The American Dream, Dontchaknow
I won’t lie to you good reader, I’m pretty new to the show. I spent the better part of the weekend buzzing through both seasons and enjoying what I felt was a Breaking Bad level of amazing television.
And while the show was driven by amazing performances from Billy Bob Thornton, Patrick Wilson, Ted Danson, Allison Tolman and the grossly underrated Colin Hanks, as well as compelling writing, set design, etc. Something really stuck out to me about the show. Where the heart of the show truly lied.
Now this is where I get into MASSIVE spoilers. So If you haven’t seen FARGO yet this is going to ruin a lot of people’s days.
Near the end of season 2 of Fargo, Betsy Solverson, played expertly by Cristin Millioti, succumbs to the effects of some drugs that she was given for her ever spreading cancer and she talks about a dream she has in a voice over as we watch things play out. We see the invention of supermarkets, and technology as a whole increasing but the part of her dream that really got to me was near the end. She dreamt of Lou and the family. They were all together (the cast from season 1) celebrating Gus and Molly’s son’s birthday. That’s when it hit me, and I’m not afraid to say that I had a tear come down my cheek.
You see, the true heart of this show is family. Plain and simple. Let me explain: during the year time jump of season 1, Molly and Gus get married, move into a house and Molly is very pregnant with their son. That’s when everything around them begins to fall apart. Lester runs into Lorne again and that brings him back into the fold.
When Lou finds out about this he has no reservations about going home, getting his shot gun and sitting outside of Molly and Gus’ house. He talks about protecting his granddaughter. In that year time, they became a family, and they don’t have the teenage angst of “She’s not my mother”. Lou sees Greta as his granddaughter. End of story. Molly is Greta’s mom now. And that family bond is what was at the core of this show.
So many times on television shows, and in real life, when someone who has been married before the family that they bring with them has serious reservations about the whole ordeal. Yet, even when Greta and Molly meets for the first time, there is a definite Mother/Daughter bond. I mean one of the first things Molly asks Greta is if she’s dating or not.
I don’t know if its because these are good hearted people with nothing but love to give, or if its just because they are from the upper Midwestern part of the US where everyone is nice to everyone, but it was something that was very touching to see. I think deep down its something that everyone wants. That family life where love is the order of the day, something so many of us are missing. A little love. That is where Fargo pushes forward while other shows falter.
The family motif even continued with season 3 with Ewan McGregor playing a set of twins at battle with one another and in season 4 with Loy Cannon played by Chris Rock and his family taking on Josto Fadda played by Jason Schwartzman and his respective crew.
As of this writing, there is no idea whether or not there will be a Fargo season 5, but I would bet dollars to doughnuts that it will have to do with family, and I’m ok with that.
Also, aren’t those Solverson’s amazing cops?
This article has appeared in multiple places, but it is here now. This is where it lives.
Posted from the Official Uncle Ron's Drive-In website with Exxp : https://uncleronsdrivein.com/the-true-heart-of-fargo/
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