his junk in there and sloshed it around.

Yeah, he didn't pee in it, just waggled his nasty junk around in it.

Also, is it just one weird queen bitching here about the "Asian guy" not being much of an actor? Of all the things to bitch about. He is just required to stand there, pretty much. What is so AWFUL about his 'acting' while doing that?

For Pete's sake, I'm wearing a hooker wig.

The girlfriend is going to die.

She's bleeding internally.

Remember the oranges in the pillowcase the Don threatened Angelica Houston with in Grifters?

That's what they did to the girlfriend, she'll die slowly & painfully from the damage to her organs.

Why are people saying the bulimia guy didn't piss in the mug? Of course he did.

Why do people have to announce that they're "done!" with a show? Who fucking cares about your Imperious Pronouncement? "I'm done!" Seriously, just go. And don't let the door hit you on your gigantic head on the way out.

I'm with the "he didn't piss in the mug" team. If he had, we would have heard a sound effect of him doing so. If he had, it would have had some tint of yellow. When Sy was drinking (mainly spitting up) it was crystal clear. This is not the kind of show to ignore those kinds of details.

While I certainly agree that this season isn't as strong as s1 or s2 were at this point, I'm still thoroughly enjoying it.

It is the only show I look forward too but David Thewlis is just soooo gross!

I loved the Dad mug bit, Sy is a such a weasel. Also showing his face while you hear the girl getting beat and then him taking off.

I can never last through a whole series of Fargo. It starts out OK, then all the stilted dialogue, twee situations and ridiculous villains take me right out of the story. Yawn. There's only so much Wes Anderson wannabe I can take.

so, r151 you start each season just to test your endurance? or so you can have something to feel superior about when you HAVE to stop watching?

why bother?

R152 I always believe the reviews and figure I'm the one who just doesn't get it... I'll say as much as I love the original Fargo movie, 2 hours of tweeness is one thing... 8 hours is just too much of a muchness.

This season is horrible. Even Ewan McGregor is awful. The only thing I enjoyed so far was the animated robot story.

This season is great. Even Ewan McGregor is great. The only thing I enjoyed is the episodes each week.

Molly from Season 1 (Allison Tolman) is starring in that new "Downward Dog" series on ABC.

i saw that, but couldn't bring myself to watch it. seems the network is throwing it away, so how good could it be?

It was a mugful of hot piss R143 et al.

WTF is with trying to change what we all saw?

The mug was empty, he picked it up, filled it to the point it made a suction sound when he detached it from his crotch and then it was filled to the brim with piss!

They threatened his wife & put a fucking gun to his head!

R158, upon reflection, you may be right, but then they kind of fucked up on the details. Piss flowing into such a small area would have generated some bubbles and froth and I refuse to believe that THAT character has crystal clear piss.

I am enjoying it, except Thewlis is more than I can take.

R147, what's wrong with announcing "I'm out"? I'm out, too. See how the numbers are piling up? Maybe that says something about season 3.

I agree with just about all the complaints I'm reading here. I'm just tired of hanging in and hoping that I'll start feeling positive about the characters and start understanding how the puzzle pieces fit. Quirky can be fun and entertaining, but completely head-scratching is not.

Good luck to those of you sticking with it. I don't remember the last time I walked away from a show in mid-season, btw.

While I recognize McGregor's good in it, the only episode so far I really liked was the odd one where Gloria goes to LA to research her stepfather's life.

come on, the last episode had it all: stomach churning piss cup, laugh out loud phone convos, that beating at the end. this is one enjoyable show.

Has anyone from the show (writers, director, actors) publicly commented on the mug scene or at least explained what they were trying to portray?

I still think the space ship at the end of season 2 has something to do with the science fiction stories in season 3.

I liked S1 of Fargo (it got better as it went along), LOVED S2, and while I like a lot of the actors in S3 it's not quite doing it for me -- yet. I keep waiting for it to get going already, which is how I initially felt about S1, so maybe there's hope. I like Ewan McGregor normally, but he seems miscast in this. I could have let it go after this week's episode (really, Nikki survived that horrible beatdown and was able to drive home?), but then Hamish Linklater showed up as the IRS agent. (Same thing happened with Taboo -- I was just about out and then Tom Hollander appeared.) I'll stick with Fargo through this season, but unless it pulls its thumb out I won't be back for S4 (should there be one).

R145 No, bitch, we are [italic]legion.[/italic]

If you have a non-speaking role, that just means you have to work [italic]that much harder.[/italic] And he obviously sucks at physical acting, which the casting crew should've caught. Perhaps he blew it out of the park on the casting couch? There [italic]is[/italic] ancient wisdom in that cum-drenched fabric, after all.

It's hard for me to keep being a shill for Asian talent when they put someone [italic]that[/italic] underwhelming on a show like Fargo. So fucking disappointing. He's [italic]very[/italic] pretty, though.

Wait, what?!?

I am so lost right now...

By the way, the piss in the cup was yellow...just so gross. I feel like I might catch something just by looking at Thewlis.

well, no more griping about which brother is played the best by ewan.

I had to look away when Thewlis was picking his teeth. Nasty!

i stole this comment form another site:

I continue to adore David Thewlis. The malevolence with which his teeth feature is the real ominous bass note to this season’s particular rhythm.

so true. teh bad teeth are essential to the character (and evil) of Varga

Loved the interaction between Varga and (not the) Chief.

I still think the girlfriend is going to die from her internal injuries.

But not before she starts the shit-storm that will define this season.

Me too R174. Those two are going to be memorable adversaries.

I loved watching Varga come up empty when he tried searching for her.

The asshole who is now her boss is going to be at the station/library when the Russian thug comes to steal the case file, and " here go hell come!"

It's going to go fast now. It seems like I inhale once at the beginning of each episode, then let it out in a big rush at the end... it's so good.

There are only a couple more episodes, right?

R176 - there are 10 episodes in each season.

Gawd, no fun with one dead bro, bra!

the plot thickens. gloria will take down varga, sy will continue to step in more and more shit.

The most honest character (besides the cops) is turning out to be the jewish lawyer

The bad guys are making a fatal mistake in underestimating the three women they've now made adversaries of.

As Little Edie Beale famously said " they didn't realize they were dealing with a STAUNCH character. A staunch character. I'm telling you there is nothing worse!"

I don't remember the girlfriend's name but I think she realizes that she is mortally injured. She is going to ruin the three creeps.

Also the Varga character alluded to (I think) The Big Fish, so there's someone even scarier( presumably) than these three.

[quote]I had to look away when Thewlis was picking his teeth. Nasty!

He seemed to actually be self-harming rather than just picking his teeth. Just as he purges -- he's got tumblr girl issues.

After the end of the episode before this one, I thought that the beating that Nikki Swango took would be the catalyst for the two brothers getting back together so that together they could take down Varga and his thugs. But then I doubted myself because that's too much of a Syd Field plot point and Fargo doesn't do that. And sure enough the show stayed true to its shaggy-dog roots and suddenly erased a central character due to an accident.

Can someone explain the physics of the glass shard getting into his neck?

David Thewlis' cock in the mug got my cock hard. Had it been filled with his cum, I'd gladly slurp it down and ask for more.

R184=desperate. And sad.

[quote] Can someone explain the physics of the glass shard getting into his neck?

Perhaps it came from the second season's UFO

What was with the bridge playing? Was it just a throwaway oddity or does it mean Nikki's bridge playing mind will help her

R183? Do you remember the end of The Grifters?

The scene with Angelica Houston & John Cusack?

A shard of glass in the jugular vein.

IMO there have been other references to The Grifters in this season.

I think the stamp in it's frame was on the table with brown paper partly around it when the two cops were interviewing the brother at the Stussey office. That would be the third time she'd seen it.

I'm cooperatin' , I'm cooperatin' here!!!

I love this so much... It feels like a Trump World allegory.

and Mr Wrench appears!

Russians, Chinese, taking on huge amounts of debt, fake news stories (Princip's sandwich, moon landing), urination --- what other Trump-related iconography has been worked into the show?

r191 - Ray wearing a wig?

True, Ray has a ridiculous hairstyle. And, it was mentioned tonight, a pot belly

The "good finacially successful" brother (Emmit/Donald), the "bad, misfit" brother who drinks (Ray, Fred Trump Jr) and who dies young and tragically)

other Trumpisms

The IRS audit

Gloria's boss being a stupid, anti-intellectual, belligerent, threatening asshole who talks nonsense (you mash potatoes, you get mashed potatoes). Very Trumpian

I loved Fargo Season 1, only watched one or two episodes of Season 2, but it just didn't grab me. Want to watch Season 3 for Ewan, but will I be confused since I haven't seen Season 2?

no r195 but season 3 is a slow burn. don't expect fireworks from the start. just lay back and enjoy the ride. it gets more intense each episode.

Mr. Wrench is now the only character who's been in all three seasons.

More Trump stuff -- the prison camera was remotely hacked, probably by Varga, who has a framed photo of Stalin on his desk. (Stalin had an economist named Varga, btw). (And Steve Bannon claims he is a Leninist)

Varga is physically disgusting, like Trump is.

Gloria has a strangely immature 12 year old son.

Bears, everywhere. The symbol of Russia.

R198 - are there any social events in your part of the world which you could attend?

"The world is wrong. It looks like the world, but everything's different."

I think a lot of people are feeling that way these days.

R199?

David Thewlis:

“I’ve become very aware with Fargo that [creator] Noah Hawley’s writing is hugely thematic. You see that in the way people analyze it, often wonderfully. And Noah has said that everything in drama for the next few years will be about Trump."

Russia loves Fargo, but they had to edit the parts where Putin is mentioned They eliminated all mentions of his name, especially in the story that was told about Putin and untruth.

Were we supposed to recognize the guy who handcuffed Nikki in jail and tried to inject her?

I felt like I did recognize him but couldn't place him R202.

Last night felt like Twin Peaks.

Nikki just won't go down!

I still think she's going to kill those two guys that beat her.

The new chief is fucking hilarious... Gloria's scenes with him keep getting better. It's like she's already unofficially quit her job but wants to finish this before she takes her kid and clears out of Bum-Fuck.

R202 It was DJ Qualls. He's never been on "Fargo" before, but has had memorable roles in many movies and TV shows.

I thought that was DJ Qualls. But they way they revealed him (after being out of focus for the first few minutes), it seemed like he was a character we were supposed to know.

I don't understand how and why Gloria jumped into the holding cell with gun drawn. How did she get in there? Someone would have to unlock the door to let her in, so why wouldn't that person notice Gloria just drew her gun as they opened the door? Why wouldn't they follow her in to see wtf is going on? Did a UFO drop Gloria in there?

How did Winnie track down Emmit? His wife no longer lives with him. Who would tell her where he was? Wasn't it Christmas Eve? Emmit's office would be closed by the time Winnie could get there.

Was the housekeeping imposter a cop or was it the Asian guy?

What was Nikki looking at in the crime scene photo? She put it down, then picked it up again and turned it sideways and peered at it.

Gloria is a dead ringer for Sally Yates.

Lol! Yes, when the movie of this mess gets made, Carrie Coon would make an excellent Sally Yates.

I feel for Coon. She has such an amazing character to play in The Leftovers, but here she barely registers as a human being. Her standing up and owning her last eight days as chief in last night's episode was the one good character moment she's had all season.

How is Mary McDonnell as Ruth Goldfarb?

McDonnell is so botoxed I could not keep up with her performance. Very distracting. She did not need to do that.

I thought her look was deliberately creepy. She and her husband started out in mortuaries, hence her slightly Elvira look with a touch of rigor mortis.

No, R212, regardless of what show she is on she would look like that because most of these older actresses fall into the trap of getting a bunch of botox or plastic surgery to hold back the years and end up looking terrible. Look at Jessica Lange.

[quote]Was the housekeeping imposter a cop or was it the Asian guy?

No, it was a woman -- presumably a real hotel staffer whom the cops asked to knock on the door. As the cops are leaving we see the Asian baddie watching from his car.

I guess I'm getting early onset alzheimers. Could someone remind me of how Mr. Wrench's story ended in s1? And, wait, he was in s2 as well? I don't recall that! Damn. No more wine on school nights!

Wild theory here -- probably not anything at all -- but what if Varga actually works for Mrs. Goldfarb?

R215 good one!

I was thinking she was with The IRS, but yours sounds more sinister, more "Fargo!"

The Widow Golfarb (snort!).

Varga is antisemitic. Would he work for a Goldfarb?

She looks fine, R313. She's playing a character

[quote]I guess I'm getting early onset alzheimers. Could someone remind me of how Mr. Wrench's story ended in s1? And, wait, he was in s2 as well? I don't recall that! Damn.

He and Mr. Numbers were in Season 2 as younger kids, playing baseball. See link.

R218, she clearly has had plastic surgery in real life, especially in close ups. Why don't you (and another poster) relax just enjoy this show that nobody is watching or caring about this season instead of trying to overhype it and argue with anyone who doesn't think this quirkfest is genius. I am sure it will pickup and become really interesting in the last couple minutes of the finale. Slow burn and all.

R207, I thought Nickki (?) could see that it was the broken frame that the stamp was in.

When they walked her out of the police station (in slow-motion & ominous music) in handcuffs I thought, that's it for Nickki they're going to finish her off.

Now I'm thinking, it's her that's gonna do the finishing!

I REALLY felt bad for her in this episode. The universe seemed to be done with her.

Maybe you have a learning disability R220?

Have you thought about eating shit?

[quote] she clearly has had plastic surgery in real life, especially in close ups. Why don't you (and another poster) relax just enjoy this show that nobody is watching or caring about this season instead of trying to overhype it and argue with anyone who doesn't think this quirkfest is geniu

What?

All actresses have plastic surgery . How does that Iresult in "overhyping" the show? Nobody is overhyping anything.

I think you need to relax.

R221 - but how would she know what type of frame the stamp was in since it was being re-framed and wasn't in Emmet's house when she broke in?

What the CHRIST?

R223, then why were you trying to contradict me with video when I said her plastic surgery was distracting? And, no, all actresses do not get plastic surgery. Don't be ridiculous. See Kathy Bates, unless she was really had by her doctor.

And trying to shoehorn these storylines into something profound about Trump to make it sound interesting? Okay. Especially when the script was likely written before he even won, but you mean to tell me they rewrote it for him? Shame this season is a dud compared to the last two, which were great. It is not a coincidence the head of FX is all but said the show is canceled.

R226, where did you read about a possible cancellation? Do you have a link? Just because this season may be weaker than the 2 previous seasons, it's still a popular and prestigious show for the network.

R226 lives in an alternate universe where this show is cancelled, and where male actors wear wigs, makeup and prosthetics to make them look a certain way for a role and that's ok --- but when a female actor is wearing makeup, a wig and prosthetics for a role, she's had "distracting plastic surgery."

Oh, did you see how bad David Thewlis' teeth look? Why doesn't he get them fixed? And why is Ewan McGregor wearing a curly wig in some scenes, when in other scenes, it's pretty obvious he's gone bald and has a fat stomach? He is so vain, trying to look younger than he is.

What the fuck are you talking about, r228? You dumb idiot, what does McGregor sporting wigs (not extreme makeup or face enhancements) to play twins have do with me saying woman had distracting plastic surgery? Nothing. You are so pathetic. First talk about how you couldn't see it and she looked "fine", now it is all makeup and part of the character? Just enjoy the last new episodes that will ever air for this show.

And yeah, the cancellation is coming from the network chief. FX can only support so many shows no one is watching.

The Inquisitir - news you can trust!

I guess you skipped the executive's actual quotes. Does that read like someone who is excited and chomping at the bit to greenlit a fourth season with such shitty ratings, especially with the other shows on the network also having poor to mediocre ratings? Doesn't he want to keep his job? He is praying to salvage the season in the finale. The number of make goods and paybacks he has had to do must be staggering.

Shame because the first two seasons were great and I would highly recommend them.

[quote] what does McGregor sporting wigs (not extreme makeup or face enhancements) to play twins have do with me saying woman had distracting plastic surgery?

Not surprising you are too stupid to understand. The woman is wearing makeup and a wig to make her character look strange, the same way McGregor is wearing wigs and makeup to make himself look strange, especially as Ray. There is no distracting plastic surgery, as the 2017 video of the actress with her daughter shows.

Noah Hawley has been saying he's not sure if he can come up with season four. He's busy with Legion and has some movies in the pipeline.

Why didn't anyone in Minnesota have a fucking cellphone in 2010?

Slavish idiot r232, she clearly has had plastic surgery and her face cannot move naturally and I find it distracting on the show. Well, I DID find it distracting, because I, like the rest of the audience have given up on this season and stopped watching.

And dumbass, FX is a business run by Murdoch, not a charity. He is not going to support Hawley having two no ratings shows in Fargo and Legion despite big marketing pushes. Obviously Hawley can't do two shows at once. Nor do I expect them to take a public shit on Hawley, but Ryan Murphy can't be the sole breadwinner for the network.

It's one of the smartest, most beautiful shows on television.

Naturally no one is watching it.

Naturally it will be canceled.

I am so embarrassed for how stupid this country is.

This season of this show, as I mentioned before is an allegory of The Trump administration and of civilization right now.

A bowling alley?! Is that what you're seeing right now?!

That woman's face looks exactly the same in those pictures, just a different hairstyle (and color) and different makeup, especially eye makeup.

She looks older, that's all. She obviously [italic] is [/italic] older.

I'm enjoying this Fargo season. There are so many characters you see their flaws first, then like them for their good traits and humanity, then grieve their deaths.

My guess, so far, is widow Goldfarb and Varga are a team. They find a nice profitable business with good assets and terrfy the owners into selling way below market value. The IRS audit is just part of the campaign. That asian goon was so good at mirroring the IRS auditor because that was a part he had played in previous scams. The Varga/Goldfarb gang are a small but very successful operation; quick, mobile and tech savvy. The Fargo group have caught wind of them operating in their "territory" and all hell is about to break loose.

Awesome intubation without a fucking laryngoscope.

I forgot to say that the girlfriend has been dead since they beat her, and the Chief has been dead since before the show started.

Nikki sure is feisty for someone who was almost beaten to death the day before and hasn't had any pain medication. She's able to escape and take off into the woods. Then an arrow to the leg. Keeps running ....

So are they all in purgatory?

Is nikki wearing rabbit fur?they seem to make a point of showing her fur coat and boots. It would make sense for her to be wearing rabbit fur while being chased by a guy in a wolf head hat

Okay R234.

Okay...

You win.

She's been dead since they beat her to death R241.

I've been thinking of the things the interlocutor told her in the bowling alley since I went to bed last night.

If Nikki is dead then is Ray really dead?

best, most tense episode of the season. that slow burn is flaring up damn good!

I shat on this season from the first episode forward but this was a [italic]good[/italic] one. Well, up until we met Varga again and I zoned out. I've no idea what papers they're talking about and I hate that entire storyline. The Asian guy can dance but can't act properly when idle, is my main takeaway from that actor.

Loved, [italic]loved[/italic] the chase, the surreal bowling scene (if slightly artsy), the concept of generational retribution from those massacred Ukrainians (timely!). Didn't like all the Jew talk.

Also, kittens and stealth gay Christmas couple! A lot more of that, please!

Far and away the best episode this season. Not sure if it justifies all that came before it, but very entertaining.

Here's an interesting detail: I was watching with the captions on, and when the DJ Qualls character said something or grunted something, he was referenced as 'The Golem'. Thoughts?

Russell Harvard in that suede fringe jacket gives me such a boner! I'd like him to grunt-fuck me in the snowy woods.

[quote]I forgot to say that the girlfriend has been dead since they beat her, and the Chief has been dead since before the show started.

WHICH Chief?

R249 "stealth gay Christmas couple"? Did I miss something? When?

Honey, you're confusing "American Gods" with "Fargo." If all these people are dead, why are they interacting with living people?

R253 Gloria's husband and his partner -- they were in the scene where her kid was opening his presents.

R255 Thanks. I saw them. They'd appeared in a previous episode. D'aucun interet.

R255 beat me to it; though the poster probably meant Gloria's partner and his husband, not the other way around. They were wearing exact same sweaters and were very cute.

I posted that I thought The Chief has been dead the whole episode.

Then I thought it might've happened on the "plane" (her bowling alley?) because the interlocutor first appeared to her on the plane...then again in the bar after the horny cop tried to pick her up.

But last night in the Christmas scene the poster above mentioned, I noticed how odd it felt with her in the foreground & the husband & his partner watching that way in the background.

The son seems sad in a way that would be explained by his missing/mourning her. The dad & boyfriend are looking at him/them in a concerned way.

She's not really there. Or maybe the son can feel her presence?

That made me think that she (Gloria?) was murdered when they went back to the step-father's house for the carving he'd whittled for the boy.

She went in and told him to lock himself in. She her the noise upstairs when she found Ennis(?), that's when air conditioner guy killed her.

We also saw her husband & his bf taking the boy away from the crime scene.

R256 Really, they appeared in the previous episode as well? I must have missed [italic]that.[/italic] I'll have to watch it again.

R258, I'd like to have some of whatever you're smoking.

Wait, no; scratch that.

Because "here" is their purgatory R254.

Nicki & Gloria both have unfinished business "here".

The monologue by the Twin Peaks guy in the bowling alley (is that what you see?) wasn't even very oblique.

He pretty much spelled out exactly what is going on, at least for Nicki (and the earless Cossack. Yikes!).

Is Nicki haunting The Parking Lot King?

[quote]We also saw her husband & his bf taking the boy away from the crime scene.

Wait, hold on, I'm so confused right now. Is Gloria's husband still alive but he's now gay? I thought he was dead all this time.

Wasn't the gay couple in the last episode her police partner and his boyfriend? Is that doofus police partner an ex-husband of Gloria's?

R262. She is not divorced from her husband who lives with a male partner.

This was established in one of the first scenes of the show, at the dinner table when Ennis (the first murder victim) makes a snide comment about "the Bible says" about gay marriage.

I get the bowling alley as purgatory. I get the door-openers not seeing the lady cop as a metaphor for death/non-existence.

But why then did the Federal agent see and talk to her? She's a living ghost, not a walking corpse?

R263 Oh, I [italic]see.[/italic] So those two men when the kid was opening the presents were actually her police partner and her husband, not her husband and his boyfriend. But why would they have the same sweater then?

Who do YOU think Laura Palmer's father is in Season Three of Fargo R260?

And what do you imagine he is?

Do you think he is some random stranger who just coincidentally appears to both the sheriff and Nicki, and speaks to each of them of metaphysical & existential matters of their existence?

Being a person who isn't intellectually curious is your business but why would you try to make me look stupid by making a dumb-bitch comment like that?

Why dont you share some of your ideas about what's happening in the show?

Wow, R266; you're really on a binge, eh?

How sad your life must be. The drugs are really kicking now for you, huh?

R265 It's her soon-to-be-ex-husband and HIS boyfriend/partner.

She doesn't even HAVE a partner; that guy worked under her (until after 12/31.) Geez.

R268 Well, the guy that worked under her looks like her soon-to-be-ex. Hence my confusion.

So?! Are we all up to speed on The Gloria's husband who she is not yet divorced from is not the other sheriff's deputy bear,thing?

Yes?

R270 Your comment captures perfectly just how convoluted this mess of a season is. And I usually prey on all the gay stuff in TV series so imagine how the straight viewers must be confused.

Who says they're interacting with real people R254?

Maybe we are seeing the story from the perspective of Nicki & Gloria.

In the season finale, all the characters will be revealed to be living on the other side of the Island from Hurley, Jack and Sawyer. And Leland Palmer will be there. And Nora Durst.

There needs to be a cameo from Haley Joel Osment.

Really, R273. All it needs is a smoke monster.

I enjoy that it's gotten more Twin Peaks-esque.

[quote]Why dont you share some of your ideas about what's happening in the show?

R266 I for one appreciate that you're posting your thoughts and predictions about this show, even if they don't turn out to be true. This thread is so slow already and we're hounding away the one poster who's passionate and intrigued enough by this show to share his own overarching theory. Please continue.

Yes R271 what "The Straights" think should be paramount. Because Fargo's clearly a show for people who think they're better than us.

It's a show for smarty-pants liberal elites!

So happy to hear it's getting cancelled.

I like shows about shoes & clothes, and rich alcoholic whores, shows about the morbidly obese, fast cars that go around & around &around,about dwarves, Christians (with lots of kids & incest!), and homophobic country people, and pregnant teenagers, and poor people getting arrested, and HOARDERS!

Shows for REAL AMERICANS!

NOT gorgeous shows that make me THINK about things!

So,let's get rid of this shit and get back to making & watching shows that make America great again.

Flip the switch America and stop thinking so much.

AMEN R278 /s

Sorry, but why would they cancel the show? It's ratings are low but not LOW low. "The Americans" has been on FX for five years, and is getting a sixth (and final) season, and nobody watches that. (It usually gets 600,000-700,000 viewers an ep, and "Fargo" gets about a million.)

I think what hurt Fargo the most was the incredibly long wait between season 2 and 3. Why they did that I have no idea. All it did was build up expectations. Having a cast crawling with Brits doesn't help though.

It's not completely clear yet what Ray Wise's character represents on the show. Part of the fun of it is not knowing, but we will see (I assume). It's funny how we identify Wise, a veteran character actor. I think of him as that one thug from Robocop, the first place I saw him.

It's a bit silly to say that half the characters are dead. Nikki interacted with multiple living characters after her beating, and of course Chief Burgle has dealt with a million people. Of course Nikki and Wrench might be dead, as may be Yuri, but, yes, that remains to be seen.

They wouldn't cancel it due to ratings but because the showrunner wants to do other stuff on TV and also movies. He's just not so into it anymore.

R280, you answered your own question. Follow the money. FX has a bunch of shows, except for AHS, which is falling, that get poor to mediocre ratings despite critical acclaim. Even if you think they are great, no dough, no show. You can't have multiple shows not bring in any real money. Hell, the mothership just canceled a bunch of non-performers a couple weeks ago in a major house cleaning.

I thought Hawley and Kurt Sutter were creating a little fiefdom at FX like, Murphy, which is any creative person's dream to have full control over their work. The difference is that Murphy has a track record of generally making the bosses money. How do you think Chuck Lorre' s terrible shows stay on year after year?

Can I watch Season 3 without watching season 2? I have watched only season 1 when it was released

R283 [italic]Please[/italic] watch Season 2. It's the best one of the three!

Ok Thanks R284

Technically, no, you don't have to watch season two. Each season is pretty much independent (with little Easter eggs here and there).

But R284 is quite right that you really should watch season two. Season one was pretty good, three has had its moments, but season two is a flat-out masterpiece.

[quote] Even if you think they are great, no dough, no show.

Not true. The Americans had super low ratings for years but the head of FX liked it and green lighted it for 5 seasons. Then he gave it an extra season.

How does a deaf person sneak up on someone? He can't tell if he's making noise or not.

R287, you are still missing the entire point of my post. FX does not have any big money making shows outside of AHS. Murdoch is not going to have a bunch shows on year after year that don't make him any money and he is embarrassingly vocal about it, especially after that expensive Kurt Sutter Game of Thrones failure, AHS ratings down, Taboo being merely "okay" and Fargo's meh ratings going down every season. Trust that if Fargo had boffo ratings or tons of coverage/chatter/buzz they would find a way to keep it going.

And how expensive is The Americans? No one on that show has the clout or ratings to demand a huge salary, unlike McGregor on Fargo, which also had some other "name" actors. If anything, Legion is the new Americans. Critics love it, but no one watches it. Reminds me of a fav of mine, Deadwood.

Varga and Nikki face to face. OMG!

I can't even focus on the message it's trying to convey as everything is so dry and dull.

dry? dull? what are you watching. certainly not this season of Fargo.

R292 I've seen and [italic]loved[/italic] the previous two seasons and this one is dry and dull beyond belief in comparison. No energy to it and the actors aren't doing anything worth mentioning either. They must've been equally uninspired by the script as I am.

Is the FX rating troll posting from 1987? US Live ratings/+ week replays are only a small portion of the decision to keep a show running these days. There's revenue from selling to streaming services to consider, international TV sales/ratings, critical buzz/award potential, costs to produce, etc.

i stole this from a reddit comment because, HELL YA!

The best part of a "slow burn" show which season three has been described as, is that the payoff feels so worth it. The back half of this season has been amazing and a lot of the moments in this episode felt better because we know where they're coming from and that its been building up all season.

R295 Doesn't a comment like that feel slightly out of place before we've actually seen the finale?

If I don't experience a climax and a catharsis [italic]at the same time[/italic] next week, it's not going to be worth it. I'm post-cathartic and haven't arrived in more than a month either, so Hawley better do his best. My body is ready and willing, I know that much.

r295 have you ever read a mystery novel? the payoff doesn't come in the middle of the story. even tho there have been many minor "payoffs" this season.

r296, speaking purely for myself, I am not particularly interested in your erectile dysfunction issues.

R298 Speaking purely for myself, I just love to overshare. Plus, I don't really tend to write my posts with your particular interests in mind.

Maybe a stronger comeback next time? This [italic]is[/italic] DL, after all.

Maybe it is you who is so dry and dull R291?

I told you I was hardcore!

R294, don't be mad your show has terrible ratings. If this show had good streaming numbers and was a hit overseas FX would have reported it like HBO, Hulu and Netflix does. Why do you think Showtime is silent about Twin Peaks after all the build up and hype?

Don't worry, everyone is going to run out and get the DVDs.

I wish it wasn't so weird for the sake of being weird with little or no payoff. The whole Laura Palmer's dad cameos and the "I can help" robot for instance.

Last week, Fargo more than doubled its initial 18-49 rating (0.3 to 0.7) with a week of DVR and on-demand viewing. In comparison, the finale of The Americans increased 150%, from 0.2 to 0.5.

the "i can help" robot paid off this week. and very nicely too.

i missed the I can help robot reference this week. explain?

when Gloria ans Winnie were sitting in the bar, Gloria talkied about the little robot and how she felt like that was her life. always offering to help, but being ignored by every one.

The same people criticizing this are probably the same people criticizing The Leftovers and who kept asking what happened because they don't pay attention.

Can Nikki and Mr. Wrench now have a hot fuck scene? He's a hunk.

More Russell Harvard hotness.

amen r308 shows with texture and subtlety require more than just a casual viewing while instagramming and tweeting to ones myriad of followers.

Sorry, but this season of Fargo is nowhere near as good as The Leftovers. That's like comparing motel room art with something in the Louvre.

I did enjoy the Gloria/Winnie bar scene and the bit where she washed her hands afterward. That was sweet.

How many more episodes? Will it conclude conclusively?

Season finale is June 21.

Noah Hayley says his stories have a beginning a middle and an end, so I guess it will end conclusively.

Obviously Nikki isn't dead, but I'm not sure how to interpret that scene 2 weeks ago with her in the bowling alley. Metaphor or a writer being all "creative"?

I assumed the bowling alley was a sort of limbo/waystation. Nicki and Mr. Wrench got a car and a way out (didn't Ray Wise tell them to take the car out front of something?) and the Russian guy had to stay and face his sins.

Loved Nikki and Mr. Wrench's revenge. I hope they win!

Yet you're STILL watching and STILL posting R303?

Just check in' to let EVERYONE know I don't care for it AND that it was SO much better LAST year?!

How VERY Datalounge!

So... the Widow Goldfarb HAS to have an angle here. Unless bringing her back to be interviewed and having her be evasive about details (like where she's from) was just a red herring -- seems unlikely. I tend to agree with the poster above who speculated that she's working with Varga.

Oh, and fuck yeah to the praise for the welcome return of Mr. Wrench. Russell Harvard is a wonderful actor. I saw him on stage in TRIBES Off-Broadway and he was fantastic. Apparently, when he's not acting professionally, he teaches theatre at a school for the hearing impaired. Can you imagine having HIM as your theatre teacher?

"Can you imagine having HIM as your theatre teacher? "

I will tonight, in bed!

Widow Goldfarb expects to take over as soon as the Stussys all die, get killed or disappear right?

The deaf guy is nice, but I want the Ruskie deeply inside me

🔥🔥🔥🔥

Nikki, NO!!!!!!!!!

Worst finale ever!

Wowy-Wow-wow!!!

So she smiled in the end...hopefully that little smile meant they came and arrested Vargas? Sorry but I would have cheered if he was drawn and quartered, or beaten to death with a claw hammer. Did I miss something?

Well, that's done.

Bye, oh-key?

What's with Carrie Coon and endings that are up for speculation? I would like to see Varga go to Rikers but most likely somebody came and got him out.

You can get away with a lot of crimes in the US now, but not paying taxes isn't one of them. The IRS wouldn't have let Varga go free.

The show's creator recently said that he didn't think there would be a season 4 since he didn't have any ideas, but it looks like he ran out of ideas in the middle of this season and gave us the cheap knock off wide open ending because he couldn't think of a real ending for the season.

No catharsis and [italic]definitely[/italic] no climax for me; just never-ending tedium. One of the worst misses for me were Varga's two henchmen, who were supposed to be full of swag but the actors playing them possess exactly zero amount of that quality. Terrible casting.

Anyway, news about the fourth season:

[quote]Hawley: “I always agreed with FX that the only reason to do another Fargo is if the creative is there. It took 15 months to get Season 2 off the ground, and 18 months to get Season 3 on the air. I have to turn my attention to the second season of Legion and a film potentially the winter after next. We’re looking at three years from now.”

Sorry about your teevee interruptus r332.

i loved the ending. it fit so well with the entire season. lots of random events strung together to form the lives of these characters.

and besides, Sy sort of lived, so there's that...

Season 2 is the winner!

Yes, we'll always have the glory that is season 2

great bookends. the season opens with a bad cop and an innocent(?) man being questioned, and ends with a good cop questioning a bad (but maybe rescued?) man. that Noah is pretty crafty! and again the infinity mirror beside Gloria and Varga.

Anyone notice the death-glare at Emmit from Sy at the holiday table? I laughed out loud!

I was thinking he's probably the only one smiling when they find Emmit in the refrigerator!

Pass the "salad".

The scene with Gloria & her son eating popsicles was such a sweet Fargo moment. Popsicles in the snow. When she tells him "you've got years to be a grown-up, and only three more to be a kid."

I liked that it let us have our own ending. I'm with the poster that thinks they come and take him to Rikers.

Also I believe there was an allegory of The Trump Administration in this season of Fargo, whether intentionally or not.

I enjoyed this so much.

Food eats food.

I really liked this season and hope there is a season 4.

I wanted Nikki to live, but once she shot the trooper she was done for.

R338 One critic noticed the Trump allusion. This season was all about alternative facts.

"Series creator Noah Hawley has said that the end of this season reflects where we are today — stuck in a world of alternate facts and fake news. Who can say for certain what is true and what is fiction? Intertwining the uncertainty of 2017 with the “true story” concept of Fargo is this season’s greatest accomplishment."

From NY Magazine

[quote]Also I believe there was an allegory of The Trump Administration in this season of Fargo, whether intentionally or not.

Oh it's intentional. And while I think that's great, in theory, I wish it had been employed in a different, better story.

There was some beautiful cinematography in this episode, tough. Even the Jell-O salad looked blandly menacing.

All three seasons are shaggy dog stories. So is the movie.

[quote][R280], you answered your own question. Follow the money. FX has a bunch of shows, except for AHS, which is falling, that get poor to mediocre ratings despite critical acclaim. Even if you think they are great, no dough, no show. You can't have multiple shows not bring in any real money. Hell, the mothership just canceled a bunch of non-performers a couple weeks ago in a major house cleaning.

If they cancel all the low rated shows, then they will not have any quality dramas any longer, and then can just go back to showing movies all day and night. Don't think they want to do that. Speaking of "following the money," these quality shows are loss leaders. They may not earn that much in and of themselves, but they bring a lot of attention to the network.

If they don't cancel all the low rated shows, there's no reason to assume they're going to cancel just Fargo, as it's one of the most critically praised shows on TV.

A lot of low rated shows get watched after the season is finished.. sometimes after the series is finished. Breaking Bad was low rated, yet it is still watched by people who never saw it for whatever reason.

R346, you don't know what you are talking about or are lying. Breaking Bad ratings went up every year and were quite strong the last few years. Fargo's are doing the opposite. Furthermore, why can you not comprehend that a network is not going to have endless expensive shows that don't make any money? Outside of AHS, FX does not have any other money makers. Furthermore, some people can pretend that season 3 is some politically laced masterpiece even though it was a mess of plot holes, dropped storylines, stereotypes, ticks, tediousness and from actors, mediocre performances among a couple good ones. Riding off the good will of the first two great seasons.

Loss leader? You are throwing around business terms you do not understand.

Why advertisers still love "Fargo" after fans have changed the channel.

"I think the value of an advertiser choosing ‘Fargo,’ or the FX brand, is they are reaching a specific upscale and targeted audience," said media analyst Bill Carroll. "There is a positive rub off of being associated with something of that quality. While you certainly hope there will be enough of an audience for the show to be perceived as successful, the ratings are no longer as critical."

Why do even threads about tv shows attract rageholics nowadays ? Politics....I can understand how people can lose their grip and go overboard. But tv shows? Namecalling people who disagree with you about a tv show? That's too childish even for Datalounge.

No one likes a scold either R349.

I loved season 1 and was blown away that they were able to better it with season 2. Season 3? Not so much. Meh.

As ridiculously entertaining as season 2 was, I feel like I'm the only person who preferred season 1. But, yes, as much as I thoroughly enjoyed s3 and though it will no doubt rank as one of the best things on tv in 2017, it's firmly in third place behind the first two seasons.

Season 3 was shit which was disappointing considering I loved season 1 and enjoyed season 2. Too much time devoted to irrelevant drivel. What did the seemingly neverending opening scene in the first episode (set in Germany during WW2) have to do with anything?

opening scene was bookended with closing scene with Gloria and Varga. and explained the motto and moral of the whole season.

Just finished season 3. BRILLIANT last 4 episodes. Was it as good as the other 2? Maybe not but still was stellar television. I actually liked then ending of season 3 better then season 2 which i loved until the ending. Just a great show!

r352 season 1 was my favorite. Malvo was great.

Are season 2 and 3 worth watching?

Season two is DEFINITELY worth watching.

Agreed. Season 2 is fantastic -- in both senses of the word. I enjoyed season 3 immensely, though it is a pretty definite third in quality for me, overall. Much of it feels familiar even though it's a new story.

Season 1 was the best

[bold]'Fargo' Creator Reveals First Season 4 Details[/bold]

[quote]Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Fargo creator Noah Hawley opened up about his vision for the fourth season of the FX crime series, expected to arrive in 2019 (though it hasn't officially been renewed yet). As with the second season of Fargo, which owes its origins to the 1996 Coen Brothers movie of the same name, Hawley plans to tell a story set in the past.

[quote]"I now have an idea that's less in the corner of my eye and more in front of me," says Hawley. "I don't have a lot of time right now to focus on it. What I can say is that it will be another period piece."

[quote]"I'm always interested in trying to expand the definition [of the series]," he continues. "Fargo can be this, but can it also be this? The only reason to make another one is if you're going to do something different. We've made 30 hours of the show so far, and the last thing I ever want is for someone to say, 'You know, it's Fargo. They do their Fargo thing, and it's funny.' If you have this tone of voice and this ability to channel this Coen brothers' sensibility, you just don't want to repeat yourself, because they never do."

It's looking like Season 4 will not air until 2020, which is insane.

Since people were ranking, I'd have to say

Season 2 Season 3 Season 1

[bold]Fargo season 4 to star Chris Rock, make major changes[/bold]

[quote]Chris Rock will star in the fourth season of Fargo, which is making some rather dramatic storytelling changes for the next edition — including seemingly ditching Minnesota (oh jeez!).

[quote]FX announced at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills on Friday that it has officially greenlit a new round of the Emmy-winning series and has cast the actor-comedian. Moreover, the normally ultra-secret show has a released a detailed story description of the long-awaited new season. Fargo season 4 will shift the start of the action from the rural upper Midwest to Kansas City, Mo., plus go further back in time than ever before.

[quote]Here’s the description: “In 1950, at the end of two great American migrations — that of Southern Europeans from countries like Italy, who came to the US at the turn of the last century and settled in northern cities like New York, Chicago — and African Americans who left the south in great numbers to escape Jim Crow and moved to those same cities — you saw a collision of outsiders, all fighting for a piece of the American dream. In Kansas City, Missouri, two criminal syndicates have struck an uneasy peace. One Italian, one African American. Together they control an alternate economy — that of exploitation, graft and drugs. This too is the history of America. To cement their peace, the heads of both families have traded their eldest sons.

[quote]Chris Rock plays the head of one family, a man who — in order to prosper — has surrendered his oldest boy to his enemy, and who must in turn raise his son’s enemy as his own. It’s an uneasy peace, but profitable. And then the head of the Kansas City mafia goes into the hospital for routine surgery and dies. And everything changes. It’s a story of immigration and assimilation, and the things we do for money. And as always, a story of basically decent people who are probably in over their heads. You know, Fargo.”

[quote]Fargo season 4 has no other cast or release date yet, though will start production next year (so late 2019 or early 2020 seems likely).

Not sure there has ever been a "Get Shorty" thread, and I could not find one searching DL, maybe because it runs on EPIX? Anyway, season 1 was very good and Felicity Huffman joins the cast as an FBI agent for season 2, premiering a week rom Sunday.

Same kind of vibe as Fargo. Very well done so far.

The Minnesota landscape is the backdrop for the show, period. It's out and out weird if they set it some place else.

[bold]Jason Schwartzman, Ben Whishaw[!!!], and Andrew Bird join Chris Rock in season 4 of Fargo[/bold]

[quote]The new season will feature Jack Huston, Jason Schwartzman, Ben Whishaw, Jessie Buckley, Salvatore Esposito, Andrew Bird, Jeremie Harris, Gaetano Bruno, Anji White, Francesco Acquaroli, and E’myri Crutchfield.

[quote]The fourth season is set in 1950 and follows two criminal organizations—one Italian, the other African American—as they struggle with a shaky truce for control of Kansas City, Missouri. Chris Rock’s character is the head of one of the crime families, and as part of this truce, he and the head of the other crime family have essentially traded their youngest children to be raised as part of the other family. The story is apparently about “immigration and assimilation” as well as “the things we do for money,” and it’ll air on FX in 2020.