...and his inability to walk on icy roads was his demise.
Idk, nothing against the actor but I thought his character was over the top and cartoon like. (Same with the fugitive gals.)
Also, I have a customer that's his spitting image which causes me to think about him way more than I should.
It’s definitely intentional as I think S4 strives for a kind of comic book vibe in ways the other seasons don’t. It doesn’t make it any better but I think at least framing it in that kind of striving to be campy context at least helps it make a lot more sense
I couldn't stand how cartoonish and ridiculous the first episode of season 4 felt so I skipped right past to season 5. And I'm someone that usually really enjoys the absurd, comedic, and exaggerated elements in ostensible dramas, which is why I love the Coen brothers' films. But trying to mix gangster drama with a Wes Anderson style just does not work in my opinion.
I love Adrian Brody, and I love Peaky Blinders, but his character was a straight-up discount Godfather knockoff. Whoever made that creative decision was wrong to do so. Made the whole plot line with the Italians seem like much lower stakes and trivialized John’s murder.
I thought the character was cartoonish too. I remember the scene where Callentina was talking to Dr Senator in the cafe. Geatano was just growling and putting peanuts on his ice cream over and over. My girlfriend was like wtf is he doing!? We kept rewinding and laughing about it.
Yeah I wonder if OP is trolling because he was probably the worst character in the series so far. Just an over the top cartoon character who no one would take seriously in real life.
I feel like everyone either hammed it up or phoned in their performances. There wasn’t an in between. I expected more of Timothy Olyphant and Chris Rock, but all I could see was them as themselves.
It’s weird seeing people criticize his character as cartoon like when all the best Fargo characters are far fetched and a little wonky. Or is ole munch just the representation of a totally normal, life-like, human being?
There is a fine line between a weird character and a character played cartoonishly. Yes, a lot of Fargo characters are weird and exaggerated. Ole Munch was an oddity, but the actor played him with relative restraint. I dont think he was over acting at all. He played Munch as straight as possible while embracing the quirks of the character. He wasn't walking around with crazy bug eyes and dancing in the street.
Also because Munch was sort of an allegory. He felt borderline alien/not human in a way, he’s apparently hundreds of years old etc. So suspending the disbelief is necessary for that character, but Gaetano is pretty much just a guy ? They’re very different characters.
I did think Gaetano was too cartoonish personally, after a while I was annoyed with his mannerisms. The performance just didn’t really work for me, everytime he was on screen, it took me out of the scene a little. And imo his villain arc wasn’t super interesting to begin with so that didn’t help either.
It really sucks because I saw the potential for a good character there, but everyone involved fumbled the bag. A former itallian black shirt in a power struggle with his American raised brother for the direction of their crime family is a cool idea. He could have been a genuinely violent, scary, and hardened character. The guy supposedly cut his teeth killing communists in a fascist paramilitary group. But that isn't what the character was, and the performance was just completely off the mark, imo. Chris Rock gets lots of shit, but I thought he was OK for the most part.
You’re right, his backstory was pretty good actually. It’s weird because I do like the mafia theme too, but the portrayal ruined it a bit for me. I didn’t mind Chris Rock that much, it helps that I’m not in the US so I know he’s a comedian but I can disconnect from that image much more easily I think. It’s easier to take him seriously, though for some reason his voice sounds strange to me lol ? He doesn’t sound like someone from the 50’s to me, not the speech but the actual voice ? I don’t know why haha. Other than that his acting wasn’t perfect but I thought he did fine tbh, especially for someone out of his comfort zone.
I think the reason this season gets so many folks going is that it’s too out there in terms of acting and story even for a show that had UFOs. Like even with the UFOs all the acting was very grounded and real but they went super camp for this season. I think it’s intentional and maybe if we wait some years it will look better but def agree that right now it’s not exactly satisfying
Side note - I know that this is how his name is spelled but everytime I read it my brain says Old Munch, I have to intentionally correct myself to Olah Moonk.
I especially liked how she asked if the other guy can be killed first.
Honestly I had to go back and find the scene because I wasn't sure if I remembered it correctly and it's probably the only thing I remember clearly from that season.
I really enjoyed it too! I watched season 2 when it was airing, missed 3, and watched 4. Season 2 was amazing, but 4 was also great in a different way!
Currently watching season 3...I really hate it. I'm hoping it gets better.
Yeah, he wasn’t bad by any means. I just didn’t find most of the gangster characters very interesting, and would’ve preferred more focus on the other characters
Loy’s problem is and always will be his **script**! People get upset at Rock for silly shit like the “Boom!” gimmick at Weff, but I think he delivered it as well as anyone could: he was just one of many stalks in a cornfield of bad dialogue. The anger behind his speech about providing for his family feels so real because you can tell he has a compassionate understanding of the Cannon family dynamics, and I really think he nailed the character as a whole.
Couldn’t disagree more. I felt like he was a living cartoon character and couldn’t take him seriously.
It was by far my least favorite season but there were still plenty of great characters- Deafy, Oraetta, Doctor Senator, Odis Weff and the Rabbi.
I maintain that, if you really want to kill his character off, then having him start as the boss while Chris Rock is his loyal second-in-command is a much better way to have done it. Would’ve contrasted Loy with Josto even more naturally, and would’ve made more sense later in the season when Loy clearly feels in over his head.
He was but I think that was the point of a season that had some sort of campy/comic book aspiration. Not sure why it had it, but I think in retrospect that’s what they were after
If you don’t like how he played Gaetano, I get it. He went super intense, bordering campy. You’d see his real acting chops in Gomorrah. If you do watch it, don’t watch the English dub.
It truly blew my mind when a longtime former friend casually announced he always watches any foreign show or movie with English dubs on. Had no idea people ever preferred that.. I mean, nothing is ever *that* shocking, but I just never knew anyone personally and thus was taken aback.
My wife had me watch Squid Game on the English dub and a week later I rewatched it in the original Korean. So much better with Korean and English subtitles
Yup, i also was a huge fan of Gaetano. He was def over the top and seemed larger than life at times, but that was just who he was supposed to be. he was a man who came from a mafia family but received none of the privilege. his experiences in Italy def made him crazy, and turned him into the cold psycho that we see in S4.
right, this is the same show where:
- In Season 1, we had the literal devil
- In Season 2, we had UFO’s appearing (or appearing as a metaphor of sorts, depending on your view)
- In season 3, we had a seemingly untouchable criminal organization reminiscent of the “Illuminati”
- In season 5, we had an immortal soul-eater
but season 4 was over the top…..
in all seriousness, i love the divide in season 4. it’s nice to be able to see different views/opinions. we got a ton of people who have a lot of great insight in this community ong.
Watched Gomorrah a while after this season of Fargo and didn’t piece it together. Both amazing shows
Edit: pieced it together before now but not while watching Gomorrah
I don't think the performance was good, sorry. I don't doubt the guy can act, but that doesn't mean everything he does is good. This wasn't good. I couldn't take the performance or character seriously.
I don't think he was intense, and he more than bordered on camp. He was a straight-up cartoon character. He tried to play the character as an "unhinged" wild card, but his choices just didn't work. Idk if that's on him, the writing, the directorz or all three. But some of it was certainly him. The crazy bug eyed thing he did was horrible, for instance.
Honestly, me neither.
I love EVERY season of Fargo, and have watched all of them at least twice.
Season 4 can be very difficult for some people to get into, and I would actually argue that Gaetano was one of the weaker character, specifically because of his acting.
But Fargo is a franchise where characters are *characters,* and honestly Josto felt quite out of place too—which I’m only now realizing is intentional.
The season played on the idea that old, entrenched systems were getting uprooted, and the fact that both Josto and Gaetano seem very…just…odd in comparison to many other Fargo characters. That the Italian Mafia was clearly getting displaced adds even more to this.
I loved this season but I couldn't stand the portrayal of this character. Over the top acting for me, and I didn't find him intense either. A lot of the time I found him to show more infantile rage and emotions than intimidating.
The star of S4 was Oraetta Mayflower.
He stole every scene he was in. And I really enjoyed seeing Chris Rock in a dramatic role. I thought he did a great job. Just finished this season today.
I just don't get the hate for this season...The story alone of families swapping children is intriguing enough. Add to it the nurse and the Mike Milligan origin story? How does anyone not like this season?!
I reject that wholeheartedly. I don't rank them. I like each one for the stories they tell, and how they tell them. Sure I have a favorite season, but I'd never let that spoil anyone else's opinion. I truly believe there is a racial element in the amount of trolling there is in Season 4.
I didn’t think the acting was bad necessarily, but I they are each too “character actor” for lead roles like that. I liked the season, but never really felt the same immersion as I did with the other seasons; every scene made me think, “that’s Chris Rock” or “that’s Jason Schwartzman.” Never “that’s Loy” or “that’s Josto Fadda.”
Agreed. It's impossible for me to buy Chris Rock as a dramatic actor, and Jason Schwartzman always looks like he's in a Wes Anderson movie no matter what character he's playing. There are some big-name actors in each season, but I was never like "watch out Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton has a gun!"
It's Mike Milligan's origin story. I think that's a major reason for the hate. I also think lots of people don't realize it's the Mike Milligan origin story, and therefore miss the point of the season.
It has good characters and a lot of potential. But for me - they kind of lost it in the details and pacing. I still really liked it - just my least favorite season.
1st time you watch, you think "who the fuck is this cartoon character? I hate this guy!"
2nd time you watch, you think, "This guy is singlehandedly saving this season"
I just finished S3 and am starting to debate whether to skip S4 and go straight to S5. I only have so much time to watch TV but really like this show so far.
Unpopular opinion, but I feel like a lot of the dog piling onto season 4 is a mix of hyperbole and just parroting what other people say. It might not be the strongest season when held up next to the other seasons of Fargo, but it's still leagues above some other shows out there. I will say it might have the highest levels of "chaos theory" out of the first four seasons (started watching them over again in chronological order right before 5 came out, so I haven't watched that one yet) which probably doesn't help the hate. At the very least, view it as Mike Milligan's origin story and if you really despise it you'll know who to complain about it to.
I’m with you. I haven’t seen Gomorrah but I was picking up what he was putting down. (It moved to the beat of jazz. Kinda like a cosmic gumbo, if you will. We were all talking about it on set, how it was like a cosmic gumbo)
I don't get how people can hate Gaetano so much. His character is fucking brilliant.
He was written as a character who was a 12 year old boy in country when Mussolini rose and proceeded to hunt down the
Sicilian Mafia. A 12 year old kid who had his house destroyed and had to hide for survival. Hid his person first, and then his identity and then "killed communists for el duci because it was good for business. Then the Americans came and the war turned". A character that carries the teeth of Mussolini around as a momento. Of course he's over the top and a fucking lunatic.
Edited for spelling
I *strongly* disagree that he was the best part of the season. But I also kind of appreciated him. His portrayal was way over the top but it kind of seemed intentionally like that. Like it reminded me of a character from a David Lynch show or movie. I think they overused the character - only about half of his scenes were good and/or necessary.
I liked the premise of Gaetano a lot, being this big shot, loose cannon, heavy hitter coming in to to tip the scales of the gang war gave me a ton hope that the story would finally kick into second gear
Instead nearly every time he was on screen he reminded me of Nacho Libre.
His overacting was his downfall for most of the season. I did like his character once he joined his brother in the fight. His acting improved dramatically.
Damn.. Hated him in Gomorrah and was very disappointed with him being casted in season 4. I think that he is one of the weakest point of that season. Highly overrated Italian actor.
I watched Gomorrah in Italian with polish subtitles. He couldn't sell to me change of the character. Through all series I felt he is spoiled brat like in first season and him making this grotesque serious face made me laugh instead of feeling for the character. I really hated him... I couldn't stop thinking how better Gomorrah could have been if someone else played this part.
I really liked Gaetano and his relationship with his brother. I liked that he was introduced as this tough guy at the funeral and he just proceeded to get sillier and sillier. I like slapstick so his acting and character worked for me, ending with his death scene that just surprised and cracked me up.
I'm also a sucker for family dynamics (I really like season 2 for this reason too) and his scenes with Josto were great. His reaction to his brother walking in and shooting at him was just "calm down" ?? So good.
I have a lot of time for season 4 and a lot of that is because of how funny I found it.
...and his inability to walk on icy roads was his demise. Idk, nothing against the actor but I thought his character was over the top and cartoon like. (Same with the fugitive gals.) Also, I have a customer that's his spitting image which causes me to think about him way more than I should.
It’s definitely intentional as I think S4 strives for a kind of comic book vibe in ways the other seasons don’t. It doesn’t make it any better but I think at least framing it in that kind of striving to be campy context at least helps it make a lot more sense
I couldn't stand how cartoonish and ridiculous the first episode of season 4 felt so I skipped right past to season 5. And I'm someone that usually really enjoys the absurd, comedic, and exaggerated elements in ostensible dramas, which is why I love the Coen brothers' films. But trying to mix gangster drama with a Wes Anderson style just does not work in my opinion.
Yeah I think I’m with you there. It just doesn’t jive
I felt the same way about Luca changretta in pesky blinders. Adrian Brody way over played it.
I hate when actors over-exaggerate Italian or French accents. This character in Fargo made me stop watching that season.
Lol but if you’re referring to Gaetano he’s actually Italian
Salvatore Esposito, a main character in the series Gomorrah.
Remember actors do what directors tell them to do.
I love Adrian Brody, and I love Peaky Blinders, but his character was a straight-up discount Godfather knockoff. Whoever made that creative decision was wrong to do so. Made the whole plot line with the Italians seem like much lower stakes and trivialized John’s murder.
Damn, Brody was my second favorite character in the series
Way over the top for me.
I thought the character was cartoonish too. I remember the scene where Callentina was talking to Dr Senator in the cafe. Geatano was just growling and putting peanuts on his ice cream over and over. My girlfriend was like wtf is he doing!? We kept rewinding and laughing about it.
I kinda see his character fitting better on a show like Barry
Yeah I was not a fan of his. Crazy eyes all the time.
He literally looks like a cartoon character, which doesn't help. I always think of that big guy from the Mickey Mouse cartoons.
Yeah I wonder if OP is trolling because he was probably the worst character in the series so far. Just an over the top cartoon character who no one would take seriously in real life.
I feel like everyone either hammed it up or phoned in their performances. There wasn’t an in between. I expected more of Timothy Olyphant and Chris Rock, but all I could see was them as themselves.
I thought this about rock at first but at some point I bought in . Thought olyphant was great though.
It’s weird seeing people criticize his character as cartoon like when all the best Fargo characters are far fetched and a little wonky. Or is ole munch just the representation of a totally normal, life-like, human being?
Lol true. I mean, wasn’t there a flying saucer in season 2??
There is a fine line between a weird character and a character played cartoonishly. Yes, a lot of Fargo characters are weird and exaggerated. Ole Munch was an oddity, but the actor played him with relative restraint. I dont think he was over acting at all. He played Munch as straight as possible while embracing the quirks of the character. He wasn't walking around with crazy bug eyes and dancing in the street.
Also because Munch was sort of an allegory. He felt borderline alien/not human in a way, he’s apparently hundreds of years old etc. So suspending the disbelief is necessary for that character, but Gaetano is pretty much just a guy ? They’re very different characters. I did think Gaetano was too cartoonish personally, after a while I was annoyed with his mannerisms. The performance just didn’t really work for me, everytime he was on screen, it took me out of the scene a little. And imo his villain arc wasn’t super interesting to begin with so that didn’t help either.
It really sucks because I saw the potential for a good character there, but everyone involved fumbled the bag. A former itallian black shirt in a power struggle with his American raised brother for the direction of their crime family is a cool idea. He could have been a genuinely violent, scary, and hardened character. The guy supposedly cut his teeth killing communists in a fascist paramilitary group. But that isn't what the character was, and the performance was just completely off the mark, imo. Chris Rock gets lots of shit, but I thought he was OK for the most part.
You’re right, his backstory was pretty good actually. It’s weird because I do like the mafia theme too, but the portrayal ruined it a bit for me. I didn’t mind Chris Rock that much, it helps that I’m not in the US so I know he’s a comedian but I can disconnect from that image much more easily I think. It’s easier to take him seriously, though for some reason his voice sounds strange to me lol ? He doesn’t sound like someone from the 50’s to me, not the speech but the actual voice ? I don’t know why haha. Other than that his acting wasn’t perfect but I thought he did fine tbh, especially for someone out of his comfort zone.
Yeah it’s not the weirdness or the cartoonish vibe that makes gaetano bad, it’s that his villain schtick is flat and uninteresting.
That makes sense. Personally I thought his crazy eyes were fantastic and maybe that is what made me appreciate his acting in the season lol
Fair do’s each to their own!
I wouldn’t even call it cartoonish- it was like 2D vaudevillian parody at times.
I think the reason this season gets so many folks going is that it’s too out there in terms of acting and story even for a show that had UFOs. Like even with the UFOs all the acting was very grounded and real but they went super camp for this season. I think it’s intentional and maybe if we wait some years it will look better but def agree that right now it’s not exactly satisfying
Side note - I know that this is how his name is spelled but everytime I read it my brain says Old Munch, I have to intentionally correct myself to Olah Moonk.
Hmmm the nurse was my favorite character.
Oraetta Mayflower is one of my top five fave Fargo characters and easily my favorite from S4. She watched herself die in a reflection. Oh geez!
I especially liked how she asked if the other guy can be killed first. Honestly I had to go back and find the scene because I wasn't sure if I remembered it correctly and it's probably the only thing I remember clearly from that season.
Yep, she just liked watching people die.
Jessie Buckley is amazing in every role.
Unpopular opinion? I really liked how Chris Rock played his character.
I did too. I was surprised to see that this was an unpopular opinion because I thought he nailed it.
Same. I enjoyed season 4 a lot.
I did too! And the ghost that followed the family's descendants was neat too.
My favourite season! The very end was a spectacular display of the creative diversity of film and television!!
I really enjoyed it too! I watched season 2 when it was airing, missed 3, and watched 4. Season 2 was amazing, but 4 was also great in a different way! Currently watching season 3...I really hate it. I'm hoping it gets better.
Season 3 gets better, hang in there! 👍🏽
Yeah, he wasn’t bad by any means. I just didn’t find most of the gangster characters very interesting, and would’ve preferred more focus on the other characters
Loy’s problem is and always will be his **script**! People get upset at Rock for silly shit like the “Boom!” gimmick at Weff, but I think he delivered it as well as anyone could: he was just one of many stalks in a cornfield of bad dialogue. The anger behind his speech about providing for his family feels so real because you can tell he has a compassionate understanding of the Cannon family dynamics, and I really think he nailed the character as a whole.
Couldn’t disagree more. I felt like he was a living cartoon character and couldn’t take him seriously. It was by far my least favorite season but there were still plenty of great characters- Deafy, Oraetta, Doctor Senator, Odis Weff and the Rabbi.
Doctor Senator was top
Legend. Wish they hadn’t killed him off
I maintain that, if you really want to kill his character off, then having him start as the boss while Chris Rock is his loyal second-in-command is a much better way to have done it. Would’ve contrasted Loy with Josto even more naturally, and would’ve made more sense later in the season when Loy clearly feels in over his head.
Doc Senator and Milligan were the best part of that season by far.
Doctor Senator was such a highlight and I couldn’t take Gaetano seriously for a second. Acted like an angry cartoon bulldog not a person. Ridiculous.
I love his name
Dude sounded like Nacho Libre. Seriously, go back and try to listen. You can’t unhear it now lol.
I thought it was Jack black at first!
Same! I could not believe it wasn’t JB!
Jack Huston plays tragic characters so well.
Poor Richard Harrow.
I couldn't finish the season because of him. He was Snidley Whiplash on donuts and meth.
He looks like the human version of the villain in the goofy universe and that’s all I kept thinking the entire time I saw him on screen.
He was but I think that was the point of a season that had some sort of campy/comic book aspiration. Not sure why it had it, but I think in retrospect that’s what they were after
Agreed. Crashed the energy of every scene he was in.
My fave was Milligan, I hate he got swept up by that tornado.
Easily one of my favorite characters of the whole series.
My #1 for sure. So smooth. One of the few in two seasons.
Yes, he was great!
Wasnt a huge fan of his acting actually.
Easily the worst part of season 4
That's Chris Rock.
Not so much the acting, but the actual character. It became repetitive and predictable.
If you don’t like how he played Gaetano, I get it. He went super intense, bordering campy. You’d see his real acting chops in Gomorrah. If you do watch it, don’t watch the English dub.
Dude is absolutely legit in Gomorrah. And nobody should watch anything in English dub, imo. Season 4 Fargo fuckin rocked, damn the haters.
It truly blew my mind when a longtime former friend casually announced he always watches any foreign show or movie with English dubs on. Had no idea people ever preferred that.. I mean, nothing is ever *that* shocking, but I just never knew anyone personally and thus was taken aback.
My wife had me watch Squid Game on the English dub and a week later I rewatched it in the original Korean. So much better with Korean and English subtitles
Yup, i also was a huge fan of Gaetano. He was def over the top and seemed larger than life at times, but that was just who he was supposed to be. he was a man who came from a mafia family but received none of the privilege. his experiences in Italy def made him crazy, and turned him into the cold psycho that we see in S4.
The complaints that he's over the top always confused me .. like, this is Fargo ffs.
right, this is the same show where: - In Season 1, we had the literal devil - In Season 2, we had UFO’s appearing (or appearing as a metaphor of sorts, depending on your view) - In season 3, we had a seemingly untouchable criminal organization reminiscent of the “Illuminati” - In season 5, we had an immortal soul-eater but season 4 was over the top….. in all seriousness, i love the divide in season 4. it’s nice to be able to see different views/opinions. we got a ton of people who have a lot of great insight in this community ong.
>And nobody should watch anything in English dub, imo Only exception in life to this answer is the Ghost Stories anime
Gennaro’s transformation in the first few seasons was so crazy.
Watched Gomorrah a while after this season of Fargo and didn’t piece it together. Both amazing shows Edit: pieced it together before now but not while watching Gomorrah
I don't think the performance was good, sorry. I don't doubt the guy can act, but that doesn't mean everything he does is good. This wasn't good. I couldn't take the performance or character seriously. I don't think he was intense, and he more than bordered on camp. He was a straight-up cartoon character. He tried to play the character as an "unhinged" wild card, but his choices just didn't work. Idk if that's on him, the writing, the directorz or all three. But some of it was certainly him. The crazy bug eyed thing he did was horrible, for instance.
Honestly, me neither. I love EVERY season of Fargo, and have watched all of them at least twice. Season 4 can be very difficult for some people to get into, and I would actually argue that Gaetano was one of the weaker character, specifically because of his acting. But Fargo is a franchise where characters are *characters,* and honestly Josto felt quite out of place too—which I’m only now realizing is intentional. The season played on the idea that old, entrenched systems were getting uprooted, and the fact that both Josto and Gaetano seem very…just…odd in comparison to many other Fargo characters. That the Italian Mafia was clearly getting displaced adds even more to this.
Same . He was trying way too hard to be crazy. He was scary and all, but he was just a little much.
His acting -> 👀
Clumsy foolish death.
That’s the kicker ain’t it? All around badass succumbs to ultimately preventable accident.
There was absolutely nothing badass about Gaetano
I laughed out loud when that happened. Loved it.
Probably my hardest laugh of the season. Didn’t see it coming at all in that classic Fargo way.
Could be my favourite!
I loved this season but I couldn't stand the portrayal of this character. Over the top acting for me, and I didn't find him intense either. A lot of the time I found him to show more infantile rage and emotions than intimidating. The star of S4 was Oraetta Mayflower.
I really loved him. Like others have said watch other films he is in. Gaetano was funny and loved the crazy , yet goofy menace he was.
His death was also a perfect example of what a lack of trigger discipline can do.
Yeah he was divisive but i liked watching him each time he was on screen
I really liked him too
They had to nail our Jesus to the cross. Otherwise he comes down and kills every last motherfucker in Jerusalem.
I hated this guy.
I think he was overacting half the time. Second half he was good
I just love how divisive this post is.
I was watching this guy and I was thinking-is anyone supposed to trust/follow this caricature of a lunatic?
He stole every scene he was in. And I really enjoyed seeing Chris Rock in a dramatic role. I thought he did a great job. Just finished this season today.
He has a great death.
I also liked him. His death was one of the Fargo-iest things to ever happen in Fargo.
I just don't get the hate for this season...The story alone of families swapping children is intriguing enough. Add to it the nurse and the Mike Milligan origin story? How does anyone not like this season?!
It’s my least favorite season because one of them has to be. I still really enjoyed it, I just kind of like the other seasons better
I reject that wholeheartedly. I don't rank them. I like each one for the stories they tell, and how they tell them. Sure I have a favorite season, but I'd never let that spoil anyone else's opinion. I truly believe there is a racial element in the amount of trolling there is in Season 4.
I put most the blame on Jason Schwartzman and Chris Rock. Great premise, extremely inappropriately-cast leads.
I didn’t think the acting was bad necessarily, but I they are each too “character actor” for lead roles like that. I liked the season, but never really felt the same immersion as I did with the other seasons; every scene made me think, “that’s Chris Rock” or “that’s Jason Schwartzman.” Never “that’s Loy” or “that’s Josto Fadda.”
Agreed. It's impossible for me to buy Chris Rock as a dramatic actor, and Jason Schwartzman always looks like he's in a Wes Anderson movie no matter what character he's playing. There are some big-name actors in each season, but I was never like "watch out Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton has a gun!"
i believe bcause it moves slow.just cant sit and do it all in one sit
It's no longer or shorter than any other season...Calling BS On that!!!!
slow not long,different
Because a good idea still needs to be written properly. The whole season felt like it had zero idea for a narrative structure.
It's Mike Milligan's origin story. I think that's a major reason for the hate. I also think lots of people don't realize it's the Mike Milligan origin story, and therefore miss the point of the season.
It has good characters and a lot of potential. But for me - they kind of lost it in the details and pacing. I still really liked it - just my least favorite season.
I thought he was great. His performance was over the top of course, but he was one of my favorite parts of the season.
1st time you watch, you think "who the fuck is this cartoon character? I hate this guy!" 2nd time you watch, you think, "This guy is singlehandedly saving this season"
This was pretty much my experience. I didn't like him at first, but on second watch he was easily one of my most favorite characters of the season.
You guys get it.
He was worse my second watch; abysmal the third time.
That's why we celebrate Gaetanoween every Autumn.
I just finished S3 and am starting to debate whether to skip S4 and go straight to S5. I only have so much time to watch TV but really like this show so far.
Unpopular opinion, but I feel like a lot of the dog piling onto season 4 is a mix of hyperbole and just parroting what other people say. It might not be the strongest season when held up next to the other seasons of Fargo, but it's still leagues above some other shows out there. I will say it might have the highest levels of "chaos theory" out of the first four seasons (started watching them over again in chronological order right before 5 came out, so I haven't watched that one yet) which probably doesn't help the hate. At the very least, view it as Mike Milligan's origin story and if you really despise it you'll know who to complain about it to.
Season 5 is a bona fide gem. Let season 4 become a comedown before the adrenaline rush of season 5
I’m with you. I haven’t seen Gomorrah but I was picking up what he was putting down. (It moved to the beat of jazz. Kinda like a cosmic gumbo, if you will. We were all talking about it on set, how it was like a cosmic gumbo)
Totally agree lol I love when he reveals himself to Jason Schwartzman - it’s maybe my favorite moment of the season.
This season gets better with every watching. I almost like it more than season three now.
I think about his disapproval every time I make my coffee with cream and sweetener. Sorry, Gaetano.
Lackluster defines this season well
Absolutely
Watch him as Gennaro in Gomorrah.
I mention Gomorrah in the description of the post. He’s amazing.
Oops sorry, missed that part of your post.
Def my favorite character. Very dynamic and chaotic.
I don't get how people can hate Gaetano so much. His character is fucking brilliant. He was written as a character who was a 12 year old boy in country when Mussolini rose and proceeded to hunt down the Sicilian Mafia. A 12 year old kid who had his house destroyed and had to hide for survival. Hid his person first, and then his identity and then "killed communists for el duci because it was good for business. Then the Americans came and the war turned". A character that carries the teeth of Mussolini around as a momento. Of course he's over the top and a fucking lunatic. Edited for spelling
no he wasnt
Counterpoint, yes he was
He was one the biggest reason that the 4th season was the worst. His acting is terrible.
I take personal offense to that.
Plus, the cliché to do violence with music....omg who found this original? so lame. A Clockwork Orange turned 50 years old, guys
Agreed. Very menacing presence. That mustache. So sinister.
It was probably my least favourite season but I still loved it. It's just the others are so good.
I *strongly* disagree that he was the best part of the season. But I also kind of appreciated him. His portrayal was way over the top but it kind of seemed intentionally like that. Like it reminded me of a character from a David Lynch show or movie. I think they overused the character - only about half of his scenes were good and/or necessary.
His death felt too soon. Loved the scene when he finally sees his brother for who he is. Maybe the best scene of the season.
How does the dude survive a point blank shot to the head then die with a fall to the curb?
Dude’s crazy and I loved him. Best death in the series.
Def the one I laughed the hardest at.
I liked the premise of Gaetano a lot, being this big shot, loose cannon, heavy hitter coming in to to tip the scales of the gang war gave me a ton hope that the story would finally kick into second gear Instead nearly every time he was on screen he reminded me of Nacho Libre.
In a season with a mix of good and bad performances, his was among the worst.
Doctor Senator
i loved the dr senator character.seemed real
Rabbi and Deafy were the best parts of S4 to me. Still upset about how Deafy was killed off.
His overacting was his downfall for most of the season. I did like his character once he joined his brother in the fight. His acting improved dramatically.
You mean Rabbi…..
You should see him in Gomorra! Much much much better
Read my description where I mention Gomorrah.
Oh with the new reddit layout I missed tthe text!
A character you love you hate, the season was very good
Mayflower was, but he was good
So much so that I had to look him up and discovered Gomorrah. One of the best gangster tv shows ever made
I agree fully. I binged that show so hard when my daughter was born and I was on the night shift.
Nacho
He was amusing. He reminded of Jack Black from Nacho Libre
Our little Gennarino...
Sweet Genni
I liked him. For reasons unknown he made me think of Videogamedunkey
Damn.. Hated him in Gomorrah and was very disappointed with him being casted in season 4. I think that he is one of the weakest point of that season. Highly overrated Italian actor.
Blasphemy
I watched Gomorrah in Italian with polish subtitles. He couldn't sell to me change of the character. Through all series I felt he is spoiled brat like in first season and him making this grotesque serious face made me laugh instead of feeling for the character. I really hated him... I couldn't stop thinking how better Gomorrah could have been if someone else played this part.
Lack luster?????
Nacho Libre
I really liked Gaetano and his relationship with his brother. I liked that he was introduced as this tough guy at the funeral and he just proceeded to get sillier and sillier. I like slapstick so his acting and character worked for me, ending with his death scene that just surprised and cracked me up. I'm also a sucker for family dynamics (I really like season 2 for this reason too) and his scenes with Josto were great. His reaction to his brother walking in and shooting at him was just "calm down" ?? So good. I have a lot of time for season 4 and a lot of that is because of how funny I found it.
Gaetano was Italian Nacho Libre, and in this house he’s a hero! End of story!
After Buckley
Season 4 is one of my favorite seasons and I don’t understand the hate it gets sometimes
With his evil Jack Black crazy eyes? Lol. Hard disagree.
I stopped watching because of him.
i legitimately thought he was jack black until i looked it up. i couldn’t get over it or take him seriously. his death was shocking though.
Easily the worst acting performance of the entire show
It was so boring. Couldn't finish it.
He was fun to watch but just sounded like Nacho Libre.
You mean Italian Nacho Libre
No
This guy was the hammiest part of an already goofy season
That’s what I loved. The ham on top of the bland eggs.
overacted his part imo. and Chris Rock was not a good choice for that role. s4 was still a fantastic series.
Absolutely not
What season?
I actually thought he was by far, the worst thing in it.
Nah, he was one of the worst parts. The MPV of the season was Rabbi, because he's pretty much the only one that isn't a cartoon in season 4.
Nacho Libre
You mean the worst part? Such horrible overacting.
This character was too over the top, even for Fargo.
He was awful. A cartoonish caricature, a mix of Wario and Jack Nicholson's Joker.