Three great TV shows got updates today: Fargo has new cast members, while Vikings and House of Cards have new teasers…
The cast of Fargo‘s second season is now starting to look complete. In the past we’ve written that Kirsten Dunst has joined the season. Fans of The Conjuring and Insidious movies will be glad to hear Patrick Wilson has also joined up. He will be playing a clean-cut cop recently returned from the Vietnam war. If that sounds confusing, Fargo season 2 takes place in 1979. Every season of Fargo exists in the same universe, but at different period. The movie sat in the mid-Eighties, while the first TV season was based just a few years ago. Other cast members include Ted Danson, Nick Offerman, Jesse Plemons, Jean Smart, Brad Garret, Kieran Culkin, Jeffrey Donovan and Bokeem Woodbine. I have no idea who half of these people are, but you don’t land a role in Fargo if you aren’t good.
Right, now time for some spoilers, so avoid the rest if you have not seen Vikings or House of Cards.
The History Channel has released three short teasers for the third season of Vikings, which someone has wrapped into a neat single package. They don’t say much, but other details are already available. Ragnar and his vikings are headed into the British Isles as an ally of King Ecbert, one of the second season’s most interesting new arrivals. War is looming between the English kingdoms and Ecbert no doubt wants to use Ragnar and his warriors in pawns for his own games. Of course, like Breaking Bad‘s Walter White, it is proving to be a really bad idea to underestimate the mighty Ragnar, who by now is pretty much king of the vikings.
Ragnar will also travel to an ancient version of Paris and perhaps besiege it. It is interesting that Rollo, the viking portrayed as Ragnar’s brother, was in fact the historical viking leader who sacked Paris and eventually created Normandy – the people who later conquered the Britons and established the current royal lineage. Yes, William, Harry and Charles all have viking blood in them. It will be interesting to see how the inclusion of Paris will play out in Ragnar and Rollo’s complicated relationship.
House of Cards‘ third season is my most anticipated show of the year. Game of Thrones can jump off a cliff. I’m tired of the pointless writing and increasingly dull characters. But Kevin Spacey as the commander in chief?
No, let me restate that: Frank Underwood as President of the United States? Anyone watching House Of Cards can argue that Underwood is the most underhanded, psychotic and just plain dangerous character television has seen in a long time. The last time I recall someone being quite this incredibly and unstoppably evil was Gerald McRaney’s portrayal of George Hearst in Deadwood. (I totally geeked out when McRaney appeared as one of Underwood’s main rivals in this show.)
Up to this point Underwood has been fighting to rise in power, but as the President of the United States, he has all the power he could want. What will he do with it? Or will Frank not rest until the world is on fire? It’s hard to tell and every House Of Cards fan has an occasional pang of conscience, considering we are all rooting for the next best thing to the devil.
The season 3 trailer doesn’t actually reveal a lot. Not much at all, actually, other than Claire Underwood may still have a sliver of a soul left. There also appears to be a plot involving the Russians, which may explain why when the show wanted to shoot scenes in the U.N. assembly chambers, it was the Russians who nixed the idea. But they have it all wrong. Nothing could be better for Russian PR than Frank Underwood. Compared to him even Vladimir Putin looks like a soft-hearted SPCA volunteer.
Last Updated: January 12, 2015
