User reviews

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.

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!

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.

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.

...Just finished Season 5 ...the one with Juno Temple,Jon Hamm and Jennifer Jason Leigh and I must say that most of the 10/10 score must go to this season, though all the others were, I think, solid 8's or 9's. I remember the original Film and to be honest, apart from the excellent acting by F Tomelty I was a little underwhelmed,(..ditto ,'3 Billboards...'...sacrilege,I know, but ,Hey Ho!..). In this, we meet Ms Temples scatty mum character who gets into a bit of trouble at an unruly School Meeting ,drawn into a plot where she slowly and tantalisingly reveals hidden depths where she will do anything to keep her little family safe. Although, I binged and enjoyed it immensely,looking back I realise it was quite a feminist wish list fantasy but nothing wrong with that in my book. All the seasons had fantastical elements, at one time or another and I enjoyed them all immensely, not to mention Top quality actors, new and old. More please,Mr or Mrs Showrunner!!!...

Just finished episode 5 and I'm done. As everyone has said, this is not the Fargo we all used to love. The storyline is not particularly scintillating and I've yet to latch onto any of the characters, other than the nurse and the undertakers' daughter. Disappointed for sure.

Like others here, I recommend you skip season 4.

Season 1 was excellent.

Season 2 was good.

Season 3 was okay.

Season 4 took a dump in its own bed and we had to watch it.

Slow moving, bad casting (they were good, just not the right people in the roles), and bad story telling! There was about enough material for 2 maybe 3 episodes, but they drug it out over 11! Horrible. The other seasons were so good, this one is a real disappointment.

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.

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).

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.

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

What can I say about Fargo that hasn't already been said? It's just an incredible series. Everyone has their own favorite season for some reason because they're all amazing. The weak link is easily season four but even that one is still pretty good, as long as you don't compare it to the first three seasons. This is an anthology series that was inspired by the 1996 film where each season follows a new murder story in some Midwest town with a different cast every season. It has the same feel, style, dark humor, unpredictability, etc as the film did. It has the feel of the Coen brothers but creator Noah Hawley definitely puts his own stamp on it. They're making Season 5 now so I'm definitely looking forward to watching that one too.

You don't have to have seen the original Coen film to enjoy this series, nor does it spoil anything for you if you have seen it: the new TV-show 'Fargo' is entirely its own beast. So far, the only thing the series and the film do have in common is the title and the (fake) premise that both are - allegedly - based on true events that happened somewhere in Minnesota.

The writers (and the actors!) do a great job in creating new characters that are as strange and somewhat over the top as most of the iconic Coen creations we've come to love over the years - and Billy Bob Thornton's 'Lorne Malvo' (from season 01) has the potential to reach cult status. Watching bad situations get worse as bad decisions lead to even worse ones and the lives of ordinary people spiral violently out of control is - I shamefully admit - a lot of fun to watch, and it's told here with such a wicked sense of humor that I've so far enjoyed every minute of it.

The cast so far has been outstanding (this is an anthology series, so each new season will have its own cast and a new storyline) and the production values - especially the cinematography - are fantastic. Now whether 'Fargo' will appeal to a larger audience despite its quirky characters and non-mainstream look the way a show like 'Breaking Bad' did remains to be seen, but I would strongly recommend this to anyone who enjoys black comedies in general as well as pretty much anything the Coens ever did. Great, pitch black entertainment - 9 out of 10 from me.

Favorite Films: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054200841/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Previously rated 10, revised to 2. An outstanding tv series ruined. Season 4 is just awful. Putting aside the overly PC-ness, the acting is just plain bad, the storyline has huge holes in it and the whole plot is shoddy. Don't waste your time watching the 4th season.

Season 2 and 3 had some low points as well but season 4 is just constant low points. At this point it would be better to just cancel the series.

Fargo was one of my favorite tv shows of all time. I've rewatched the first 3 seasons multiple times. In the first 30 seconds of season 4, it is painfully clear, this isn't really a Fargo TV series anymore. Where there was once dark comedy, witty dialogue, and weird violence, now there's more of the political/social lecturing which has infected and destroyed so many great tv shows over the last 2 or 3 years. If you want to laugh and be entertained, I got some bad news for you. If you're looking to be outraged and angry about race stuff, then this your show.

Fargo is an absolute masterpiece and one of my favorite shows all time. This show doesn't have a general rating of 8.9 for nothing.

First the EXTRAORDINARY atmosphere of the Cohen brothers' film, this sensation like no other, which takes hold of us when we enter with the characters into this universe as dark as it is crazy. Fargo immerse you in this special world that is the snowy Minnesota of the Cohen brothers. And more than represented, it is developed here, with talent.

Secondly a stroke of pure and simple scriptwriting genius. To be able to fascinate to this extent, from the first episode, was very strong. And yet. Paced in an almost dreamlike manner, each episode of the series will take its time to reestablish the atmosphere that has disappeared since the previous week, before taking you by the guts with talent, bringing you down with it into the barbaric violence hidden by this snow white and immaculate. Ultra violent, bloodshed is rare, the series preferring to torture its characters psychologically. Lester's evolution (which I feared was a copy and paste of that of Walter White), is more than intelligent. Like i said, the writing is so brillant. An investigation with multiple twists and turns, in a remote town populated by formidable losers, notorious incompetents, methodical and relentless killers, and devious manipulators.

Thirdly the actors. They are all amazing (except those of season 4) but all the credits goes to Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thorton who delivered 2 performances that are among the best in television and i'm not even exaggerating. Martin Freeman plays a perfect loser to who we become attached quite quickly, he plays on his qualities already known for often seeming to be completely out of sync with the situations and characters he will face. Billy Bob Thomton is absolutely phenomenal as a cold, methodical and intelligent killer. Lorne Malvo is easily one of the best villains of television and i'm still not exaggerating.

Fourth the music. The music is magnificently beautiful and the series is filled with little melodies that accompany the scenes (mainly in season 1).

Fifth this is the best anthology serie ever. Fargo beat true detective because Fargo offers 2 amazing season and 2 ok seasons while true detective only offers 1 amazing season and 1 ok season (season 3).

No episode is too much, everything is orchestrated to perfection, the work absolutely does not lack rhythm and we remain glued to these 10 episodes of very high quality.