1. The Theme Song
Composer Jeff Russo has created something amazing with the Fargo theme. It still sends a shiver down my spine when I hear that first mournful violin note.
Listening to this song you can almost see the vast snowy wilderness that characterises Minnesota, and sense the underlying loneliness that comes hand in hand with it.
The song is also undeniably EPIC. As it sweeps towards the climax I have to stop myself jumping to my feet and cheering, particularly as I originally watched Fargo when it first aired and had to wait A WHOLE WEEK for the next episode.
Don't believe any of this? The proof being in the pudding, just have a listen...
2. There Are Only Ten Episodes
At first the small number of episodes can be seen as a positive element of the show.
'Oh' you think to yourself, 'I can race through this show without committing 6 full days of my life!' (24 *cough cough*)
However, mere minutes into the first episode you will suddenly realise that after this there are only 9 more episodes and then it will be done and finished and you will never see these characters again!!
3. The Acting Talent Is Superb
The initial draw for the unintiated will undoubtably be Martin Freeman, who didn't audition for his role before being cast (despite the producers not hearing his Minnesotan accent), and Billy Bob Thornton, both of whom have been nominated for Emmy's for their work on the show.
Freeman's Lester Nygaard and Thornton's Lorne Malvo, without giving too much away, are very different men. One changes dramatically over the course of the series and the other arguably remains a mystery right up to the last episode, but both are utterly fascinating to watch.
(Pop Quiz: Name the movie these two actors have both previously appeared in?
However almost every character in the show is a well-rounded, well-acted addition to the story, and all the actor's seem to have got the tricky accent down to a tee (Although I'm admittedly not from Minnesota).
To single out but a few...
Alison Tolman as the indefatigable Molly Solverson
Colin Hanks as the out-of-his-depth Gus Grimly
Bob Odenkirk (of Breaking Bad fame) as the hugely frustrating Bill Oswalt
and Oliver Platt as Stavro "What the fuck is going on" Milos
4. It's A Thumpingly Good Dark Comedy
I recently watched the first episode with a good friend, and within five minutes she had laughed out loud, leaned forward, silent and tense, and then covered her face with a cushion shouting 'I can't waaaaaatch!'
While this may have been slightly melodramatic, it illustrates nicely the extremes of tone Fargo can progress through over the course of an episode.
The atmosphere of the show is somewhere between reality and fable: the vast empty expanses of snow provide an eerie background to the parade of surreal characters in warm sweaters. To outsiders it can seem like a strange sort of fantasy realm.
Add to this a number of sudden and shocking acts of violence, a curious religious element, and a smattering of sign language, and you have a very unusual show indeed.
5. The Script
This should really have been number 1. A show without good writing will always struggle to achieve greatness, it is therefore fortunate that Fargo's entire script was masterfully penned (or typed) by Noah Hawley, who has managed to create something truly special and unique. The trailer above will give you some idea of the wit and verve of Hawley's writing, and I'm almost reluctant even to quote anything more, almost:
Malvo: Your problem is you've spent your whole life thinking there are rules. There aren't.
In conclusion:
'You should watch Fargo, hun. I did and, oofta, it's a peach!'
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