1. Fargo
Fargo was, without a doubt, one of the most surprising shows on television this year. As beloved as the original Coen Brothers’ film is, the idea of a Fargo television series at first felt a bit unnecessary. We’ve seen several films make the transition to television, with varying degrees of success. This year alone, Rosemary’s Baby, About a Boy, and From Dusk Til Dawn all got the small screen treatment – and it’s no surprise that out of that group, only Fargo wound up on this list.
Fargo’s success stems from Noah Hawley’s appreciation for the source material, and his willingness to use it merely as inspiration to tell his own story set within the same quirky confines that the Coens set up back in 1996.
The end result was a compelling, darkly humorous tale about one man’s descent into evil – juxtaposed against a manhunt that threatens the very fabric of a small midwestern town. Packed with memorable performances, brilliant writing, and hard-hitting yet subtle symbolism, Fargo delivered on all fronts, and benefited from its anthology format. At only ten episodes, the series managed to tell a complete story – something that’s rare in today’s franchise-happy pop culture climate. As such, the show was able to live up to its promises and provide closure for its plot threads and mysteries, delivering a wholly satisfying tale of good vs. evil.
Thankfully, Fargo served not as a simple cash-grab or a desperate attempt to exploit a recognizable brand. The series acted more as a companion piece to the original film than a follow-up or retelling. Let’s just hope that the plethora of film-based dramas hitting our TV sets in 2015 follow suit.
Published: Jan 3, 2015 06:49 pm