FX Networks, Fargo Season 3 aired from April – June 2017 with ten episodes depicting yet another version of the crime instilled, snow-ridden plains and thick northern accents that leave you wondering why on Earth anyone would live in such a place, right? So let’s jump right into this Fargo Season 3 DVD review.
Fargo Season 3 DVD Review
Rest assured and not depicted by “true events,” is any of this series accurate, but possibly geared to those who have never ventured to the north, felt the sweltering heat of the summer months, or can honestly say the “accent” even makes our heads spin.
That said and set aside, the series stars Ewan McGregor in a fantastic, dual role as sibling rivals, Ray and Emmet Stussy, David Thewlis as a dangerous business tycoon named V.M. Varga, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Nikki Swango, Ray Stussy’s sexy, parolee girlfriend and Carrie Coon as Gloria Burgle, Chief/Deputy Sheriff of the town Eden Valley.
McGregor, Thewlis, and Winstead all had outstanding performances during the entire series which made it even tolerable to watch. Additionally, their costumes, hair, and makeup brought their characters to life and created an intensity and believability to the show’s audience. Mary Elizabeth Winstead who played Nikki Swango gave a less than subpar run and made it difficult to listen to, much less watch.
The story starts with Ray Stussy wanting to borrow money from his wealthier brother Emmet so he can purchase a ring for Nikki. Ray is Nikki’s parole officer. After Emmet declines to borrow Ray the money, Ray becomes upset and brings up a long-standing debate over their father’s inheritance. Ray disputes he was unfairly compensated with a Corvette rather than a very valuable stamp, currently in Emmet’s possession. Ray wants what he feels is rightfully his and blackmails one of his other parolees, Maurice, to break into Emmet’s home and take the stamp.
Along the way, Maurice forgets part of Emmet’s name as well as his address and ends up at Ennis Stussy’s house instead of in a nearing town. Maurice kills Ennis, ransacks the house, and does not locate the stamp due to the location mix up. Gloria Burgle arrives back home with her son to find her stepfather, Ennis Stussy, murdered in the house.
Emmet is in trouble as he attempts to pay back a loan from a shady businessman, V.M Varga but little does he know what he signed up for was much more than a loan but a partnership with a corporation owned by Varga. Varga is not the negotiating type to allow Emmet to pay him off and exit the agreement. Meanwhile, Maurice seeks revenge on Ray over the murder that took place. Maurice attempts to blackmail him, which backfires when Ray and Nikki kill Maurice by pushing an air conditioner out the window on top of Maurice.
From there on and the rest of the season we see an influx of unfortunate events including more crazy murders, scandals and unanswered questions regarding random events. There are so many characters that appear out of nowhere, for a short period even and then leave without knowing their true place within the story.
Gloria spends the remainder of the series trying to solve Ennis’s murder, that she will untimely never uncover, due to a series of events that led nowhere.
Emmet wants a continued relationship with his brother but is also in the midst of a major tax and business situation created by Varga and his shady crew which ultimately leaves his business partner in a life and death predicament and in the end things for Emmet don’t turn out as one would have previously thought.
Ray and Nikki continue to run into streaks of bad luck, and that is putting it mildly. They cannot catch a break and find themselves in the untimeliest of situations.
The series’ best episodes were the last three, and the first seven could have been cut and summed up in one. I wasn’t much of a fan, but many are sure to feel quite the opposite. If the slightest bit of curiosity is getting to you, please do watch it because you may have a different outlook on it than I did.
All photos used with the permission and are the property of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, FX Productions, and MGM Television © 2017-2018.
Complete List of Extras
- First Look
- Ray and Nikki
- Emmit Stussy and Sy Feltz
- One Actor, Two Characters
- Gloria Burgle
- Varga
- Anatomy of a Scene
- The Digital Age
- Connectivity and References
- Locations
- Noah Hawly
DVD Technical Information
- Screen Format: Widescreen 16:9 (2.00:1)
- Audio: English, French, German Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portoguese
- Rating: TV-MA
- Closed Captioned: Yes
