Fargo

:

Season 1
  • Network: FX
  • Series Premiere Date: Apr 15, 2014
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 1249 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,191 out of 1249
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 1249
  3. Negative: 34 out of 1249
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User Reviews

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  1. Veber
    Sep 17, 2014
    5
    The series starts pretty good, with nice mix of comedy and detective action, getting viewers to sympathize with protagonist, even despite what he/they have done. Unfortunately, the show takes nosedive in Vegas episode, with problems and contrived conveniences pilling up rapidly, culminating in convoluted ending.

    I'm not sure if Coen brothers' involvement was the cause of this, but I'm    The series starts pretty good, with nice mix of comedy and detective action, getting viewers to sympathize with protagonist, even despite what he/they have done. Unfortunately, the show takes nosedive in Vegas episode, with problems and contrived conveniences pilling up rapidly, culminating in convoluted ending.

    I'm not sure if Coen brothers' involvement was the cause of this, but I'm inclined to think so, considering their past works    … Expand
  2. Issu
    Jul 2, 2014
    5
    This Tv show is simply over rated . I have watched all 10 episodes some how and it was moving like a snail most of the time. Credits be given to Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman for their impeccable acting else this would have been 2-3 rated show for me .
    I dont how most rated it so high, may be the movie was good but this one was simply a predictable story line with lotta ice here    This Tv show is simply over rated . I have watched all 10 episodes some how and it was moving like a snail most of the time. Credits be given to Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman for their impeccable acting else this would have been 2-3 rated show for me .
    I dont how most rated it so high, may be the movie was good but this one was simply a predictable story line with lotta ice here and there .Martin Freeman some times looked like he has stammering disease and then all of a sudden he is mr scarface planing and dealing dead bodies and ****
    The villian was acted as realistic by Billy Bob Thornton and the deputy role too was okay in the hands of Allison Tolman. Seeing the saul goodman of breaking bad, (Bob Odenkirk) in such a dull avatar was painfull, he is a guy suited for some energetic character and this one was the exact opposite of that. All in all, its just a watchable show , if you miss it nothing is gonna happen, simply over rated everywhere because of the old oscar winning movie    … Expand
  3. hamagami
    Aug 6, 2014
    5
    Wow, all these good reviews.. This doesn't looks fake at all!
    This show is plain average. Some great performances especially by BBT but overall the writing is reeeeeally subpar, especially when you have to compare it to the goddamn Cohen brothers who are masters of this genre. It fails at drama, it fails at humor, it fails at being silly even. Oh and it fails at freaking logic.
    Good    Wow, all these good reviews.. This doesn't looks fake at all!
    This show is plain average. Some great performances especially by BBT but overall the writing is reeeeeally subpar, especially when you have to compare it to the goddamn Cohen brothers who are masters of this genre. It fails at drama, it fails at humor, it fails at being silly even. Oh and it fails at freaking logic.
    Good casting, poor dialogue and pacing, ok production values. A sad mixed bag, that could have been much more, but also much worse! It's decent, at the end of the day, but barrely.    … Expand
  4. djnicey
    Jan 6, 2016
    5
    I really liked the series at first, up until the 6th episode when everything just falls apart. The first few episodes were excellent and I couldn't wait to see the next episode but half way through the series, the plot takes a nosedive into absolute implausibility and all the clichéd characters, dumb as a box of rocks police characters, plot conveniences and plot holes just pile up to theI really liked the series at first, up until the 6th episode when everything just falls apart. The first few episodes were excellent and I couldn't wait to see the next episode but half way through the series, the plot takes a nosedive into absolute implausibility and all the clichéd characters, dumb as a box of rocks police characters, plot conveniences and plot holes just pile up to the point that it just becomes too contrived to even suspend disbelief to follow the story. Great up until half way through the series, then the story just falls apart and I gave up after the 8th episode it was so contrived.… Expand
  5. JeanDuchamp
    Feb 29, 2016
    4
    I didn't expect much from it but still it could do better. What we have here is a rather poor achievement, compared with Coen brothers stuff it looks meager even if it's desperately trying (is it?) to stay on the level. Regretfully, the more it tries, the more a disparaging difference is clear, when in Coen brothers movie we have something masterful and ingenious, here we have insteadI didn't expect much from it but still it could do better. What we have here is a rather poor achievement, compared with Coen brothers stuff it looks meager even if it's desperately trying (is it?) to stay on the level. Regretfully, the more it tries, the more a disparaging difference is clear, when in Coen brothers movie we have something masterful and ingenious, here we have instead something soggy and phony, a clumsy imitation.

    First of all, it's not a dark comedy, it's not funny, even if the contrast between Martin Freeman's overacting ( his worst performance as far as I can judge ) and Billy Bob Thornton's underacting ( his worst performance as far as I can judge ) may be somehow entertaining. Lester embodied by Martin Freeman is getting less and less plausible as events unfold, sometimes he's plunging in a total idiocy and shows a complete lack of self-control and then again he's a cold-blooded, shrewd, well-calculating, impeccable perpetrator without fail and remorse. Other characters also are made mostly of different kinds of stretches and improbabilities. If seen apart, some scenes may be credible and even enjoyable, but as a whole, the plot is a forced attempt to botch together several spectacular killings and a dozen of poor jokes scattered here and there without any claim for plausibility and logic. No, it's not an intelligently elaborated psychological criminal drama as well, have no illusions.

    Almost everything that is good ripped off from brothers Coen classic movie - an ambiance, nature, some streaks of characters, some shades, moods, undertones. There are a couple of good scenes, a deaf guy is amazing, photography is rather well-staged, especially outdoor views... But these rare bits of merit don't make up for all disastrous fails and blunders that evidently prevail.

    For a Coen brothers buff, it's a disastrous disappointment.    … Expand
  6. underin
    Feb 13, 2016
    4
    Its way too long... there's absolutely no reason for it to be a 10 episode series. At max this should be told in 4 tops 5 episodes. The acting is ofcourse top class but why o why would you want to stretch this thing out so much. And the conclusion is just a lame duck.
  7. night4
    Apr 21, 2016
    5
    Watchable, but not great. I'm not sure how anyone could think this really deserves a 10.

    Pros: Most of the acting is great. Cons: The music is absolutely horrible. At worst, I shouldn't notice the music. At best, it should enhance the show. But here, it's s constant distraction and doesn't seem to have any cohesion at all. It certainly doesn't match what the show is apparently    Watchable, but not great. I'm not sure how anyone could think this really deserves a 10.

    Pros: Most of the acting is great.

    Cons: The music is absolutely horrible. At worst, I shouldn't notice the music. At best, it should enhance the show. But here, it's s constant distraction and doesn't seem to have any cohesion at all. It certainly doesn't match what the show is apparently trying to achieve.

    It repeats itself, and I don't mean for the trademark Fargo-style way of talking for comedic effect. I mean the same characters have the same interactions with the same other characters saying the same thing.

    For me, the odd simultaneous "artsy" shots in season 2 take away from the show.

    The writing seems poor.

    The characters are generally unlikeable.

    The names. "Solverson?" Really? Did John Waters write this?    … Expand
  8. breakdownbbe
    Nov 3, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Come on, you have got to be kidding me. One of the most overhyped seasons of TV I have ever seen. The plot is beyond ridiculous, there is zero suspension of disbelief. The longer the show goes the dumber the storylines get, like Lester escaping from the hospital, Malvo escaping impossible situations with such ease (I especially hate the blizzard firefight scene that hinges on a rival hitman stooping to scooby doo villain levels of stupidity), Lester’s preposterous hospital escape and evidence planting, etc. The complete lack of suspension of disbelief makes the “true story” title card more grating with every episode...somehow the film is more brutal, funnier, and more shocking while seeming like something that could actually happen, instead of this ridiculousness. The humor is maybe good for one chuckle an episode. The violence is weak and boring compared to shows like Twin Peaks or Wire. The show has moments where it desperately tries to art it up that fall flat, like the slo mo of the shorty pellet entering Lester’s hand or the visualization of the parable of charity guy. The police characters are intensely dislikable (Bob odenkirk’s character in particular has some of the laziest, most one dimensional writing I’ve ever seen for a TV show with moderate critical acclaim) and with each episode malvo drifts further and further away from terrifying sociopath to absurd prankster omnipotent boogeyman. The two saving graces of this show are 1.) the acting, which is good across the board and could be great if the actors were given stronger material to work with 2.) the fact that even though this season is drastically overhyped, it’s still marginally better than most dreck that hits TV screens

    Overall I can’t say this season is worth your time

    PS special shout out to this show for having some of the most embarrassing CGI I’ve ever seen, these **** seriously couldn’t even be **** to use real crickets???? Real fish????? **** looks like a PS1 cutscene. Lazy filmmaking
    PPS i    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best TV Season of 2014
10
#10 Most Discussed TV Season of 2014
6
#6 Most Shared TV Season of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 40
  3. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Emily Nussbaum
    Jun 25, 2014
    40
    Only a fool would deny Fargo’s polish and verve, its stylized razzle-dazzle. But, for me at least, after a year of gulping down chili peppers, it takes more to make a meal.
    Read full review
  2. The Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Kristi Turnquist
    Jun 24, 2014
    80
    The setting is convincingly snowy and wintry (it was filmed in Calgary, Canada), the writing is clever, and the actors are outstanding.
    Read full review
  3. The Wrap
    Reviewed by: Diane Garrett
    Apr 15, 2014
    80
    At times, however, Hawley goes a little too heavy on the quirk, and Thornton, who last regularly appeared on TV in the John Ritter political comedy “Hearts Afire” in the early 1990s, overly indulges in that smirk. Bits between mob enforcers Mr. Numbers (Adam Goldberg) and Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) also wear out their welcome. The overall quality of TV's Fargo is high.
    Read full review
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