Pretty Much Pop #79: The Fargo Formula w/ Tamler Sommers (Very Bad Wizards Crossover)

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On the Coen Brothers’ 1996 film and Noah Hawley’s 4-season TV show, an enterprise that has evolved from darkly comic morality tale to sprawling organized crime drama. Mark, Erica, Brian, and guest Tamler from the Very Bad Wizards podcast explore the plaudits and criticisms of the show, covering its elaborate style, “tundra western” setting, dry humor, speechifying, gender issues, stunt casting, and the role of chance in its plotting. Did the show go downhill in its later seasons, and is there altogether too much rehash involved? Yes, there are spoilers, but no, it barely matters.

Check out these resources for more opinions and background information:

• “How All the Fargo Seasons are Connected” by Pete Peppers
• “Fargo Season 4 Has a Lot of Nothing to Say About America” by Darren Franich
• “Fargo: The 10 Best Examples of Stunt Casting on the Series” by David Mello
• “‘Fargo’ Season 4 Wanted to Talk About Race, but Had a Big Communication Problem” by Julian Kimble
• “‘Fargo’ Showrunner Noah Hawley Reveals What Happens Between Season 4 Finale and the Beginning of Season 2” by Daniel Holloway
• “A Superb ‘Fargo’ Swerves into the ’70s with Almost Too Much Story to Tell” by Hank Steuver
• “Fargo’s Second Season Will Be a Classic in Its Own Right” by Matt Zoller Seitz
• “‘Fargo’: How a Great Movie Became a Perfect TV Series” by Jeff Ridskopf
• “A Guide to the New ‘Fargo’” by Alicia Lutes

Follow @tamler. Hear him on The Partially Examined Life. Check out his book, Why Honor Matters.

This episode includes bonus discussion you can access by supporting the podcast at patreon.com/prettymuchpop. This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life podcast network and is curated by openculture.com.

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