Did you watch the preceding eight episodes? The bits where he killed his wife, framed his brother.....
But, surely, that was just a newly empowered Lester stretching his fledgling wings, being a bit lovably roguish. The wife was a monster, and the brother was, let's face it, something of smugarse. Even when Lester sent his sweet little wife number two to her death, he did wince a bit - although admittedly, that may just have been the thought that it could have been him.
Did you watch the preceding eight episodes? The bits where he killed his wife, framed his brother.....
Lester killing his wife or framing his brother i had no problem with.There was nothing about his wife that i liked & his brother was an ass.
Now his 2nd wife seemed to come across as somebody that really cared & loved him & would do anything for him as she demonstrated in episode 9 when she told Molly that it was her idea to cut their trip from Vegas early.
Lester have a rough idea that Malvo would be waiting for him at the office.Now it's 1 thing him sending his wife in but when he gave her the jacket to put on & told her to pull the hood up he sealed her fate.Lester could have spared her life but he chose not to.
Hence why i was happy to see him get his comeuppance in the last episode.
After watching Happy Valley I think Steve Pemberton would have been even better than Martin Freeman in the Lester role, although he's obviously not a big enough name for the Americans.
After watching Happy Valley I think Steve Pemberton would have been even better than Martin Freeman in the Lester role, although he's obviously not a big enough name for the Americans.
What? Steve Pemberton? He couldn't even act the part in Happy Valley.
I thought Freeman did a great job. From an outsider he got the accent right. Could Pemerton or Shearsmith get the accent right? I know they've done a few over the years but they are usually OTT. I only mention Shearsmith because I think they both have distinctive accents and you can instantly tell it's them on tv when they talk.
In the show he started off as a meek guy, then changed to nervous then to confident then overconfident, sneaky and lastly panicked. I thought he played the range well.
After watching Happy Valley I think Steve Pemberton would have been even better than Martin Freeman in the Lester role, although he's obviously not a big enough name for the Americans.
But the two don't have a massive following in the states. Martin Freeman was probably cast off the back of Hobbit and Sherlock as a star to draw people in.
I think they'll still have some causal link from the film or the TV series though.
There were a dozen or so other tapes in the briefcase - I'm thinking its a possibility that any further stories could be from the contents of those tapes (prequels of course) Malvo's insurances should anything go wrong. Its just that in this case - it only went wrong for him when he had the misfortune to meet up with Lester.
But the two don't have a massive following in the states. Martin Freeman was probably cast off the back of Hobbit and Sherlock as a star to draw people in.
Riiiight. Because Billy Bob Thornton, who the hell is he?
Is it somehow heretical to suggest a combination of talent and audience recognition got these guys hired? And mostly the talent?
Fargo is first rate television & it's that way primarily because of the excellence of Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of Malvo.
Fantastic character & even though he was bad as hell, I was upset to see him die.:o
I was incredibly relieved to see him die, and in such an unglamorous manner. No tedious, drawn-out finale where they stalk him through the woods. Nope, the ex-cop turns up and shoots him in cold blood, fine by me!
I was more making a point about why Steve Pemberton or Reece Shearsmith wouldn't have been cast, not about their talent.
But roles in American TV shows -- even lead roles -- are often given to British actors who are completely unknown in the US. Look at Andrew Lincoln in The Walking Dead. Or Matt Ryan in the up-coming Constantine.
But roles in American TV shows -- even lead roles -- are often given to British actors who are completely unknown in the US. Look at Andrew Lincoln in The Walking Dead. Or Matt Ryan in the up-coming Constantine.
Andrew Lincoln was quite well known for his role in Love Actually as well as the first series of Strike Back. And Matt Ryan has been in many episodes of Criminal Minds so is quite well known.
Andrew Lincoln was quite well known for his role in Love Actually as well as the first series of Strike Back. And Matt Ryan has been in many episodes of Criminal Minds so is quite well known.
The first season of Strike Back only aired in the US recently. Cinemax only became a co-producer starting with season two, and they have actually called that "Season 1" in the US. Point taken on Love Actually. I didn't know about Ryan and Criminal Minds, but clearly Ryan got the Criminal Minds role without being "known" in the US. Having checked her IMDB, I can give Michelle Ryan as an example of a British actor/actress who hadn't been in anything American or anything British that would be familiar to Americans before being cast as the lead in a US show (the 2007 Bionic Woman remake).
I was incredibly relieved to see him die, and in such an unglamorous manner. No tedious, drawn-out finale where they stalk him through the woods. Nope, the ex-cop turns up and shoots him in cold blood, fine by me!
I think he should still be out there somewhere as a link to a next series. Great viewing, but still not a patch on breaking bad.
They could have had an ending where they go back in to the cabin to find Malvo gone. No body, no clues. Did he actually survive (wearing an armoured vest and blood capsules - there was no head shot to make sure) or was there someone else who wants people to think he was still alive. Wonder if it was considered?
They could have had an ending where they go back in to the cabin to find Malvo gone. No body, no clues. Did he actually survive (wearing an armoured vest and blood capsules - there was no head shot to make sure) or was there someone else who wants people to think he was still alive. Wonder if it was considered?
Um... he was shot twice in the face after he coughed and revived from the body shots.
He's dead.
Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton elevated this season so Colin Hanks and Alison Tollman were raised to a greater level by association. Especially after Colin Hanks somewhat disappointed on Dexter. Molly in place of Marge Gunderson showed that once again pregnant women can be even more capable than most men. That the two mean team couldn't put Lester under the ice because he was on his game but his arrogance send him under the ice when the two man snow scooter team tried to warn him otherwise... that his hubris cost him his life... there are so many beautiful stylistic parallels in this show, it's like True Detective but with an ending that didn't cop out.
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But, surely, that was just a newly empowered Lester stretching his fledgling wings, being a bit lovably roguish. The wife was a monster, and the brother was, let's face it, something of smugarse. Even when Lester sent his sweet little wife number two to her death, he did wince a bit - although admittedly, that may just have been the thought that it could have been him.
Lester killing his wife or framing his brother i had no problem with.There was nothing about his wife that i liked & his brother was an ass.
Now his 2nd wife seemed to come across as somebody that really cared & loved him & would do anything for him as she demonstrated in episode 9 when she told Molly that it was her idea to cut their trip from Vegas early.
Lester have a rough idea that Malvo would be waiting for him at the office.Now it's 1 thing him sending his wife in but when he gave her the jacket to put on & told her to pull the hood up he sealed her fate.Lester could have spared her life but he chose not to.
Hence why i was happy to see him get his comeuppance in the last episode.
What? Steve Pemberton? He couldn't even act the part in Happy Valley.
Agreed.
Fargo is first rate television & it's that way primarily because of the excellence of Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of Malvo.
Fantastic character & even though he was bad as hell, I was upset to see him die.
In the show he started off as a meek guy, then changed to nervous then to confident then overconfident, sneaky and lastly panicked. I thought he played the range well.
But the two don't have a massive following in the states. Martin Freeman was probably cast off the back of Hobbit and Sherlock as a star to draw people in.
There were a dozen or so other tapes in the briefcase - I'm thinking its a possibility that any further stories could be from the contents of those tapes (prequels of course) Malvo's insurances should anything go wrong. Its just that in this case - it only went wrong for him when he had the misfortune to meet up with Lester.
Perhaps they should have done the "Next Episode" bits with
"Impending Next Week"...
Riiiight. Because Billy Bob Thornton, who the hell is he?
Is it somehow heretical to suggest a combination of talent and audience recognition got these guys hired? And mostly the talent?
I was incredibly relieved to see him die, and in such an unglamorous manner. No tedious, drawn-out finale where they stalk him through the woods. Nope, the ex-cop turns up and shoots him in cold blood, fine by me!
I was more making a point about why Steve Pemberton or Reece Shearsmith wouldn't have been cast, not about their talent.
The Lester role could have been filled by many a different actor, however Malvo would have been dead in the water without BBT
I thought it was Lester who was dead in the water?
(Sorry, couldn't resist!).
Sounds like a line from a Bond film.
"Where's Lester?"
"He's dead in the water".
But roles in American TV shows -- even lead roles -- are often given to British actors who are completely unknown in the US. Look at Andrew Lincoln in The Walking Dead. Or Matt Ryan in the up-coming Constantine.
Andrew Lincoln was quite well known for his role in Love Actually as well as the first series of Strike Back. And Matt Ryan has been in many episodes of Criminal Minds so is quite well known.
The first season of Strike Back only aired in the US recently. Cinemax only became a co-producer starting with season two, and they have actually called that "Season 1" in the US. Point taken on Love Actually. I didn't know about Ryan and Criminal Minds, but clearly Ryan got the Criminal Minds role without being "known" in the US. Having checked her IMDB, I can give Michelle Ryan as an example of a British actor/actress who hadn't been in anything American or anything British that would be familiar to Americans before being cast as the lead in a US show (the 2007 Bionic Woman remake).
I think he should still be out there somewhere as a link to a next series. Great viewing, but still not a patch on breaking bad.
Um... he was shot twice in the face after he coughed and revived from the body shots.
He's dead.
Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton elevated this season so Colin Hanks and Alison Tollman were raised to a greater level by association. Especially after Colin Hanks somewhat disappointed on Dexter. Molly in place of Marge Gunderson showed that once again pregnant women can be even more capable than most men. That the two mean team couldn't put Lester under the ice because he was on his game but his arrogance send him under the ice when the two man snow scooter team tried to warn him otherwise... that his hubris cost him his life... there are so many beautiful stylistic parallels in this show, it's like True Detective but with an ending that didn't cop out.