I 100% agree with literally everything you said in this article. You expressed perfectly how I was feeling as I watched this garbage. I absolutely loved seasons 1–3. But I couldn't get more than 3 episodes into season 4 before I realised it wasn't the same show anymore. I really wanted to like Season 5, but the disappointment slowly sank in, and I had to accept that the Fargo I once knew and loved is over. And it only had three seasons. These last two are some other show entirely. Season 5 feels almost like a parody of what the writers think the show was like when it was good. A poor imitation of something far better and nothing more.
I am sincerely shocked by all the good reviews and comments about this season, it is so painfully bad for all the reasons you mentioned. I kept going to give it more of a chance and even finished it, but really, just hated it.
Every single male character in season 5 is either a complete and utter imbecile, a bastard, or both. Every woman is strong, capable and incredibly resourceful with no explanation as to why. Just like… the real world? Ok.
The writers are clearly trying to make a point about women being strong or capable or something - guess what Noah, outside of the internet we already know this but please ruin a great TV show to preach at us. Did it have to be so on the nose all the the way through? It felt like the writers don’t know anything about the types of people the character are based on and wrote them more like what Hollywood thinks it should be. Even the positively portrayed male characters are only “good” because of whatever female influence they had. The most egregious example of this is after the state trooper is pointlessly killed (for being too stupid to wait for backup and too nice to execute the dangerous murderer who won’t drop his weapon) - at his grave diverse cop/head of security lady tells highly skilled incredibly resourceful and strong liar lady that the guy had 6 sisters.
What does Dot say? “That must by why he was so nice”. Yes because why else would a man be nice in woke Fargo land, but for the influence of not one but 6 sisters and only a mother!
Who on earth wrote this trash, and why are all the reviews so good?
Ellen Ripley, Sarah Conor, The Bride etc. is how you write strong female characters. Billionaire boss bitch and home alone heroine? No thanks.
Just awful. It was a woke morality play. All the worst trappings of post-modern Hollywood turned up to 11.
- Superhuman female characters who never fail and are always right.
- White men are either evil and abusive, or good, but weak and subservient.
- Christianity is evil and misogynistic.
- Republicans are angry and love guns.
You shouldn't be able determine the moral dimension of the character just by their gender and racial identity. I knew as soon as I saw that one kidnapper wore a skirt, that he was going to be the good bad guy. Bad but not pure evil. He wears a dress after all, so he can't be all bad.
Brutal. Good on you for finishing it. I quit after two.
I sadly agree. The cast is great, but John Hamm's Snidely Whiplash sheriff has no substance and mysterious sin-eater-guy who could be filling the role of evil loose in the world doesn't amount to much. They lost me when they axe murdered someone in broad daylight in the snow in the front yard of a suburban neighborhood and nobody noticed. Apparently forensics didn't exist in 2019.
I 100% agree with literally everything you said in this article. You expressed perfectly how I was feeling as I watched this garbage. I absolutely loved seasons 1–3. But I couldn't get more than 3 episodes into season 4 before I realised it wasn't the same show anymore. I really wanted to like Season 5, but the disappointment slowly sank in, and I had to accept that the Fargo I once knew and loved is over. And it only had three seasons. These last two are some other show entirely. Season 5 feels almost like a parody of what the writers think the show was like when it was good. A poor imitation of something far better and nothing more.
I am sincerely shocked by all the good reviews and comments about this season, it is so painfully bad for all the reasons you mentioned. I kept going to give it more of a chance and even finished it, but really, just hated it.
Every single male character in season 5 is either a complete and utter imbecile, a bastard, or both. Every woman is strong, capable and incredibly resourceful with no explanation as to why. Just like… the real world? Ok.
The writers are clearly trying to make a point about women being strong or capable or something - guess what Noah, outside of the internet we already know this but please ruin a great TV show to preach at us. Did it have to be so on the nose all the the way through? It felt like the writers don’t know anything about the types of people the character are based on and wrote them more like what Hollywood thinks it should be. Even the positively portrayed male characters are only “good” because of whatever female influence they had. The most egregious example of this is after the state trooper is pointlessly killed (for being too stupid to wait for backup and too nice to execute the dangerous murderer who won’t drop his weapon) - at his grave diverse cop/head of security lady tells highly skilled incredibly resourceful and strong liar lady that the guy had 6 sisters.
What does Dot say? “That must by why he was so nice”. Yes because why else would a man be nice in woke Fargo land, but for the influence of not one but 6 sisters and only a mother!
Who on earth wrote this trash, and why are all the reviews so good?
Ellen Ripley, Sarah Conor, The Bride etc. is how you write strong female characters. Billionaire boss bitch and home alone heroine? No thanks.
Just awful. It was a woke morality play. All the worst trappings of post-modern Hollywood turned up to 11.
- Superhuman female characters who never fail and are always right.
- White men are either evil and abusive, or good, but weak and subservient.
- Christianity is evil and misogynistic.
- Republicans are angry and love guns.
You shouldn't be able determine the moral dimension of the character just by their gender and racial identity. I knew as soon as I saw that one kidnapper wore a skirt, that he was going to be the good bad guy. Bad but not pure evil. He wears a dress after all, so he can't be all bad.
Brutal. Good on you for finishing it. I quit after two.
I sadly agree. The cast is great, but John Hamm's Snidely Whiplash sheriff has no substance and mysterious sin-eater-guy who could be filling the role of evil loose in the world doesn't amount to much. They lost me when they axe murdered someone in broad daylight in the snow in the front yard of a suburban neighborhood and nobody noticed. Apparently forensics didn't exist in 2019.
Perfect analysis! Well thought out and well argued.
Couldn't disagree more. Absolutely loved Season 5, as I did the first two. Current day implications. Noah Hawley is a genius!