‘Fargo’ Season 1 Spoilers: How Did The TV Premiere Compare To The Movie? 6 Differences In Episode 1
The FX original series “Fargo” aired its highly anticipated season premiere last night. And you better believe we stayed up to watch! As fans of the Coen Brother’s we were eager to see if the 10-episode limited series could possibly fill the giant shoes of our favorite siblings. And as it turns out, they did—but in their own unique way.
Creator of the TV adaptation, Noah Hawley, incorporated the dark humor that made “Fargo” a cult classic but decided to differentiate the iconic film by telling a new, nail-biting tale. In addition to changing the script, Hawley added new characters to the plot, casting stars like Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Kate Walsh, and Bob Odenkirk to tell the story.
So, how else did the TV version of “Fargo” compare to the movie? Well, we’re about to break it down for you.
[WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!]
1. Both versions opened with similar disclaimers: You know the hysterical opening scene that explained “out of respect for the dead, the rest [of the story] has been told exactly as is occur”? The TV adaptation of “Fargo” made sure to keep that gem in their version on the comedy. The only difference is that they changed the year from 1987 to 2006.
2. You’ll actually cheer for the villain: With every fiber of our human being, we despised Jerry Lundegaard. He was such a cowardly snake. But the TV version of his character, Lester Nygaard (played by Freeman), is actually someone you can stand up and cheer for. He’s bullied by his terrible wife, his younger brother, high school bullies and more. But after the awkward protagonist meets Lorne Malvi (played by Thornton) in a hospital waiting room, all of that will change.
3. Blood, blood and more blood: There wasn’t a scene in the original flick that made us shutter. Nope, not even the wood chipper moment! However, we found ourselves constantly cringing throughout the Season premiere of “Fargo.” From the moment Lester broke his own nose reacting to a fake punch to Hess getting stabbed in the back of the head, causing him to bleed all over the eyes of a prostitute, Hawley had us gripping the couch with every scene. But nothing shocked us more than the death of Lester’s wife.
4. Lester gets his hands dirty: Unlike Jerry, Lester mustered up the courage to kill his wife who taunted him relentlessly. While she verbally attacked him in the basement, Lester picked up a blunt object and bopped his nagging partner on the head. Seconds passed before viewers saw blood start dripping for her scalp. That’s when Lester let her have it. Swing after swing, Lester muttered “Aw, jeez” as he bludgeoned his wife to death.
“It wasn’t heroic; it was ‘meh,’” he explained the scene to Entertainment Weekly. “And I kind of felt that as Lester. It’s not heroic; it’s not Russell Crowe doing it. It’s, ‘I think I do that. Do I? I think it goes like that.’ I like that aspect of it. It should all take the audience by surprise."
5. Where’d all the accents go? Although the TV adaptation incorporates the Minnesota “niceness” in the personalities of the characters, there seems to be accents missing from the series. Are we the only ones who felt this way?
6. Margie is a man: The lead police officer, originally played by Frances McDormand, is actually male. But like Marge, Officer Thurman is expecting! And instead of the father-to-be having a dimwitted sidekick, Shawn Doyle’s character is accompanied by the bright and boisterous Office Solverson, who kind of reminds us of Rebel Wilson.
What did you think of the series premiere of "Fargo"? Let us know in the comments section below.
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