issue 5// vol 47 arts // no. 11 Gangsters, crime, and racial othering » Premiere of fourth season of Noah Hawley’s ‘Fargo’ has an impeccable start Jonathan Pabico Senior Columnist keen Sen four of Noah Hawley’s anthology series Fargo saw its original air date back in April halted by COVID-19 and was released instead on September 27. Despite this setback, the series is ambitious with its important themes and incredible portrayals from a talented cast. The back- to-back episode premiere follows two crime syndicates in Kansas City, Missouri, during the 1950s as tensions between the two organizations risk their already fragile truce. Hawley proves his storytelling has no equal; his complex characters and amazing direction astound. His excellent dialogue scenes are layered with hazy lighting from the sets and Kansas City’s industrial smog to elevate the story’s hardboiled realism. Hawley pays homage to gangster films like Gangs of New York with his own sophisticated yet violent world of organized crime. This newest season also has a distinctly Shakespearean tone to foreshadow tragedy and develop emotional depth for future episodes. The premiere brilliantly explores the family politics and social dynamics between or within the crime syndicates. Both episodes enrich these facets by evoking the harsh realities of the 1950s. This is achieved through riveting blues jazz music which not only sets up the stakes, but it also mirrors the melancholy of the time. The cast provides tremendous performances on screen. Jason Schwartzman plays the young leader of the Italian mafia, Josto Fadda, as a parody of The Godfather with his Michael Corleone demeanour that’s undermined by his childish insecurities. His opposite is Chris Rock as an African-American crime boss named Loy Cannon. Rock is charismatic and methodical. Known more for their comedy, Schwartzman and Rock give surprisingly serious candor and suave style to their roles. They could’ve had more scenes together, but viewers will still be satisfied with their story arcs so far. Newcomer E’myri Crutchfield as teenager Ethelrida Smutny also has an impressive performance as a smart and tenacious youth. Her scenes with Jessie Buckley as the disturbingly duplicitous Nurse Mayflower create a curious relationship between them. Hawley boldly examines racism and xenophobia against ethnic minorities in America’s 1950s era. He explores the ripple effects of how these issues contribute to the endless cycles of crime and violence that shape a city’s criminal underworld. Hawley’s characters raise relevant questions about what it means to bea marginalized foreigner. As for flaws, there are a few scenes that are weirdly organized into comic book panels. This imagery feels a bit off, which A horror story with much to say beyond its thrills » Premiere of season two of ‘The Twilight Zone’ is a critique about our digital culture Jonathan Pabico Senior Columnist kek YY ordan Peele pleases his fans with his season two premiere of The Twilight Zone that delves into its weird yet unsettling story about today’s online social reality. The first episode follows a grocery store employee named Phil (Jimmi Simpson) looking for solace in the dating world. When he develops a telepathic link with a mysterious woman named Annie (Gillian Jacobs), Phil may soon discover that there’s a darker side to this bond. Mathias Herndl, the premiere’s director, employs odd angles for Simpson’s ht Zone’ via CBS 2 a a o£ 5 . 9° a i Promotional ima close-ups that are edited with camera shots positioned behind him to relay his pain from feeling isolated everyday. Elevating these visual choices is his character Phil’s bleak lifestyle that’s conveyed through harsh lighting and pale colours from his environments. The story explores how the distorted universe of online dating and social media influences us to misrepresent people's true and more complicated identities. Phil’s fixated connection with Annie, someone who he’s never met, reflects the dangers of losing our grip on reality when meeting people online. This theme further unpacks how addicted we can be to digital technology when using it as a means for human intimacy, belonging, or validation. Beyond its social commentary, the episode offers humour—from Phil’s awkward dates to his bickering with Annie during their telepathic link. These characters become grounded human beings as they brainstorm zany ideas about the mystery behind their connection. The show doesn’t stray from being amusing through these light-hearted moments. As for Peele, he does an impressive job in reprising his role from season one as the show’s omniscient narrator. With his dark Illustration by Udeshi Seneviratne may be Hawley’s intent, but he could’ve just stuck with normal frames instead. Overall, Fargo’s season four premiere promises a memorable story with its complex characters, humour, talented cast, and relatable motifs. The episodes are accessible and provide an enjoyable watch without trouble. If you like gangster crime dramas, then Noah Hawley’s show is truly worth the wait. suit and eerie monologues, he plays his character as a stoic sage who perfectly sets up the foreboding world of the story. The episode, however, has one sequence where the plot abruptly cuts to another scene in its timeline. This is perhaps done for good pacing to reach the climax, but the editing simply doesn’t account for what Phil could’ve been doing during the long time period that was skipped. Also, season one’s premiere—which starred Kumail Nanjiani as comedian Samir Wassan—is better than season two’s first episode. Wassan experienced supernatural events like Phil, but they happened ina more baffling way that made his choices more dangerous and inescapable. Overall, the season two premiere of The Twilight Zone opens with a seemingly innocent setting, only to close with a disturbing twist and resonating social themes. This episode is a decent start to this series so far and will be fitting for the Halloween season, even for early October. Amazingly bizarre yet terribly shocking, the show reminds us that the social problems we face everyday are much more terrifying than any monster.