Fargo

Definitely much better overall than true detective. I think the first season is much much better than the movie. My favorite non hbo series ever made. Best Billy Bob in season 1, number 2 is the holiday classic the ice harvest you all should be watching on Christmas Eve as I do every year. I think this show with its acting cast from all over the world is often better than breaking bad. I loved watching all the seasons and need to go back and watch some of my favorites. I just enjoyed the first season of dark winds almost as much as an elite Fargo season. Going to watch a Fargo episode and a Batman the animated series tonight. Tough to beat that combo.

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typical of a comedy of errors, but full of philosophical, religious, cultural, political, social, economic and historical references.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).

The first season is at least feeling-wise the closest one that is to the movie. Billy Bob Thornton is amazing as Lorne Malvo, not just him actually the whole cast is amazing.

The second season is my personal favorite, Starting from here I think Noah Hawley doesn't just get some story elements and scenes from the movie Fargo but from like all of Cohen's filmography, those of you who have seen the show would know what I mean and it's a good thing. Acting is amazing as usual along with intriguing storyline that keeps you hooked up from beginning to end.

The third season is where things slow down, but Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ewan McGregor and especially David Thewlis as V. M. Varga are AMAZING. And I love the cinematography of this season, and I think this is the best looking season of Fargo.

The fourth season is the worst one. We went from subtle dark humor with great stories and interesting characters to fart jokes with cheap mafia story and uninteresting, annoying characters. Also with his squeaky voice I just can't take Chris Rock serious as a mob boss.

The fifth season is kind of mid for me, I remember liking it while watching weekly but when I tried to remember I realized nothing much stayed with me after finishing the whole season. I loved the character Ole Munch, he is the only one that's interesting with all of his background, and other than him the show is just filled with one dimensional weak male characters and girl bosses that have laugh-inducing plot armors.

I'm glad the show's ended. It had almost perfect run. Still win-win actually cause we have 3/5 amazing season here.

Season 1: 10/10 Season 2: 10/10 Season 3: 8/10 Season 4: 7/10 Overall: 9/10

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.