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Sweet, I might watch this round

More casting news: Patrick Wilson will play the young Lou. Ted Danson and Jean Smart also star, joining previously announced cast members Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons. Nick Offerman, Brad Garrett, and Jeffrey Donovan have recurring roles.

That's an even more rock-solid cast than from the first season.

Billy Bob Thornton rightfully won at tonight's Golden Globes for his turn. Was surprised to learn it was his first GG.

Ronald Reagan will be a "significant character" in season two.

Curl Up 'N Dye

Break Time's Over

Trailer for the second season.

Teasers:
Peck, Peck, Boom, Boom
Curl Up N' Dye
Everyone Wants A Cut
Grade AAA Mess
Cuckoo...Cuckoo
Hand Delivered
Prime Cut
Roadside Waffle
Shoe Tree
Snow Dude

Any quick takes on the season two premiere?

I thought it was well written and directed. I really enjoyed it!

Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons had the best (and funniest!) scene in the premiere with the hamburger helper/deer/car wreck bit. Kieran Culkin seemed to be channeling Steve Buschemi. I thought Patrick Wilson nailed the accent while Nick Offerman didn't even try. (Can this guy do ANYTHING besides the Ron from Parks&Rec. shtick?)

I saw a bit of Buscemi in that character, but mostly I saw a coked-up Fredo. I'm glad Jeffrey Donovan has what looks like a steady role in this. It was goofy and a bit boring at times, but I liked what he did on Burn Notice.

My wife and I gave it a chance after being only so-so on the first season, but so far, it retains all the elements that I disliked about the first season.

My main problem with it the show is, it feels like Coen brothers pastiche rather than an organic thing, which to me is something that's almost always in their pictures, no matter what genre Joel and Ethan traffic in (except maybe for Intolerable Cruelty, which I have a fondness for, and the Ladykillers, which, aside from the beautiful photography, I out-and-out hate).

Whether they play things broadly or seriously in their films, it all feels natural and fully evolved to me. Here it seems like something written by someone who is an obsessive fan of the Coens, but doesn't know how to translate that into any sort of real humanity in the characters. It's a cartoon inspired by the Coens.

It doesn't help that Fargo is my personal favourite film by them. For all its humour (and it is really fucking funny), I never got the impression they were mocking mid-westerners, just good-naturedly poking a little fun. In this this show, almost everyone's a buffoon.

I also hate the references to Coen brothers films. In this week's episode, I counted references to The Man Who Wasn't There, Fargo, itself, Barton Fink, and most-distractingly, the Big Lebowski characters of Walter and Donnie in Nick Offerman and his dim friend. If what I think is going to happen, happens next episode, we might have a Blood Simple Easter egg with the disposal of not-quite-dead body of Rye Gerhardt. I don't know what the point of these references are, except to make viewers who are Coen obsessives, like myself, feel proud that we catch them, but honestly, it just takes me out of the goddamn thing.

I also hated that Sioux Massacre film opening. Like almost everything in this show, I never feel like there's a sense of reality in this odd little universe, I only feel like this is an opportunity for people to dress up and play pretend and act like goofs. I never feel that in the Coens' work.

That being said, I liked Ted Danson and Patrick Wilson's performances, just like I really liked most of the lead performances from the first season.

So. I guess that means I should stop taking things so seriously, because it is just a TV show, and stop watching something that I find so frustrating.

Is the second season self-contained enough to watch without having seen the first? No interest in watching the previous round but I love the cast for this season

It takes place in the 70's with no connection to future events (you know, so far one episode in) so I think you'll be good.

As I understand the plan is to treat each season American Horror Story style.

jazzo wrote:In this week's episode, I counted references to The Man Who Wasn't There, Fargo, itself, Barton Fink, and most-distractingly, the Big Lebowski characters of Walter and Donnie in Nick Offerman and his dim friend.

Also the song over the closing credits (To the River by Down Like Silver), a remake of a song lifted from O Brother, Where Art Thou.

And the repeated "ok, then" from Raising Arizona. I really liked the first season, and hope the 2nd is decent because there's not much else going on in tv land for me at this time. But like the poster above said, the Lebowski reference was going too far. Next thing you know they'll start doing Barton Fink and Miller's Crossing, and then i'll have to stop watching.

I'm absolutely loving this season, as much if not more than the first. Bruce Campbell as Reagan was quite good in the last episode, though I suspect that'll be his only appearance.

domino harvey wrote:Is the second season self-contained enough to watch without having seen the first? No interest in watching the previous round but I love the cast for this season

Have you watched any of it yet?

It was a slow start to the 2nd season. The first 3 episodes were slow going, but now it's pretty good. The first season's Lester Nygaard was what kept me watching. They tried to make Peggy the new lester this season, but I don't think they pulled it off. Martin Freeman should have won a lot more awards than he did for the Lester role, but it seems that people were too focused on Billy Bob.

Bokeem Woodbine is the standout this season. Hope he gets some attention during awards season. I'm not really familiar with anything else he's done.

Yeah, but I can't but help think of Dave Chappelle's "white man" voice when I hear him talk. There are plenty of standouts this season. Nick Offerman was pretty great in last night's episode.

ianungstad wrote:Bokeem Woodbine is the standout this season. Hope he gets some attention during awards season. I'm not really familiar with anything else he's done.

Matt Zoller Seitz wrote a nice appreciation of Woodbine

I've been watching Bokeem for a long time. He's rarely had material this good to work with.

flyonthewall2983 wrote:Yeah, but I can't but help think of Dave Chappelle's "white man" voice when I hear him talk.

I love Dave but that voice (also used by Murphy and most every black comic since 1973 or so) is Pryor's.

Oh, he's the guy from BlackMale. How has domino not started watching this season yet?

I recognized him from the Mamet penned Edmond (2005).