Fargo

Well, I'm Brazilian and my English is not the best, so I apologize for any mistakes.

I start by saying that one thing I don't really understand is why people lower the rating given to a show just because the last season is weaker, even more being seasons with practically independent stories, where you can abandon the last season if you don't like it, because it will not interfere with the others. My rating here is 9/10 because Fargo brings so many sensational things in the first three seasons that it does not deserve a downgrade due to the fourth season. Especially because the fourth season, despite being full of problems, has some wonderful moments.

Fargo is simply the best TV series I have ever seen in my life. The first two seasons are brutal criminal stories permeated with black humor and coincidences typical of a comedy of errors, but full of philosophical, religious, cultural, political, social, economic and historical references. The third season still follows the same line, but with a little less black humor and comedy, and investing once and for all in the moral, philosophical, religious and even spiritual aspects. In these three seasons we can see the conflict between good and evil, the evil being represented by figures with clear references in mephistoles.

In my opinion, the fourth season lost a lot of the essence of the series, in addition to having a confusing and dragged script, but even so it presented moments of historical and cultural references of great quality, the highlight being episode 9, a masterpiece, all done on top of "The Wizard of Oz", "Alice in Wonderland" and other children's stories with the theme of a lost child somewhere far from home.

I highly recommend this series and I suggest you watch it trying to capture all the details, like the real natural phenomenon of fish rain, which is shown in the first season, or the Val Johnson incident with flying saucer and the beginning of Ronald Reagan's Alzheimer's in season two, as well as all biblical and religious references, already beginning with the evil speaking of the Garden of Eden in the first season. Oh, don't forget to also look in the independent stories of each season that you are watching for references to previous seasons. Ex: the second season showed you the origin of Mr. Tripoli, Mr. Wrench and Mr. Numbers from the first season, did you notice?

Finally, I would like to praise the excellent work of production, direction and setting of each season, as well as the acting: Martin Freeman, Kirsten Dunst, Billy Bob Thornton, Ewan McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Daniel Thewlis are spectacular.

Season 1 - rate 9/10 - Highest point: episode 6.

Season 2 - rate 9.5/10 - Highest point: episode 9.

Season 3 - rate 8.5/10 - Highest point: episode 9.

Season 4 - rate 5.5/10 - Highest point: episode 9 (one of the best in the entire series).

* I wrote this review in 2021, after watching the 4th season, now I come back here almost 3 years later, as I just watched the 5th season: even though it didn't maintain the level of the first 3 seasons, there was already a clear improvement compared to the 4th, which was the most inconsistent of all. Superb performances from a wonderful cast, beautiful photography and soundtrack, engaging characters and a typical Fargo story. The closing episode simply brought tears to my eyes.

Season 5 - rate 8/10 - Highest point: the last episode (10).

From the very first episode, Fargo makes it clear that it's not just trying to be a copy of the Coen brothers' film-it has its own identity. It maintains that signature dark humor and delivers a story full of unexpected twists that hook you right away. The chain of events feels like a domino effect that, while sometimes over the top, is impossible to walk away from.

Billy Bob Thornton is outstanding. His character, Lorne Malvo, is hypnotic and exudes a constant sense of danger without needing to overdo it. Martin Freeman also stands out, transforming his character in a way that is both surprising and captivating. The dynamic between the two and the way their paths intertwine is one of the show's biggest strengths.

The tone balances tension and absurd comedy in a way that, while occasionally pushing the limits, mostly works. There are moments when the series branches out too much or takes its time with certain subplots, but in the end, everything falls into place. The frozen landscapes of Minnesota and the way the story reflects the fragility of human morality add to that constant sense of impending doom.

It's not a perfect series, but its ambition, sharp writing, and outstanding performances make it hard to look away. It's one of those rare adaptations that not only respects the original material but expands on it and gives it a fresh new perspective-something that's not easy to achieve.

I watch way too much american and british TV.

I catch the occasional european, korean or Aussie binge fest.

I love anthologies like these.

Each season is like a great book....each episode a chapter, each book with it's own unique plot with engaging characters.

One of the only TV shows that get's better with each passing season.

Very clever character and story development. Great cinematography. It's just easy to watch.

Complicated enough to engage the mind, loveable enough to binge season after season.

The type of show you watch season 4 again before watching season 5, and season 5 again before season 6....etc.

You will love this. Crime Drama/Thriller at it's best.

I absolutely loved Fargo. It's easily one of my favorite series of all-time. If you don't want to take my word for it just read through all the comments here and look at the rating to see how loved this show is by just about everyone. It has a great review/rating on just about every website there is (IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, etc.) for a reason and that's because this show is amazing. Even though every season is different and some are better than others, the one thing that all of them have in common is that they're all fantastic. Being an anthology series means they can continue to put out as many seasons as they want without the show ever going stale. As long as the quality stays close to these first 5 seasons then I hope they do a bunch more. The writing and acting are as good as anything you'll see on television. I really can't recommend this show enough...it's absolutely amazing!

It is not often that you come over films or series where you can actually believe in the characters and forget about the acting personnel, and usually this only and occasionally happens when there are completely new faces on the screen. In Fargo, or at least in the first season, such a belief in the characters is very present. Until you have to check out where ever you saw Martin Freeman, he simply is Lester Nygaard, and even Billy Bob Thornton manages to escape the too much used label in this series. Naturally it has to be credited to good acting, but there is definitely some good writing, direction and makeup efforts to salute. Though not all roles are that well acted, and there are some editing flaws that should have been avoided, regardless, for those who love black and intelligent humor - Fargo is top entertainment!

After watching and exceedingly enjoying season 1 and 2, the following two seasons became comparatively disappointing. However, with season 5 the series not only is back to basic, but the formula is developed into an even higher level, where particularly some of the characters display a deeper psychological specter, and one as a viewer is challenged to comprehend a more complicated set of human emotions and instincts, where the basics of the plot gets gradually revealed, and the fundament of intentions is nearly perfectly balanced all the way. When this is combined with brilliant acting performances, it becomes a form of true art.