I grew up half way between San Francisco and New York City. In the middle.
Fargo was biblical. A message to me and my fellow middle-men and -women. Circumstances can push even the nicest, even the most down to earth, even the most polite people to do absurd things. So when Noah Hawley’s series of the same title came out in 2014, I was both excited and scared. Excited to have more Coen-esque world to escape to. Scared that it wouldn’t live up.
It did. All five seasons. So much so that I couldn’t control my greed for wanting more. But all things end. So I did the next best thing. Binged other shows that felt similar. Not in plot, not in style, that would be impossible. But these shows have the same dead-serious delivery, same crazy high stakes, and same humor of witnessing “average” folks fly right off their own moral edges.
Photo via Apple
Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
It’s the Irish Fargo. Five sisters. One dead body. Two seasons available. Played so straight, you might be fooled into thinking you’re watching a drama. Which is why it’s so funny. It’s a great binge with the wife. And here’s a fun little tidbit you can tell her as you’re dialing it up. Eve Hewson is Bono’s daughter.
Photo via Hulu
The Lowdown (Hulu)
I’ll watch anything with Ethan Hawke. In The Lowdown, he plays a rare book store owner and semi-employed journalist who stumbles into a web of corruption and conspiracy in Oklahoma. The more he swats at the web, the more entangled he becomes. I would tell you how it feels similar to Fargo, but the opening monologue, the first sixty seconds, delivered by the great Tim Blake Nelson, will tell you everything you need to know.
Photo via HBO Max
Barry (HBO Max)
A low-rent hit man (played by Bill Hader) from the midwest takes a job in L.A. Ends up falling in love with acting and attempts to retire his old life for a new one on stage. It’s quiet. It’s depressingly hilarious. It’s Bill Hader. Not saying I’d re-cast a single person in any of the Fargo stories. But I am saying Bill Hader could’ve fit into that world perfectly. He has the same rhythm, same instincts, same ability to make me laugh just by standing there.
Photo via Netflix
Dept. Q (Netflix)
It’s the Scottish Fargo. Kind of. Admittedly, this one’s a bit more detective-mystery than Fargo-farce. But I found it funny. Which might say more about me than the show. Your results may very. The stakes are tense. The characters are brash and brilliant. You never think for a second it’s all gonna be okay in the end. And since the stakes are so high, the lines of deadpan humor sliced me like a chef’s knife.
