Taking as a basis for the plot the once-released full-length films and remaking them in the format of the series has recently become a very common trend on television. The same applies to the cult picture of the Cohen brothers in 1996, which in 2014 was transformed into the series “Fargo”. The reviews of the audience and critics can only be called enthusiastic, and after such a high-profile triumph of the first season, it was decided to release the second, but with other actors and characters. Judging by the ratings, he made an even greater sensation, so the announcement of the continuation was quite expected.
Creators
Inspired by the films of the Cohen brothers, Noah Hawley developed the idea of a series in which events would unfold in the same locality as in the film “Fargo”. In addition, he provided the script for each episode with numerous references to other directors' works, among which “Old Men Don't Have a Place” and “Big Lebowski”. Hawley had previously worked on four other television projects. Perhaps the most successful is Bones, which continues to be released for 10 years. There are a dozen other people on Noah’s director’s team who have brought Fargo to life. Critics' feedback after the first series fueled the interest of the audience, and the fact that Ethan and Joel Cohen, as well as serial guru Adam Bernstein, were listed as executive producers, further strengthened the position in the ratings.
Season 1: Story
One of the central characters, who, so to speak, brewed all the mess that the heroes had been dissolving all season, was the loser Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman). He works in an insurance company, but things are going badly, and every day a dissatisfied wife waits at home. One day, he accidentally meets on the street a former classmate who beats him in front of his children. Once in the hospital, Leicester meets a mysterious stranger, played by Billy Bob Thornton. The hero tells him about his sad situation, but does not even suspect that his interlocutor is a skilled killer and criminal. After this conversation, mysteriously, the offender Nygaard is brutally killed, and he is sure that it was a mysterious man. Meanwhile, the police are puzzling over what happened. The initiative Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) actively helps her boss and builds truly believable guesses. However, soon the chief was killed by absurd chance. Molly is sure that Lester is involved, but no one else supports this version. But after a couple of episodes, she meets a conscientious officer Gus Grimley (Colin Hanks), who will help her.
Season 2: plot of the series
In the second season, spectators are transferred in the 70s to the town of Sioux Falls, familiar from the first ten episodes. In addition, one of the heroes will return, however, much younger than he was remembered. He will take the place of the main protagonist Lou Solverson, Molly's father. You will also see his wife - Betsy. The city is hosted by a criminal family of Gerhards, the youngest of whom, due to his folly, arranges a bloody massacre in a small diner. Lou, under the leadership of the police chief, and part-time son-in-law, Hank Larsson, is investigating this case. Also in the series there are secondary characters who suddenly find themselves involved in crime (in the person of a butcher named Ed and his mysterious wife Peggy, played by the famous actress Kirsten Dunst).
The main roles of the first season
As mentioned above, the role of the protagonist is played by Martin Freeman. Recent years have become peak for him in his acting career. On his account there are many box office and world-famous projects, including: The Hobbit, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the television Sherlock. You can know the main antagonist performed by Billy Bob Thornton not only as an actor from the films “Bad Santa” and “Monster's Ball”, but also as a screenwriter and director, and very talented one. He even has an Oscar for the best screenplay (for the picture The Honed Blade). And after the series “Fargo” was released, reviews of his brilliant game flooded the Internet, making him one of the best villains in history. In the filmography of Tolman, who played the deputy sheriff, Molly, before participating in the project there were extremely few roles, and all exclusively on television. However, now her career is rapidly going up. Colin Hanks, who embodied the image of Gus, boasts more than 40 films and series, but the actor did not have any particularly significant works.
The main roles of the second season
The second season boasts an even more stellar cast. The father of the Gerhard family, Otto, was played by Michael Hogan, who has accounted for about a hundred roles on television, including Supernatural and the Star Cruiser Galaxy. His eldest son Dodd (Jeffrey Donovan) can be seen in the films "Substitution", "Killer" and "J. Edgar". The middle one, named Bear, you will notice in all parts of the picture "Astral", as well as in the new "Mad Max". But the youngest, Paradise, performed by Kiran Kalkin, appeared in Scott Pilgrim, and is also the brother of the star of Home Alone films. The heroine’s father, Allison Tolman, or rather, his young version, was embodied on the screen by Patrick Wilson, who starred in such high-profile films as The Guardians, Prometheus, The Spell, Astral. His boss, Hank, was played by the owner of three Golden Globes Ted Denson, whom many remember in the comedy Three Men and a Baby, as well as in its sequel.
Other actors
Among other artists who have an order of magnitude less screen time than the ones listed above, you can name Bob Odenkirk, who played the role of the new police chief in the first season. The actor is known in the image of Saul Goodman from the series "Breaking Bad", and now having his own project, "Better Call Saul." It is noteworthy that Jesse Plemons, butcher Ed from the second season, also starred in the TV show "Breaking Bad." His wife, Peggy, was played by one of Hollywood's most successful actresses - Kirsten Dunst. She has accounted for more than 60 roles, for example, in films such as Melancholy, Interview with the Vampire, Spider-Man, Marie Antoinette, and others. Famous actor and musician Keith Carredin reincarnated as Molly’s elderly father, who received Oscar for the song for the film Nashville. And his wife from the second season was played by Kristin Milioti, the very heroine about whom the father from the popular series “How I Met Your Mother” tells his children.
Reviews and criticism
As soon as the series “Fargo” was released, reviews about it filled both the Internet and the press. Despite the fact that there were some claims to the first season regarding a leisurely manner of narration, excessive cruelty and an abundance of blood, he nevertheless instantly gained incredible popularity with the audience, and he was immediately prophesied to be one of the best series of the year along with “ A true detective. ” But the criticism of the continuation has become almost one hundred percent positive. According to most users, the new 10 series turned out to be more dynamic, and the characters came out much more realistic and brighter. With each episode, ratings continued to grow. That is why, without waiting for the finale, the creators of the series extended for the 3rd season, which is due out in 2017.
Awards
Not without many nominations for prestigious awards, in which many victories won the first season of “Fargo”. The series, the actors involved in it, strong storylines and the manner of shooting made it possible to receive one of the most prestigious awards in the world of cinema - the Golden Globe. In addition to the main victory, in 2014 Billy Bob Thornton was noted as the best actor in the same ceremony. It can be assumed that the second season will also repeat the success of its predecessor and win many figurines, but this will happen in 2016, when most awards for all kinds of successes and achievements in cinema will be held.