Fargo: Exactly Half a Great Show, But Still a Failure

Roger Ebert called Fargo 1996 a "quirky, infectious American Masterpiece".  He does not exaggerate.  Fargo (which shall heretofore be differentiated from the television series "Fargo" by it's usage of italics) was an expertly crafted and original telling of a very complex story, lush with memorable characters, stunning camera work and a haunting score.  

"Fargo" also suceeds in a lot of these areas.

"Fargo" was beautifully shot, used a similarly haunting score, had atmostphere to spare, moments of quirky brilliance and featured exceptional performances in both leading and supporting roles.  Where "Fargo" failed, utterly and completely, was two fold: in its efforts to tell an original and complex story and then bring that story together in an interesting way.

The film and show share many similarities and the show "Fargo" does a magnificent job of weaving these references into it's world.

The storytelling wasn't completely inept.  The show particularly excelled at using tie-ins from the film and subvert audience expectations by zigging when the film zagged.  Case in point: Oliver Platt's character, Stravos Milos, attempts to exit a parking garage shortly after entering and encounters a dutiful toll booth operator insisting that he pay the fee anyway.  In the film, Steve Buscemi's character faces a nearly identical dilemma and begrudgingly pays the operator (before murdering him in a later scene).  While the audience expects fan service and events to repeat themselves, Milos demands the operator to release him by the will of God and the operator obliges, allowing Milos to leave free of charge.

In moments like that one, the story thrived.  Little scenes around the edges that gave depth and meaning to the world.  Unfortuantely, the writers could never bring this deft touch to the forefront of the story.

The writers of "Fargo" new that they wanted to make a complex story, too bad they didn't how to construct one.  Too many times while watching "Fargo" you have to ask yourself, "why", "how", "who", "What"?  Where some threads are needlessly convoluted, others ramble on before dissolving into nothing, still others are so absurd they bring the bounds of belief for the audience to the extreme.

There is one especially bizzare sequence in which the devilsh villain, Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton), executes an incredibly elaborate blackmail plot against Stravos Milos culminating in Malvo betraying his dimwitted partner (Glenn Howerton) in order to distract police.  How does he do this, you ask?

Well, Malvo, (after having his partner make a phone call that Malvo could have made himself) first renders his partner unconscious then bounds and gags him to a workout device facing the front door of their hideout and forces an unloaded shotgun into his hands.  Malvo then rigs up an assault rifle in the window and fires it several times attracting a large police force.  Malvo has already fled by the time they arrive, but took the extra time before doing so to place a trip wire in the front yard to trigger more rounds from the assault rifle when the police approach.  This, of course, ends with the police breaching the hideout and gunning down the bound and helpless partner.  Confused?  It isn't much more comprehensible when you watch it.

Why didn't Malvo just kill the partner in the house, shoot the gun into the street a few times, then leave?  The result would have been exactly the same and it would have taken a fraction of the time.  Did he actually think the police would be so stupid as to believe a man bound and gagged holding an empty shotgun was the same person firing an assault rifle moments earlier?  What the hell was the point of that whole scene?  Well, it was to make thinks complex, or so the writers would say.

Lorne Malvo, a great character, but ultimately wasted.

The entire blackmail plot between Malvo and Milos is poorly executed.  It's beginnings are promising, using one of the great MacGuffins of film history: the lost money from Fargo, as a central tool to both Milos' character and Malvo's exploitation of him, but the story sputters and is dropped uncermoniously two thirds of the way through the season.  The build-up is well done at times, but the climax is non-existent and ends with Malvo either giving up on or forgetting about the money (unless his intention was for Milos to bury the money all along, which I'll touch on later) and Milos crying in the street.  Tragically, the audience scarcely cares as we never know why anything is happening and the central plot with Martin Freeman is far more interesting.  Truth be told, it was difficult to realize what a disaster this side plot was because I had forgotten about it not five minutes after its conclusion.

From there the story only becomes more absurd and, whats worse, predictable.

There's an utterly ridiculous sequence in which central character and William H. Macy doppleganger, Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman), sneaks out of a hospital (while under guard) and spends several hours going around town in a stolen vehicle framing his brother for a murder he himself committed and is able to return with no one the wiser.

Potentially fascinating characters are thrown into the fray as straw men, simply awaiting their turn to be killed off.  Not a single recurring character on this show that is introduced after the first episode has any sort of rewarding payoff.  It becomes painfully obvious, very quickly, that every character serves as fodder for the convoluted story.  Rather than using these character as gears in a grand machine, "Fargo" relagates them to ride an assembly line uselessly on their way to an incinerator.

In the scene in which Nygaard's second wife is killed, it was so obvious what was coming I was actually expecting it NOT to happen.  Of course, it did, and I sighed a sigh of exhaustion.

Many folks complained about the finale of the series, for taking what they perceived to be an overly violent turn (probably they were just disappointed fan favorites Key and Peele were killed, which was always going to happen).  I didn't find the finale to be disappointing because it was violent, I was disappointed because it was completely unnecessary.  Everything happened exactly as it seemed it would.  There were no real surprises, no twists, to great "aha" moments or rewarding payoffs.

The episode opened with the image of a knocked over snowmobile near a whole in a lake of ice.  As soon as you see Martin Freeman on that snowmobile in the final minutes you know: he is gonna fall in the ice.  And it all plays out so predictably you don't even need to watch.

It really is a shame, because the things that worked in "Fargo" worked so well.  It really was a great looking show.  It really did have fantastic performances.  The character of Malvo was one that would have been among the greatest in recent televion history, but it too ended a missed opportunity.

Malvo was more than just a sociopath or heartless killer.  He was sinister.  There was something in his character that was quite literally, demonic.  A stroke straight out of the very best pages of the Cohen brother's playbook.  From his seemingly supernatural escape from Nygaard's house to his biblical musings in conversation, Malvo often seems more than what he appears.  Some of the best things the show does are with this metaphor of evil and personifying it through Malvo.

The image of the lone wolf and Malvo are often used together in the show.

Maybe he was something more.  Maybe he did mean for Milos to return the money to the wilderness where he discovered it as some sort of payment to God.  I'd like to believe that, but I can't, because there is simply too much left unexplained.  We don't know why Malvo is after Milos in the first place, we don't know what his end game is, we don't even know that he knows about the lost money.

Malvo as something more than just a terrible human being is a compelling idea, and one that the show decorates the edges of the frame with tremendous precision.  But that's where it stays, and with it is never brought front and center the audience is forced to accept that it was never meant to be front and center.

In what was probably the greatest scene of the entire season, Malvo sits down for a piece of pie and some very tense double talk with a sherrif turned diner owner (Keith Carradine).  The scene features Thronton at his wicked best delicately trading barbs with Carradine as he tries futiley to extract information from him.  As Thornton gives up and leaves he drops the gem of a quote "I haven't had pie like that since the Garden of Eden."  

It was that kind of tense, atmospheric scene on the edge of the story that supplied the juice that made "Fargo" run.  If only the writers had been able to bring those edges into the center "Fargo" might have been the show it deserved to be, instead of the terrible disappointment that it was.

Game of Thrones: In Defense of "Spoilers"

Note: This article does not contain spoilers (things in a story's plot that are unpredictable and/or significant to the characters or events), however, it does mention events yet to occur on Game of Thrones in a vague manner.  If you're Frank Costanza, stop reading now.

Game of Thrones is the most popular show on television.  The only thing these days it seems people like to do as much as watch Game of Thrones is talk about it on the internet.  A lot.  Now, while it is true that since the age of social media the buzz around Game of Thrones is unprecedented, the concept is an old one.  For the better part of a decade any show to make a splash on TV (or Netflix) has gone on to do the same on the interwebs with countless recaps, power rankings, " So and So speaks out about shocking episode", and mindless conjecturing.

And that last one is where all the trouble starts for Game of Thrones.  Fans of TV have always relished in trying to be one step ahead of the show and it's story.  "What will happen next?"  It's a infectious spirit that has been with us since the days of "Who shot J.R.?" but was made most popular for today's boob tube generation by ABC's Rube Goldberg machine to nowhere: Lost.

Losties loved to play the guessing game of where it was all going ever since they found Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Locke trapped on that mysterious island.  Wild theories abound, as an errant cough could be seen as the missing piece that tied everything together.  It turned out in the end, guessing was actually more fun than seeing.  But even with its failure to live up to expectations, Lost had supplied the model for every successful tv drama to come in it's wake.

Game of Thrones has taken this model to all new heights, there is only one problem: you can't theorize about what will happen when it's already happened in a book someplace.

Still, book-free fans of the show do their best.  But anytime you find an article or thread wondering "what will happen next" some book reader can't help themselves and needs to spoil it for everyone.

Now let me pause for a moment to make one thing clear:  I hate those people.  I can't stand it when some loser has to go around dropping bombs on fans of the show in some sort of childish attempt to feel smart.  It happens a lot more than it should.  You couldn't even look at a picture of Robb Stark on the internet without some jerkoff saying "He's gonna die" for years.

God Dammit, People!

This spoiler culture around GoT has not only made it very difficult to navigate social media, but it has made things unpleasantly hostile on both sides.  Book readers are excited to talk about the show, but annoyed by having to constantly censor themselves.  Show watchers - for the most part - appreciate having people around who can help them understand what the hell is going on, but are frustrated when they find out more than they want to.

As one who is firmly in the "book reader" camp I have to say the whole thing is quite tiresome.  I understand the plight of the "show watchers" and I think a lot of "book readers" are pretty obnoxious but just because you don't know something, does not mean it is a "spoiler".

When you talk about the ending of a movie that only came out a week before, THAT is a spoiler.  When you talk about the ending of an episode of a television show the next day, that IS NOT a spoiler.  Would you expect everyone to stay off social media about the final score of a major sporting event just in case you DVR'd it?  The responsibility to avoid social media until you've seen a LIVE viewing event is yours and no one elses.

If I were to tell you that in Empire Strikes Back you discover Vader is Luke's father, THAT is a spoiler.  If I were to tell you that Han and Leia go to a cloud city, that IS NOT a spoiler.  Most of the time, telling people something that was probably in the trailer isnt' a big deal, but because of the spoiler culture around Game of Thrones any leak of information, no matter how benign, is considered a grave sin.

This is even more ridiculous on a show like Game of Thrones where most of the pure show-watchers can hardly understand what is going on in the first place.  The world of Game of Thrones (which is actually the world of Ice and Fire) is so rich there is no way they could show everything even if they wanted to.  So, don't complain to me when I tell you the Three-Eyed-Raven is Brynden Rivers a bastard of the Targaryen family, former Hand of the King and Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, because the show is almost certainly never going to bother to tell you.  In fact, telling show-watchers things like this is beneficial to them, because Brynden Rivers only had one eye (unlike his counterpart on the show) which makes the line "A thousand eyes and one." Much more logical.

Did anyone else notice this?

The spoiler culture around GoT is a treacherous one and I admire those who weather it with dignity.  One writer/podcaster I particularly enjoy reading and listening to for GoT is Andy Greenwald at Grantland, largely because he does not recognize the books and it is interesting for me to see the differing perspective of someone who truly does not know what is going to happen next.  Sure, plenty of other writers "pretend" they don't know what is coming, but there is something patronizing about the tone that makes the pieces feel false and dull.

With Greenwald, you get to see someone explore solely the world of the show and theorize what will happen next free of any trolling book-reader influence.  It is impressive how often he gets it right.  But even people like Greenwald - who beams with pride whenever he announces that he has not, nor has he any intention of reading the books on which GoT is based - fall victim to the very smug characteristics they complain of in book readers.  Perhaps from enduring what I'm sure in an endless bombardment of obnoxious spoiler rich tweets and emails from fans and trolls, Greenwald has what would be generously be described as a thinly veiled contempt for fans that have read the books.  He will question the quality George R.R. Martin's (the author of the books) story based on incomplete information, then proceed to become indignant if a book reader dare correct him.

If you haven't read the books, you might think Drogon is a laughably bad name for a Dragon. But if you have, you'd know he was named after Khal Drogo. 

Blaming, Martin for storytelling choices made by the show (which is not run by Martin) is commonplace.  Even highly thoughtful and perseptive viewers like Greenwald can't help but compare the show to its source material and blame it for the show's shortcomings, even when they hardly even know what they're talking about.  They are careful not blame the show for a misstep keeping in mind that it is an adaptation, but are quick to blame the source material forgetting that it is an adaptation.

It's a hard, hard world that Game of Thrones fans live in.  The balancing act between fun for you and fun for all is one carried out on an unreliable scale.  In order to get along we have to respect the other side.  With GoT book readers need to know when to keep it to themselves and show watchers need to learn not to get indignant about every little detail they hear from a fan instead of the show.

Game of Thrones MVP Watch

In the Game of Thrones, you win or you die.  Every year there are multiple winners and losers, but one always dreams bigger and rises above the competition.  This person/creature/ice scythe is the Got MVP.

This Father's Day Game of Thrones will explore what Father/Daughter dinners are like in Westeros for it's season 4 finale, "The Children."  This season of GoT has been incredible, cashing in on a wealth of great storylines and characters for must-watch television just about every week.  The finale looks to be no different as showrunners are touting it as possibly the best episode yet of the series.

But who has had the best season this year in Westeros/Essos?  While nothing is final until the direwolf howls, lets attempt to give it our best guess as who will be riding the highest going into the break.

But first a recap of past MVPs:

Season 1 MVP: Daenerys Targaryen

Runner Up: Cersei Lannister

This is actually a much closer contest than it first appears.

Sure, Dany goes from being the abused younger sister of a psychopath to the forced bride of a (slightly dashing) murderous barbarian to the mother of three bad-ass dragons, but lets not forget Cersei Lannister and all she accomplished.

Cersei self maneuvered her way from being the unappreciated queen to a fat, drunken king to nominal Queen Bee in Westeros.  Sure, she had a little help along the way, what with brother/boyfriend Jaime pushing a small child from a high window, Lysa Arynn poisoning her husband juuuusst before he got Cersei sentenced to death, and Ned Stark fumbling the ball on the 1-yard line.  But, it takes that kind of luck to win it all.

In any other season Cersei would have locked up the MVP with ease, but alas, dragons.

LVP: Visery Targaryen

There were other losers, but none of them whined more or lost with less grace than Viserys.

Seaon 2 MVP: Tyrion Lannister

Runner Up: Tywin Lanniser

Tyrion was given his chance to shine in season two and shine he did, like wildfire.  As the acting Hand of the King, Tyrion was largely responsible for holding King's Landing and Joffrey's regime together during the tumultuous War of the Five Kings.  While he had allies, he went most of the season as a player/coach both designing masterful game play and carrying it out with precision and spirit.

Tyrion is also the only player on the season that kept his scorecard free of any major losses.  Roadwarrior Robb Stark lost key battles on the home front thanks to incredibly incompetent or traitorous subordinates.  Dany had success but she also didn't seem to understand anything going on around her.  Tywin gets the nod for his late season "heroics" but early in the season he did little more than exchange mildly witty banter with a sort-of-in-disguise Arya Stark.

LVP: Xaro Xhoan Daxos

Talked a big game, but had absolutely nothing going for him.  Had man boobs.

Season 3 MVP: Dany Targaryen

Runner Up: Tywin Lannister

It was a great year for most anyone named Lannister or Bolton in season 3, but Dany takes home her second trophy and it isn't even close.

Tywin upped his game this season, absolutely eviscerating anyone that dared sit down with him for a conversation.  But, Dany conquered two cities, recruited an army, started using her flippin' dragons as weapons, recruited a bigger army, and managed to also pick up something like four or five new boyfriends in the process.  The worst she had to endure were a couple of insults flung her way by guys that would either end up getting killed by one of her aforementioned boyfriends or cooked by one of her aforementioned mother-effing dragons.  Pretty flawless play all around.

LVP: Theon Greyjoy

It was a rough year for anyone with the last name Stark, but they all had a holiday in the sun compared to the seven hells that Theon Greyjoy experienced this season.  The only thing worse than what happened to Theon was the fact that we had to watch it.  All-time LVP season.

SEASON 4 MVP Projections

Odds:

Cersei - 5:2

Littlefinger - 3:1

Jon Snow - 6:1

Dany - 8:1

The Hound and Arya - 9:1

Tyrion - 16:1

Tywin - 19:1

Bran - 22:1

Stannis - 26:1

Ser Pounce - 50:1 

Theon - 250:1 (His odds might be better if he were dead)

Oberyn - R.I.P.

Right now it is a dead heat between Cersei and Littlefinger.  Cersei smoothly handled rival Margaery Tyrell, her father Tywin (who's table game has taken a drop in quality this season), and even held her own against Oberyn Martell.  If Cersei gets her ultimate revenge on her little brother and Tyrion's head ends up on a spike it would be hard not to give her the title.  

Littlefinger is a character that came out of nowhere this season.  Always fun to watch but rarely the center of attention, he not only orchestrated some pretty big plays this season but a few very impressive past accomplishments came to light (Being responsible for the murder of Jon Arynn essentially means everything that has happened in Westeros the last 2 years is because of him).  The guy might not be the flashiest player but his accomplishments are unparalleled.  being born with almost no money, fame, or holdings he has risen to become one of the most powerful men in Westeros and nominally rules over nearly a third of the continent.

If Jon Snow manages to survive his meeting with Mance he'll have had a very strong season in surprisingly limited play, even if he probably won't get much credit for it.  The tag team of The Hound and Arya have been fun to watch but it seems unlikely they're to pull off a big enough win late to give them the points needed to take home the trophy.  

Will Jon Snow know the glory of an MVP? Maybe, if he lives.

Dany and Tywin have surprisingly played themselves out of contention.  Tywin was unable to ever get his feet under him this season and failed to command his usual control.  Despite a strong start for Dany her decision to banish Jorah reeks of bad karma.

Both Bran and Stannis look to make late plays this weekend, but they're unlikely to cause a big enough splash to come away with anything but an honorable mention.

Tyrion is all but out of contention as well but fans would likely be more than happy to settle for his survival.

Regardless of who wins the coveted MVP for Season 4 one thing is for certain, it will not be Theon Greyjoy.