The new FX original series, Fargo, came in like a 4×4 last week — its Tomatometer score for the premiere holding steady at 98 percent Certified Fresh.
Now that the storm has settled a bit, does Fargo hold up to the hype? Here’s a snapshot of what critics are saying about episode two, “The Rooster Prince.”
Alan Sepinwall, HitFix: So much happening. So much of it fun. And we’re just getting warmed up.
Roth Cornet, IGN: As the game of cat and mouse develops… and we are introduced to rich and entertainingly theatrical additional characters this world and story continues to leave me wanting more.
Christopher Campbell, Film School Rejects: As with most second episodes, it’s a transitional installment that requires some patience as more is poured in than is flushed out.
Carla Day, TV Fanatic: [Fargo] has an intriguing charm to it that just engrosses the viewer in this unique world of frozen tundra. While it’s visually engaging, it’s the individual characters’ idiosyncrasies that have me hooked.
Todd VanDerWerff, A.V. Club: “The Rooster Prince” is a bit of a step back from last week’s riveting first episode, but the reasoning for that is sound: It’s here that the show starts to truly differentiate itself from its cinematic forebear.
Isaac Cotiner, The New Republic: My concern after the superb first episode was that the show would eventually come to feel like a mish-mash of too many genres and styles. Simultaneously creepy and light in a manner both startling and eventually tiresome, Episode 2 was Exhibit A.
Amy Amatangelo, Paste Magazine: The second episode of Fargo was truly a chance to savor all the wonderful choices the show is making to fully bring viewers into the distinct and quirky world of Fargo.
Kevin Yeoman, ScreenRant: It’s a strong second episode that works in terms of both breadth and depth. As interesting as the new characters and avenues being explored are, the show is unsurprisingly at its best when it’s focused on ground zero — that is: Lester Nygaard and… Molly Solverson.
Pilot Viruet, IndieWire: What I’m really enjoying about Fargo so far is the mileage it gets out of its small town setting. Everything seems pretty big there — the sweeping landscape shots and desolate highways — but when it comes to its inhabitants, Fargo is small.
Jeff Alexander, Minnesota Public Radio: It was going to be hard to top last week’s bang-up premiere, and the sophomore episode wisely doesn’t try… What it lacks in plot, it makes up for in mood.
James Garcia, We Got This Covered: Now that we’ve moved on from the excellent pilot episode, the big question is: does Fargo continue to live up to the greatness of its cinematic predecessor? Oh, you betcha. Unfortunately, it does fall a bit short of last week’s debut, though it’s still by all accounts one of the best shows currently on television.
Kenny Herzog, Vulture: As with last week’s show, “Rooster Prince” crows on for about a scene too long, though the themes are getting clearer and bear filling out.
Fargo continues on FX next Tuesday, Apr. 29, at 10 p.m. with “A Muddy Road.”
