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Reviews
Fargo: Bisquik (2024)
No country for very, very old men
This season felt a bit incomplete and underwhelming to me until the final act, but upon finishing it and looking back, especially considering the heavy subject matter at times, this episode brought this season's themes to a satisfying and surprisingly hilarious conclusion.
What Fargo does best is follow its individual characters to their ends, its beautifully written, morally complicated, supernaturally-tinged characters. The final half of this episode did so to perfection, providing one of my favorite scenes of the show. This whole season has been about a woman who simply wants to live her life with her very wholesome family; she is completely single-minded, and she will use any means possible to be with them, booby-trap or Bisquik. Characters in this season are much more humanized than others; there's only one real villain, with a dark, dark heart. The X-factor, Ole Munch, is one of the more memorable characters from the whole series and provides some incredible moments, especially here. As soon as No Country for Old Men came to my mind, I couldn't stop laughing. It was the perfect homage.
As a whole, this season felt rather predictable. When done well, though, this isn't a bad thing. Going out of one's way to subvert expectations usually leads to a convoluted mess. This was a great return to form for one of the best shows left.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Full of nostalgia, but without the substance
Fantastic beasts II carried the charm of Harry Potter in the way that hand soap carries the scent of actual fruit, indulge yourself on either and you'll be left with bitterness. The style of the film was well done, and its nostalgia factor was more than enough to keep one engaged. The score added to its allure, but was hardly anything original. There isn't much of a reason for the beasts to be in the film if you think about it, but it's a good thing they are because the heart of the film would sink without them. The development of the most important characters was good, and Newt Scamander ranks up there with some of the classic Harry Potter characters after this movie. While the style is undeniable, the plot was muddled enough to lull the casual fan to sleep, and canonically distorting enough to infuriate the diehard fan. You'll walk out of this film and try and recant what you just watched, and you'll find yourself lost for words, not out of awe but because, well, nothing really happened. The first film succeeded by adding to the Harry Potter universe without detracting from the magic of the originals; this one went out of its way to taint their good name. With a few sequels to come, this movie wasn't irredeemable, but it sure is close.