Fargo's season four brings us another wonderful story, more focused on the mafia, changing scenery and with some characters that will remain engraved in our memory.
Noah Hawley and all the team of people working under him, have again done an extraordinary job, with a fourth season that despite being far from the cold landscapes of Minnesota, maintains the style that has made this series one of the best productions of recent years.
All the characteristics, narrative style, black comedy, sarcasm, funny situations, drama and tragedy, are the ingredients of each of the seasons, capturing the essence of the Coen brothers of the film that gave birth to this universe.
A solid work of script writing, music, direction and of course, intelligent and great performances, giving life to characters with such particular characteristics, which are always the best of all the stories that have been told in four fantastic seasons.
The first season gave us some wonderful characters: Lester Nygaard, the villain Lorne Malvo, Molly Solverson, Lou Solverson, Gus Grimly, Stavros Milos, Mr. Numbers and Mr. Key. The second season would have another extraordinary cast, to leave us with other memorable characters: The marriage formed by Ed and Peggy Blumquist, Hank Larsson, Lou Solverson in his younger version, the Native American Ohanzee "Hanzee" Dent, the whole Gerhardt family clan that tried to take control of the Kansas City crime syndicate, and the mythical Mike Milligan. For the third season, attention focused on the Emmit brothers and Ratmond Stussy, police officer Gloria Burgle, Yuri Gurka, the eccentric V villain. M. Varga and a beautiful Nikki Swango who captivated me. Also in that season, Mr. Wrench appeared again, whom we saw in the first season.
The story moves on stage, placing us in Kansas City, and with more than twenty main characters to tell us this new story, this time with more emphasis on the world of the Mafia. The season has also been the longest, having to add an episode eleven.
I was a little scared when I heard about the changes in the series, but we should definitely not doubt the ability of Noah Hawley and his team of writers, who have built a round story, another fragment of American criminal history, a factor that unites all the stories of the different seasons.
In this fourth season, the creators gather a totally luxury cast, with some actors that leave us for the history of television, some unforgettable characters.
Ethelrida Pearl Smutney, a character who begins to tell us the story. She and her parents, who run a funeral home, are the civilians who will get involved with the criminals. A constant in all seasons, but unlike the previous ones, they will have a happy ending when everything is over. She is played by young actress Emyri Crutchfield, who debuted in 2015 with the film Vacation, worked on the remake of the mini-series Roots and has won the NAACP IMage Award for her outstanding performance in a children's series.
Loy Cannon, the African-American mafia boss who will have to deal with the Italian mafia, for control of business in Kansas City. As the Jews did first, and the Irish. They will have to exchange their youngest children to keep the peace. He is one of the great stars of the season and is played by Chris Rock, a world-renowned comedian. His choice was a surprise and he has fulfilled all expectations as the fearsome boss of the mafia.
"Doctor Senator", the advisor and right hand of Loy Cannon, another black man who has had to fight to succeed in the world of crime in America. Elegant, smart and confident. The character is played by the excellent actor Glynn Turman, with an outstanding career in theater, film and television, one of his most emblematic characters was when he played the mayor in the masterpiece The Wire.
Josto Fadda, after the crazy death of his father, receives the role of the head of the Italian mafia in Kansas City. A very singular character, who is not ready to be a boss, is a spoiled and pampered son. It is played by Jason Schwartzman, an actor and musician with experience in comedy, will be the protagonist of many funny situations and the cause of leading to a war fatal to all.
Gaetano Fadda, Josto's brother who returns from Italy, feels entitled to be the boss, as he is a killing machine who fought against Musssolini's forces at the end of the great war. He is all muscle and brute force. He is played by Salvatore Esposito, a surprise to me, for being the Italian actor in the successful series Gamorra, one of my favorites, where he plays Gennaro Savastano. In Fargo there is a lot of overacting, but it is necessary to take his character to the grotesque levels that the story demands of him.
Rabbi Milligan, son of the Irish mafia man, who was first exchanged with the Jewish mafia, when the latter was annihilated, was again exchanged with the Italian mafia, making the decision to betray his people, killing his own father and remaining in the service of the Italians. In spite of everything, he is a man of honor and will take care of Satchel Cannon, Loy Cannon's son, as long as he is with the Italians. Something he will achieve even if it costs him his life. A wonderful character, with a beautiful ending in the black and white episode, which pays tribute to the film noir of the 1920s. Pay attention to his last name, so you can guess the connection. The character is played by the British actor Ben Whishaw, who became known for the film The Perfum.
The Zelmare Roulette and the Swan Hats. In Frago there are always criminal couples that play an important role in the story. This season these two women, lovers and partners in crime, escape from jail and arrive in Kansas City to hide in the funeral home, because Zelamre is the sister of Ethelride's mother. A very funny couple with an importance in the end of everything. Karen Aldridge plays Zelamre and Kelsey Asbille plays Swanee.
Odis Weff is a corrupt policeman, who suffers from an obese nervous tic, produced by the trauma of having lost the woman he loved, while he was in the war. He works for all sides, getting into serious trouble that will eventually take its toll. This character, so rich in characteristics, is played by the fabulous actor Jack Huston, about whom I have already told you in other reviews. Just like in Boardwall Empire, here he creates another unforgettable character.
Dick 'Deafy' Wickware is one of the characters who steals the series in the episodes that appear. He is in charge of hunting down the criminal gangs of Zelamre and Swanee, he is also a Mormon and uses religious philosophy in his interventions. He will have to work alongside Odis, carrying out the shady business involving the Kansas City police. The actor Timothy Olyphant is in charge of playing him, doing a fantastic job. He is a fabulous character.
Oraetta Mayflower is a nice nurse, with a strange accent and very fast speaking, who has just arrived in Kansas City. She comes from Fargo, the beginning being the only connection. But this nurse hides a secret, she is a serial killer, who has killed her patients. She will move in front of Etherilda's parents' funeral home and establish a relationship with Josto Fadda. She will be the one who kills Josto's father in the hospital, causing the events that will lead to the mafia war in the city. She is played by Jessie Buckley, who does another extraordinary job. This girl is a phenomenon and I like her more and more. I already told you about her, because of her work in Chernobyl and in the movie "I'm thinking about the end of things".
Constant Calamita, the executor of the Italian mafia murders, a mafia soldier who fights between loyalty to Josto and Gaetano. He and Rabbi Milligan will have a final duel in the black-and-white episode entitled East/West, a crazy, funny and beautiful episode with a surprising ending, characteristic of the series. It is played by the actor Gaetano Bruno, who is able to convey fear with his presence.
These are some of the most important characters and because of their characteristics they make the whole season funny and tragic at the same time, but there are many more, all of them with importance in the story. Attention to the child actor Rodney L Jones III, who plays Satchel Cannon, Loy's son who will have to be taken care of by the Irishman. He is the connection to the second season.
Each season tells independent stories, although they have had plot points that connect it to the others, and in the first season there is a scene that connects the series to the movie, doing it in a great way.
But this season connects with another one... As I watched each episode on a weekly basis, I looked for the character or event that might have a connection to one of the other seasons, but I couldn't find any clues. Also, the story goes back very far in time, to the 1950s in Kansas City. The only connection to Fargo was the killer nurse who came from that place.
In the penultimate episode I thought of a theory about one of the childish characters, although I had my doubts, since the name did not match the character I imagined it could be. We had to wait until the post-credited scene of the last episode for the big discovery, I was right, if it was that character who appears as an adult, in the second season.
This great criminal epic of the fourth season, becomes the story about the origins of a mythical character that we saw in the second season. Being him, the connection with that other story. It is also the one that leaves more blood throughout the episodes, with the death of most of the characters.
Will there be a fifth season? According to Hawley's statements, the doors are open in case he decides to do a fifth season, but at the moment it's not in the plans. He's involved in a couple of other projects, plus he has to finish writing a book. After doing four great seasons, it's hard to risk a fifth that will keep up. We should let him take his time, and hope he comes up with another story worth telling.
My Ranking: 4.5/5
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