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Some movies should just be left alone...for the most part. I'm not a huge fan of taking films and trying to shrink them down to the small screen. It's like trying to find sense in a Pauly Shore movie (thanks Clueless). See examples like, ironically, "Clueless" and "Blade: The TV Series" for prime examples of bad adaptations. You could imagine my reservations for "Fargo" the new series on FX. I mean, how could you add on, or create a show, to a film that pretty much had a definitive ending that needed no more explanation. Well, in the case of "Fargo" I stand corrected, and I'm excited to see what direction this newest FX offering goes into.
Whereas the film version of "Fargo" took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota this version takes place in the small town of Bemidji, Minnesota. A mysterious drifter named Lorne Malvo has arrived in town and immediately begins to wreak havoc. Meanwhile, a milquetoast insurance broker named Lester Nygaard is having a hard time dealing with a demanding wife, family members that have no respect for him, and an old high school bully that loves to remind him that he slept with his wife before they were married. A chance encounter with Malvo in a hospital turns Lester's world upside down and sets off a chain of events that leave behind quite a few dead bodies....and that's only the first episode.
"Fargo" is developed by Noah Hawley, who had success as a writer on "Bones" but also put out clunkers like "The Unusuals" and "My Generation." While I can't say such for his two failed TV experiments, the name recognition of "Fargo" and the Coen Brothers on as Executive Producers certainly gives this series name recognition, and I haven't even gotten to the show's lead actors yet.
It's easy to forget that Billy Bob Thornton is a really good actor, and when given a role like Malvo in "Fargo" you can see a twinkle in his eye. I liken Thornton as Malvo to Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight;" he is truly an agent of chaos. He's a cold, calculating, yet charming drifter who befriends a down on his luck Martin Freeman, who plays Lester Nygaard. I guess my best summation of Malvo would be a combination of The Joker, Anton Chigurh and maybe throw in a little Rust Chole from "True Detective." The great cast also includes Colin Hanks and Bob Odenkirk in supporting roles.
The one thing that "Fargo" might lack at this time is a strong female lead. I see potential in Allison Tolman, who plays the lone female police officer in the series, Molly Solverson, but will she be able to match Frances McDormand's Marge Gunderson? There are quite a few similarities, including their commitment to police work and family, but Tolman has extra motivation in the series which I think will add that extra dimension to her character.
Despite my early reservation for "Fargo" I see a very bright future for the series. Whether FX decides to continue after the initial 10-episodes, I would love to see either an "American Horror Story" type anthology direction for the series where we meet new hitmen like Malvo from around the Midwest, and hopefully some tie-in's with the film, and perhaps situating the show as somewhat of a prequel. Either way, "Fargo" has legs, and in the deft hands of FX, I believe it will be a series that gets better and better.
Fun Fact:The tallest building in Fargo, North Dakota is the Radisson Hotel, standing at over 206 feet and built in 1985.
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