I’m starting to think my dad is right when he says Fargo is a problem. Written by Charles Craig (nothing to do with Robot Wars), he’s best known as producing two separate Pretty Little Liars series, Eureka, and the adaptation of Kass Morgan’s The 100, which I always confused as a poor imitation of the USA Network’s The 4400. He also wrote for all four shows. Meanwhile, Battlestar Galactica director and Van Helsing executive producer, Michael Nankin, helms his only episode of Eureka and Fargo’s second major screw-up in “Try, Try Again.”

With Allison now head of Global Dynamics, Henry zapping Jack’s memories of being married to Allison in four years, Stark walking himself out of town, and Fargo doing what he does best, pressing buttons, there are plenty of things packing this one out. With major military personnel in town to oversee the transfer of power at GD, Allison is a bit antsy about her first official day as the new head. However, with the transfer, the central computer for the whole building needs to reboot, and because that’s on hundreds/thousands of SATA drives plugged in with ribbon cables, it takes 8 hours.

Ding the bell, as GD’s head of archives is one day away from retirement, and he’s never had a single artifact from the facility go missing in all his years, until today. It wasn’t Fargo that stole it, but his new enemy, Larry, certainly has a lot of motive to do so, being a snot-nosed little groveling punk. I’d have been harsher, but I might have been fired on the spot by my editor. Turns out someone stole a M.A.C.A.A – a Multi-Application Combat Armor Alternative, basically a prototype forcefield that killed the last guy that used it. So, of course, as you do, Fargo pressed the power button.

I swear, one day that kid is going to get himself killed, or worse, promoted. Well, if the day wasn’t already full of tension for Allison, the fact that a very dangerous experimental design developed at GD could kill someone else on her first day might just fill the schedule. The best part is, we’re not trying to hide it from your man here, General Mansfield. I’m not saying it is a good thing he knows, but I kind of prefer that over the typical “quick, let’s sneak around the guy that could get me fired.”

There is a touch of that, not explaining straight away that it was Fargo and that he’s in danger after a few hours, but it isn’t as blatant as it usually is. In fact, we go for a bit of a darker tone eventually, especially with Dr Todd, the scientist turned sonic fisherman. I wonder if any of them are called Jim. I won’t say that Vincent Gale will blow you away with his performance, he’s been in practically everything including Monk, SG-1, the US Queer as Folk, and The 4400, he’s good. However, to me, he does just enough and little else with his time.

Gale’s Todd brings a graveness, a severity to the situation at hand that most “Fargo pressed a button again” stories don’t always do, especially the ones that are born out of a rivalry at GD. Even his work in “Dr. Nobel,” which almost started World War 3, that had a lot more comedy and pointed jokes throughout. Oddly for a show that’s known for its comedy moments, “Try, Try Again” is almost entirely comedy-focused, with the proposed resolution being to throw Fargo down to the center of Eric Roberts’ 1996 TARDIS.

As a fun, sci-fi idea, I don’t hate “Try, Try Again” but there isn’t that balance we get from some of the best episodes. I think, a bit like “Alienated,” it sort of just happens, and you don’t have too much of strong an opinion either way. Another comparison I could make is that of Doctor Who, eventually you’re glad its over, and there is another episode next week that might be more interesting and better. What I will say about “Try, Try Again” as a positive is that it is at least somewhat memorable, but not as one of the great “Fargo endangers himself and others” episodes.

Ultimately, much like the team’s idea to drop Fargo into a hole and throw a nuke in after him, Fargo’s idea of pressing random buttons only works as a last-ditch effort for comedy. Too bad nuking a staple of the show isn’t as funny as it sounds. I’d love to see Fargo as a Fallout Ghoul, with nine legs and three heads. With less focus on background mysteries, there are drips here or there, but hardly enough to call them strong B-plots. Honestly, the standout is Vincent Gale’s dark and harrowing depiction of grief for his scientific endeavors, with little else balancing out the comedy side of the show.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

Eureka "Try, Try Again"

6

Score

6.0/10

Pros

• Vincent Gale's Dr Todd.
• The second of many Fargo-press-a-button episodes.

Cons

• Leaning darker and more harrowing than I think it probably should.
• The season mysteries in the background are a bit disinteresting.