[mycroft]

I will note that they came in at our January sectional, and kibitzed the tournament coordinator and partner (Partnership). They sat in as dummy for the players, and even got to bid and play a few hands (being "operated" by the players). They were extremely pleasant people who did everything with a minimum of fuss, and the show runners/casters worked around our schedule very well.

Fargo then took volunteers (well, they were paid "scale", because, you know, laws) from the tournament to be in the taping. I saw at least 5 I recognized in those "5 minutes". Unfortunately, I have a real job...

I also recognized the gas station (which I think was Didsbury, but it was clearly an Alberta, not North Dakota, building).

Two of our most experienced club directors were the "show experts", making sure that there wasn't anything too jarring in the setup of the room et al; two more were the actual TDs in the show. From what I was told by players who were extras, they didn't do anything too badly wrong. And the extras got to play a lot of bridge, either at the table (although they had to play the same hand the same way a lot, too, for continuity reasons) or in the green room during the many lulls (why yes, I have done amateur theatre, why do you ask?)

[kenberg]

I think they are somewhat casual about geography. Although titled Fargo, the opening lines say that the story took place in Minnesota.The town of Fargo ND, just across the Red River from Moorhead MN, had a role in the earlier seasons and in the movie, but largely itl seems to be set in Minnesota. I find this all sort of fun, part of my enjoyment is this somewhat distorted but in some broad sense accurate view of my home state.

There is a scene with a Red Owl grocery. I think I read that this was set at a Red Owl in Wisconsin. In the 60s I did my weekly shopping at a Minneapolis Red Owl but it has been many years since I have seen one in Minnesota.

The characters are seen reading a St. Cloud newspaper, but I don't think the scenery we see is from around St. Cloud. Looks to me as if they are further north.

I don't think of Minnesota as given to violence, but any place can be. I'll give a couple of examples.

The first is from the 60s. A woman was brutally murdered, there were signs of a break in. But then it turned out that a few weeks earlier her husband had taken out a large life insurance policy on her, a million bucks I think, with him as the beneficiary. This led to further investigation. As I recall the trial: The husband had Chicago connections, he had hired someone for, I think, 3K to kill his wife and the guy he hired sub-contacted the job, paying one K to a shell-shocked (as PTSD from combat was then called) Korean War Vet who totally bungled the job. The husband went to Stillwater State prison.

The above came to mind as I watched the bungled murder play out this season. There are strong similarities.

This next is from the 70s.
I was back in Minneapolis reading, I think, the St. Paul newspaper. There was a story started with a car being driven part way up an alley. The driver got out, pulled someone (dead, I hope) from the trunk of the car, dumped gasoline on him, and lit him on fire. The paper interviewed a woman who had, from her window, seen this take place. "It was different", they quoted her as saying. The Minnesota way of reacting can be a bit, well, different.

So I am enjoying the show. How often do I see Minnesota featured in a series? Yes, the MTM show. But that was Minneapolis, this is the north country.

[barmar]

kenberg, on 2017-May-01, 07:18, said:

I think they are somewhat casual about geography. Although titled Fargo, the opening lines say that the story took place in Minnesota.

The movie and all 3 seasons of Fargo have all taken place in Minnesota.

[kenberg]

barmar, on 2017-May-01, 08:54, said:

The movie and all 3 seasons of Fargo have all taken place in Minnesota.

From
https://en.wikipedia...argo_(TV_series)

Quote

n 1979, beautician Peggy Blumquist (Kirsten Dunst) and her husband, butcher Ed Blumquist (Jesse Plemons) of Luverne, Minnesota, cover up their hit-and-run and murder of Rye Gerhardt (Kieran Culkin), son of Floyd Gerhardt (Jean Smart), matriarch of the Gerhardt crime family in Fargo, North Dakota. Meanwhile, State Trooper Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson), and his father-in-law, Sheriff Hank Larsson (Ted Danson), investigate a triple homicide at a local diner connected to Rye.^[5]

That's the sort of thing I was thinking of. Fargo the town actually did get mentioned, and I think there were some, occasional and minor, jurisdictional issues. I had thought that there also was the occasional reference to Fargo the town in hte movie as well, but that as a while back and I could be wrong.

At any rate, it definitely is set in Minnesota. And the scenery looks like Minnesota, but up north. We are going out there for ten days or so, driving north along Mille Lacs, usually called Mille Lacs Lake which I guess means Thousand Lakes Lake. St. Cloud is to the west of Mille Lacs, but I really think those large areas of pines that they show are further up.

Becky had never been to Minnesota before she married me. Now she has been (briefly) ice fishing. And canoeing on the St. Croix. Attacked by black flies on Lake Itasca. A regular Paul Bunyon groupie.

[kenberg]

I just watched episode 5 of season 3. I see that there are still only 7 episodes listed for season 3. Does anyone know if season 3 ends after the 7th episode? I ask because I have pretty much had it with the show. I could maybe watch two more just to see how it ends, but there were ten episodes in each of the first two seasons and 5 more episodes is more than I am up for. We are warned at teh beginning that there will be violence and, in this last episode, some sexual situations, For mature audiences etc. Violence, language and sex I can handle. They need a warning that it is repulsive. I can, if I must, deal with repulsive if it is a true situation in my own life, and I can maybe deal with it as part of a truly excellent drama. That's not the case here.

[barmar]

Wikipedia lists 10 episodes. It goes through June 21:

https://en.wikipedia...Fargo_(season_3)#Episodes

So does Futon Critic:

http://www.thefutonc...fargo/listings/

[kenberg]

barmar, on 2017-May-24, 08:57, said:

Wikipedia lists 10 episodes. It goes through June 21:

https://en.wikipedia...Fargo_(season_3)#Episodes

So does Futon Critic:

http://www.thefutonc...fargo/listings/

Thanks. I had actually gone Fargo on Wikipedia but I had not tried Fargo Season 3. Ok, I'll have to think this over. Becky (and others) seem to have more tolerance for some things than I do. Early on I said enough with Game of Thrones, Becky has watched it all. I think Fargo is starting to wear some on her, but it is sitting quite heavily on me. I'll grant that it has some depth. The thoroughly repulsive Vargas is the most interesting character for me. But he is thoroughly repulsive. I liked the Peter and the Wolf stuff in episode 4. It's not enough.

[kenberg]

We took an extended break but recorded it. In the last few days we have watched 6 through 9. It has gotten better, I think, but I have a concern. Lately in fiction I find the women to be both more interesting and better people than the men. Maybe I need to become an author.

[kenberg]

I will remember this.

Many years ago I read rave reviews of Six Degrees of Separation and, along with friends, we saw it at the Kennedy Center. During intermission I learned from one of the few people still there that it was possible to get tickets for half price since they were trying to fill the seats.

The tv Fargo was free, of course. Still way over-priced.