The Key To The TV Adaptation's Success

Noah Hawley’s TV adaptation of Fargo set itself up for fulfillment by utilizing an anthology format as a substitute of working a single serialized storyline into the bottom. The Coen brothers’ Fargo has been hailed as one of many best motion pictures ever made — it’s each a darkly comedian crime caper and a philosophical have a look at morality — so adapting it was a tall order.

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When FX first introduced that it could be turning Fargo right into a TV present, some followers had been naturally skeptical. The Coens’ voice could be very distinctive and idiosyncratic and inimitable. However Hawley managed to recapture that magic in his TV collection, as a result of he tailored the general vibe of the movie (the tone, the themes, the humorousness) as a substitute of any particular characters or plot components.

Fargo’s Anthology Format Helped Make The Crime Sequence A Masterpiece

Billy Bob Thornton as Malvo, holding a brief case by the side of a snowy road in Fargo — Billy Bob Thornton as Malvo, holding a short case by the facet of a snowy street in Fargo

The very best resolution that Hawley made in conceptualizing his TV version of Fargo was making it an anthology present. If he’d taken the fundamental story and characters of the film after which dragged them out previous feature-length, it could’ve gotten outdated quick. We might’ve gotten a lesser copy of the Coens’ traditional, adopted by pointless subplots and sequelizing.

As a substitute, Hawley targeted on recapturing the texture of the Coens’ film whereas telling his personal homespun crime story. The essential components are there — pitch-black humor, a Midwestern setting, strange folks getting swept up in a lifetime of crime — however the specifics are brand-new. He advised that story in its entirety in season 1, then moved on to new characters and storylines in season 2 and past.

The anthology format has allowed Fargo to remain recent. Hawley has been in a position to consistently pivot between totally different characters, storylines, and settings. We’ve had seasons set in Nineteen Fifties Kansas Metropolis, Nineteen Seventies North Dakota, and 2010s St. Cloud. The present has by no means settled right into a components or caught round one storyline too lengthy, which places it head and shoulders above most different TV crime dramas.

Fargo’s Format Is not The Solely Factor That Made It Stand Out

Loy Cannon (Chris Rock) smiling and holding up a knife with his men behind him in Fargo season 4 — Chris Rock smiling in Fargo season 4

It’s not simply the anthology format that made Fargo stand out. Hawley has confirmed to be probably the greatest TV writers on the market. Very similar to the Coens themselves, Hawley has created charming characters, crafted gripping narratives, and carried all of it with a wholesome dose of darkish comedy. There’s no different present fairly prefer it.

One other factor that makes Fargo stand out is its star-studded forged. Since actors solely have to join one season, Hawley has been in a position to get A-listers like Billy Bob Thornton, Kirsten Dunst, Ewan McGregor, Chris Rock, and Jon Hamm, and so they’ve all had a ton of enjoyable with their roles.