Can anyone contend with the Coen brothers? Fargo on FX is trying to do just that, with a series based on the 1996 film of the same name. Set in the icy reaches of the Midwest, where everyone behaves with ‘Minnesota nice’ and regional accents are sometimes so thick as to be incomprehensible to outsiders, the original film was dark, funny, and absurdist in a way that captivated audiences and made it an enduring hit. It had the Coen signature of a rich blend of characters, a strong script, and an odd beauty even in its most horrifying moments—like the infamous woodchipper scene, which has become a moment of cinematic legend.
The film even had its own metastory, with its promise to viewers that it was ‘based on a true story’ (it wasn’t), a conceit maintained by the Coen brothers themselves at screenings and promotional events. Nearly 20 years later, the film still holds up as a masterpiece of cinema, though a quick internet search can lead viewers to the disappointing truth about the veracity of the claim in the opening credits.
But could it successfully be adapted to television? The new Fargo is made with the Coen brothers’ blessing, though they aren’t involved in the production itself. It, too, claims to be based upon a real story (again, it isn’t), and it takes on many of the same conceits as the original film, with some slightly new twists. Like its cinematic counterpart, it’s darkly hilarious, absurd, and oddly compelling viewing, with richly-realised characters who have a great script to play with. In an era when so many television scripts feel stiff and wooden, Fargo has some excellent snap, crackle, and pop, all welcome to the ears of viewers who are tired of formulaic scripts and plots.
Longform storytelling like that offered in television, with an arc spanning 10 episodes in this case, provides many more opportunities for character development, scene setting, and more. Thus far, the producers seem to be taking advantage of these opportunities to expand the text, elaborate upon it, and create more of a lush world. New characters come and go from the screen, but we’re getting excellent cameos which give us an opportunity to know the core cast members, an important storytelling element in a dramedy all about murder and mayhem.
However, Fargo seems to be on track to present itself as a very male centered story, revolving around insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) and his midlife crisis rather than Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman), who, in this version of the Fargo story, isn’t pregnant. Thus, we’re deprived of the opportunity of seeing a pregnant police officer confront the world, challenging gender norms even as she becomes entangled in a complex and rococo plot. The women on this Fargo are more diluted, weakened, the better to allow their male counterparts to shine, and it’s troubling.
Few programmes offer opportunities to see strong women in charge, and even Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) on Scandal seems to be spending this season falling apart. While the drama may still revolve around her in this Shonda Rhimes production, she’s faltering—and it stands out in a television landscape that often feels as bleak as the Minnesota plains in winter when it comes to representations of women on television. Fargo represents a chance to have several fascinating, dynamic women on screen, and the producers don’t seem to be taking it thus far.
It’s early days yet, and thus we may see more development for the women of the show. We can certainly hope so, because Molly could be taken in a number of fascinating directions, and could grow into a key and marvelous character if given the opportunity to do so. Fargo’s unwillingness to let its women shine speaks to what seems to be a deeper fear on the part of the industry, that television shows won’t do as well with women at the head, and that women characters should wait quietly at the back of the room while the men do much of the heavy lifting.
It’s an injustice to women in the real world, as well as to fabulous actresses who are continually wasted while they wait in the wings for their opportunity. Fargo offers so much for women with its slightly ludicrous, unreal, even Dadaist take on life in the Midwest, a region of the United States where women aren’t exactly famed for sitting down quietly and waiting their turn. Midwestern women are formidable, brave, outgoing, and ferocious when they need to be, and I would love to see more of these traits coming out in Fargo, a drama that could just as easily be led by its women as its men.
White men having midlife crises is nothing new, even when they are presented in a darkly funny way by fantastic actors. If Fargo brings something fresh to the table, though, it could distinguish itself from the rest of the television lineup, and that would be worth tuning in for week after week.